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2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog
Communication Studies, B.A.
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Program Description
The School of Communication Studies offers the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees with a major in communication studies. Students must take at least 39 hours of work in communication studies beyond the General Education requirement. All programs must include at least five elements: - Twelve hours of required core communication studies courses.
- Three hours of an advanced research methods course.
- Eighteen hours of communication concentration courses.
- Six hours of elective courses in communication studies.
- A minor, second major, or twelve hours of course work at the 300 level or above outside of the SCOM major.
Admission to the Major
Admission to JMU does not guarantee admission to the School of Communication Studies . All students interested in majoring in the program must apply for a limited number of spaces by enrolling in and successfully completing SCOM 240 and SCOM 240L . In order to register for these classes, students must change their major to “SCOM declared” to register for SCOM 240 and SCOM 240L . The School of Communication Studies reviews performance in the SCOM 240 /SCOM 240L class to make decisions about acceptance into the major each semester.
Admission to the major is based on availability to the most qualified students as determined by performance in SCOM 240 and SCOM 240L .
Students who are not admitted are permitted one more attempt to successfully meet performance requirements in SCOM 240 /SCOM 240L by enrolling the next regular semester or in the summer if the student desires. For students retaking SCOM 240 /SCOM 240L (whether repeat or repeat/forgive), the school will look only at their highest grades earned when evaluating their second attempt.
Successful completion of a major in the School of Communication Studies most often requires a minimum of four semesters after a student is fully admitted to the School. Depending upon the student’s particular circumstances and degree progress, more than four semesters may be required for completing the major. Once admitted to the School of Communication Studies , a student cannot retroactively apply more than nine hours of SCOM courses, including SCOM 240 and SCOM 240L , to his/her major (SCOM 121 /122 /123 does not count towards those nine hours).
Policy for Students Transferring from Another Institution
Students applying from other institutions are held to the same policies and guidelines as other applicants. However, once admitted to the School of Communication Studies , transfer students may petition for SCOM credit for courses taken at previous institutions. As with other applicants, they may only use up to nine hours of SCOM courses taken before full admittance to the major to satisfy major requirements, including SCOM 240 and SCOM 240L .
Minimum Grades
Any course taken to fulfill a degree requirement in communication studies must be completed with a minimum grade of “C-.” A communication studies course completed with a grade of “D” may be credited toward graduation but may not be included as coursework toward a communication studies major or minor. Additionally, courses completed with a grade less than “C-” will not count as fulfilling prerequisites for future courses, and enrolled students may be administratively removed from courses for which they have not completed a required prerequisite with a minimum grade of “C-.” Limitations in Applied Courses
No more than six hours combined credit in SCOM 316, SCOM 317, SCOM 318 , SCOM 390 and SCOM 495 may be counted toward a major in communication studies unless approved by the academic unit head.
Double CountingA student with a Communication Studies major or minor may use courses that satisfy their major or minor requirements to satisfy requirements for another major or minor. There is no limit on the number of classes a student may double count within the majors or minors. Degree and Major Requirements
| Degree Requirements |
Credit Hours |
| General Education 1 |
41 |
| Foreign language classes (intermediate level required) 2 |
0-14 |
| Philosophy course (in addition to General Education courses) |
3 |
| University electives 3 |
11-49 |
Major requirements (listed below)
Total
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39
120
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Footnotes
1 The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. Some credits may be fulfilled by courses required within the major.
2 The foreign language requirement may be satisfied by successful completion of the second semester of the intermediate level of the student’s chosen language (typically 232) or by placing out of that language through the Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures’ placement test.
3 A minimum of 12 credit hours of university electives must be at the 300 level or above, or students must earn a minor or second major. Major Requirements: 12 Credit Hours
Advanced Research Methods: Choose One: 3 Credit Hours
Communication Studies Concentration: 18 Credit Hours
Communication Studies Electives: 6 Credit Hours
Major Requirements Total: 39 Credit Hours
Communication Studies Concentrations
Advocacy Studies Concentration
This concentration prepares students to understand, critically evaluate and engage the communication theories, processes, media institutions and communication technologies that citizens, political leaders, government officials, public administrators, interest groups and community service organizations use to campaign, deliberate, adjudicate, govern and advocate for social change. Skilled advocates adopt, develop and implement diverse sets of communication strategies that help clients articulate interests and goals, determine social systems and audiences most likely to achieve goals, identify effective media and appropriate goal oriented messages, and develop plans for implementing change.
Advocacy Studies Concentration Core: Required Courses: 12 Credit Hours
Advocacy Studies Concentration Electives: Choose two: 6 Credit Hours
Advocacy Studies Concentration Total: 18 Credit Hours
Cultural Communication Concentration
This concentration empowers students to communicate reflectively in a diverse, multicultural and global society. With a distinct focus on critical and cultural communication theories and social justice frameworks, students are equipped with opportunities and tools necessary for understanding culturally complex circumstances, issues and needs that arise in personal relationships, civic settings, and other social and mediated contexts. Skills developed in this concentration prepare students with confidence to more effectively listen, analyze, adapt and respond to communication contexts in ways that cultivate inclusive environments, cultures and just relations. Cultural Communication Concentration Core: Required Courses: 9 Credit Hours
Communication Skills: Choose one: 3 Credit Hours
Cultural Communication Concentration Electives: Choose two: 6 Credit Hours
Cultural Communication Concentration Total: 18 Credit Hours
Generalist Concentration
This concentration allows students to combine interests in several areas of communication study. The generalist focus allows students to choose options that create intersections that would support specific career outcomes, such as focusing on health communication and organizational communication to prepare for a career in health organizations, or a focus on advocacy and culture to prepare for work in humanitarian and social justice fields.
Communication Skills: Choose one: 3 Credit Hours
Communication Theory and Context: Choose two: 6 Credit Hours
Advanced Communication Theory and Context: Choose one: 3 Credit Hours
Generalist Concentration 300/400-Level Electives: Choose two: 6 Credit Hours
- SCOM 300/400 Credits: 3.00
- SCOM 300/400 Credits: 3.00
Generalist Concentration Total: 18 Credit Hours
Health Communication Studies Concentration
This concentration prepares students for careers in local, state or federal health agencies, hospitals/medical practices, non-profits, health-related industry, private research groups/foundations, and health education/promotion consulting firms. Students will gain strong writing and research skills and gain knowledge in the areas of: health communication, provider-patient communication and health campaigns.
Health Communication Concentration Core: Required Courses: 9 Credit Hours
Communication Skills: Choose one: 3 Credit Hours
Health Communication Concentration Electives: Choose two: 6 Credit Hours
Health Communication Studies Concentration Total: 18 Credit Hours
Interpersonal Communication Studies Concentration
Students analyze how messages are used to manage personal relationships in social and professional contexts. By examining research, theory and processes of interpersonal communication, students learn important principles for managing impressions and building rapport, identifying needs and pursuing influence goals, reducing relational uncertainty, and adapting to change. Students completing the concentration learn to communicate the value of healthy relationships, are well prepared for graduate school, and develop relational skills for excelling in careers such as peer counseling, education, family and human services, sales and management, aging services, ministry, and community leadership.
Interpersonal Communication Concentration Core: Required Courses: 6 Credit Hours
Communication Skills (choose one): 3 Credit Hours
Communication Depth Elective: Choose one: 3 Credit Hours
Interpersonal Communication Concentration Electives: Choose two: 6 Credit Hours
Interpersonal Communication Studies Concentration Total: 18 Credit Hours
Organizational Communication Studies Concentration
Organizational communication involves the study of the ways people interact within organizations, such as business, government, education and nonprofit groups. The Organizational Communication concentration offers students the knowledge and skills for organizing people, information and ideas, and provides opportunities for hands on practice. Coursework prepares students to organize productive talk, facilitate training and skill development, lead through communication, and apply theories of organizing to improve practice in the world. This concentration prepares students for careers in such things as business, consulting, training and event planning and for the study of law.
Organizational Communication Core: Required Courses: 9 Credit Hours
Communication Skills: Choose one: 3 Credit Hours
Organization Communication Concentration Electives: Choose two: 6 Credit Hours
Organizational Communication Studies Concentration Total: 18 Credit Hours
Public Relations Studies Concentration
This concentration focuses on the management of communication between organizations and their internal and external publics with the goal of mutual understanding and influence. Public relations practitioners work with specific audiences relative to focused goals. Preparation for a career in public relations should include a broad educational base and a variety of communication skills.
Public Relations Concentration Core: Required Courses: 9 Credit Hours
Advanced Public Relations Skills: Choose one: 3 Credit Hours
Public Relations in Context: Choose one: 3 Credit Hours
Public Relations Capstone: Choose one: 3 Credit Hours
Public Relations Studies Concentration Total: 18 Credit Hours
Recommended Schedule for Communication Studies Majors
Generally, students will start their program in Communication Studies no earlier than their second semester and often at the beginning of their sophomore year. This is a suggested progression of major coursework. We recommend students take 30 credit hours per year to stay on track to meet all requirements in four years.
First Year
Declared Students (End of First-Year or Beginning of Second Year)
Footnote
1 Until fully-admitted, SCOM declared students may take only 9 hours of SCOM major credit.
First Year Total: 30 Credit Hours
Second Year Total: 30 Credit Hours
Third Year Total: 30 Credit Hours
Fourth Year
- Complete Concentration-Specific Requirements
- Complete Minor or Second Major coursework
Fourth Year Total: 30 Credit Hours
Program Total: 120 Credit Hours
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