2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Bachelor of Arts in Communication

The Bachelor in Arts in Communication prepares students to become communication professionals by creating clear, concise, and content rich messages in a diverse and ever changing world. Courses in the degree include public speaking, small group, interpersonal, and mass communication, theory and research, communication ethics, social media, and students can choose between a concentration in strategic communication or digital communication and media design. Graduates of this program will have knowledge applicable to the public or private sector.

Degree Program Objectives

In addition to the institutional and degree level learning objectives, graduates of this program are expected to achieve these learning outcomes:

  • Describe the Communication discipline and its central questions.
  • Employ communication theories, perspectives, principles, and concepts.
  • Engage in communication inquiry.
  • Create messages appropriate to the audience, purpose, and context.
  • Critically analyze messages.
  • Demonstrate the ability to accomplish communicative goals (self-efficacy).
  • Apply ethical communication principles and practices.
  • Utilize communication to embrace difference.
  • Influence public discourse.

Degree at a Glance

Degree Program Requirements

General Education (30 semester hours)

Major Required (42 semester hours)

Students must choose a concentration for this degree program and may select from a Concentration in Digital Communication and Media Design or Concentration in Strategic Communication.

Concentration in Digital Communication and Media Design (18 semester hours)

The digital communication and media design concentration prepares students to know how to communicate in the ever-changing digital landscape. This concentration will give students the skills to understand how analytics relate to communication, the role of big data and communication, the importance of web, mobile, and visual communication, and how to build a digital presence.

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:

  • Develop, design, implement, and use, digital communication and media technologies.
  • Critically evaluate the communication needs of a target audience using communication analytics.
  • Understand and use all available web, mobile, and social media platforms to best communicate with an intended audience.
  • Gain tools and insights into the complex and ever changing digital communication landscape for long-term success.
Concentration Requirements (18 semester hours)

Concentration in Strategic Communication (18 semester hours)

The strategic communication concentration prepares students to be a communication leader in their institution or organization. This concentration will give students the skills to create a communication strategy that includes input from stakeholders, considers the diversity and uniqueness of the target audience, is flexible and nimble, and uses all available communication platforms to deliver a well-crafted and professional message.

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:

  • Develop, design and implement communication strategies.
  • Critically evaluate the communication needs of a target audience using communication analytics.
  • Use persuasive, informative, and inclusive language to reach the widest possible audience.
  • Gain tools and insights into the complex and ever changing communication landscape for long-term strategic communication success.
Concentration Requirements (18 semester hours)

Final Program Requirement (3 semester hours)

Elective Requirements (27 semester hours)

  1. All literature courses require successful completion of ENGL101-Proficiency in Writing or ENGL110-Making Writing Relevant.

  2. All literature courses require successful completion of ENGL101-Proficiency in Writing or ENGL110-Making Writing Relevant.

  3. Prerequisite: Senior Standing and completion of all major courses prior to enrollment.

Overview

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