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University Bulletin
Undergraduate Degree Programs

Communications

University College (COMCC): Penn State Beaver, Penn State Brandywine, Penn State Greater Allegheny, Penn State New Kensington

Not all options are available at every campus. Contact the campus you are interested in attending to determine which options are offered.

With the rapid development of digital technologies over the last decade, the field of communications has seen unprecedented growth and convergence of medium in media both technologically and structurally. The communications degree program addresses strongly articulated employer requirements for the workplace through an integrated program model. The degree provides the basic theoretical foundations of the discipline, allows for appropriate branching outside the traditional curriculum, and permits a drawing from appropriate courses in the disciplines of information sciences and technology, communications, arts and sciences, English, and business.

The degree in communications provides two options for students who wish to develop their written and verbal skills in an effort to gain professional employment in fields such as public relations, publishing, speech writing, video and multimedia, production, and/or journalism.

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS OPTION: In extending traditional organizational communication and public relations to the digital age, this option prepares public relations specialists to compete in a global society. The program is also effective as preparation for e-commerce.

JOURNALISM OPTION: In today's workplace, journalism graduates are required to regularly engage rapidly converging media in their work. This option offers graduates a competitive advantage by complementing traditional options (newspaper, magazine, radio, TV) with convergent course work designed to prepare students for professional journalism in the digital age.

For a B.A. degree in Communications, a minimum of 120 credits is required.

Scheduling Recommendation by Semester Standing given like (Sem: 1-2)

GENERAL EDUCATION: 45 credits
(6-10 credits of these 45 credits are included in the REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR)
(See description of General Education in this bulletin.)

UNITED STATES CULTURES AND INTERNATIONAL CULTURES:
(Included in ELECTIVES, GENERAL EDUCATION course selection, or REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR)

WRITING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM:
(Included in REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR)

ELECTIVES: 4-9 credits

BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE REQUIREMENTS: 24 credits
(0-12 credits are included in ELECTIVES if foreign language proficiency is demonstrated by examination.)
(See description of Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements in this bulletin.)

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR: 52-53 credits
(This includes 6-10 credits of General Education courses: 0-6 credits of GS; 0-6 credits of GH; 0-4 credits GQ courses.)

COMMON REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR (ALL OPTIONS): 25 credits

PRESCRIBED COURSES (13 credits)[1]
COMM 160(1) (Sem: 1-2)
COMM 260W(3), COMM 270(3) (Sem: 3-4)
COMM 494(3), COMM 495(3) (Sem: 7-8)

ADDITIONAL COURSES (12 credits)
COMM 100 GS(3) or COMM 110 GH(3) (Sem: 1-2)[1]
Select 3 credits from the following (may double count with general education courses): AM ST 105 GH;US(3), ECON 102GS(3), ECON 104 GS(3), PHIL 103 GH(3), PSYCH 100 GS(3), SOC 001 GS(3), SOC 005 GS(3) (Sem: 1-2)
CAS 201 GH(3)[1] or CAS 202 GS(3)[1] (Sem: 3-4)
Select 3 credits from the following in Communications Research Methods/Theory (may not double count with option additional courses requirement): CAS 204(3), COMM 304(3), CAS 352(3), CAS 471 US;IL(3) (Sem: 5-6)

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE OPTION: 27-28 credits

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS OPTION: (27-28 credits)

PRESCRIBED COURSES (9 credits)[1]
CAS 252(3) (Sem: 3-4)
COMM 370(3) (Sem: 5-6)
COMM 471(3) (Sem: 7-8)

ADDITIONAL COURSES (18-19 credits)[1]
(Some courses in this category have prerequisites that are not required in the program. Credits applied may not double count with any other major or option requirements. Only 3 credits combined maximum or COMM 001, 002, 003 may apply. Only 3 credits maximum of COMM 297 may apply. Only 3 additional credits of COMM 495 may apply. STAT 200 may double count as GQ. Courses may double count toward IL and US requirements.)
MKTG 301(3) or MKTG 301W(3) (Sem: 5-6)
Select 15 credits from the following (at least 3 credits must be at the 400 level):
B A 100 GS(3) or B A 243(4); CAS 203 GS(3), CAS 204(3), CAS 214W(3), CAS 271 US;IL(3), CAS 352(3), CAS 404(3), CAS 452W(3), CAS 471 US;IL(3), COMM 001(1-3), COMM 002(1-3), COMM 003(1-3), COMM 205 US(3), COMM 241(3), COMM 251(3), COMM 282(3), COMM 292 GH(3), COMM 297(1-9), COMM 304(3), COMM 320(3), COMM 350 IL(3), COMM 403(3), COMM 409(3), COMM 410 IL(3), COMM 413W(3), COMM 462(3), COMM 468(3), COMM 473(3), COMM 476(3), COMM 495(3), COMM 496(3), ENGL 215(3), ENGL 420(3), MKTG 310(3), STAT 200 GQ(4) (Sem: 5-8)

JOURNALISM OPTION: (27-28 credits)

PRESCRIBED COURSES (12 credits)[1]
COMM 403(3), COMM 409(3), COMM 460W(3), ENGL 420(3) (Sem: 5-8)

ADDITIONAL COURSES (15-16 credits)[1]
(Some courses in this category have prerequisites that are not required in the program. Credits applied may not double count with any other major or option requirements. Only 6 credits combined maximum of COMM 001, 002, 003, may apply. Only 6 credits maximum of COMM 297 may apply. Only 3 additional credits of COMM 495 may apply. STAT 200 may double count as GQ. Courses may double count toward IL and US requirements.)
Select 15 credits from the following: CAS 203 GS(3), CAS 271 US;IL(3), CAS 404(3), CAS 471 US;IL(3), COMM 001(1), COMM 002(2-3), COMM 003(3), COMM 205 US(3), COMM 241(3), COMM 251(3), COMM 261 GH(3), COMM 269(3), COMM 282(3), COMM 292 GH(3), COMM 297(3), COMM 350(3), COMM 370, COMM 401(3), COMM 410 IL(3), COMM 413W(3), COMM 461(3), COMM 462(3), COMM 464(3), COMM 464W(3), COMM 467(3), COMM 468(3), COMM 470A(3), COMM 470B(3), COMM 470C(3), COMM 476(3), COMM 495(3), COMM 496(3), ENGL 215(3), STAT 200 GQ(4) (Sem: 3-8)

[1]A student enrolled in this major must receive a grade of C or better, as specified in Senate Policy 82-44.

Last Reviewed by the Department: Summer Session 2011

Blue Sheet Item #:40-01-087

Review Date: 8/16/2011

UCA Revision #1: 8/3/06

UC
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