Communication Arts, Bachelor of Arts
College: College of Liberal Arts
Department: Visual, Performing, and Media Arts
Student Type: Traditional Undergraduate
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Campus: Both Lisle Campus and Mesa Campus
Requirements - Major
Students majoring in Communication Arts must complete at least 42 semester credit hours within the department with a grade of “C” or better, including:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| COMM 3207 | Editing for Publications | 3 |
| COMM 2208 | Layout and Design for Publication | 3 |
| COMM 2209 | Newswriting and Reporting | 3 |
| COMM 2235 | Photojournalism | 3 |
| COMM 2255 | Television Production | 3 |
| COMM 4317 | Mass Media Law and Ethics | 3 |
| COMM 4393 | Senior Portfolio | 3 |
| COMM 2253 | Public Relations Writing | 3 |
| COMM 2254 | Writing for the Electronic Media | 3 |
| 3000-level Theory Course | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Media and Society | ||
| Media and Environment | ||
| Recording and Popular Music in America | ||
| Television and Society | ||
| Studies in Film Theory and Criticism | ||
| Images of Men and Women in Advertising | ||
| 3000-level Applied Course | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Advanced Television Production | ||
| Advanced Journalism Writing | ||
| Advanced Seminar in Page Design for Publications | ||
| Multimedia Production for the Web | ||
| Digital Video Editing | ||
| Select at least three 3000-level Communication Arts Elective Courses (Theory or Applied) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 42 | |
No more than three internship credit hours may count toward the major. Students majoring in Communication Arts will need to submit a portfolio of their work in advertising, journalism, multimedia, public relations, and video prior to graduation. Through working with advisors, majors will be guided in the selection of courses both within and outside the department in order to plan a program of studies tailored to their individual educational and career goals.
A student may not minor in Public Relations while majoring in Communication Arts.
The Communication Arts program offers courses in the following areas:
- publication design,
- broadcasting and cable,
- advertising and public relations,
- mass media theory and criticism,
- journalism
Communication Arts Major for Pre-law Students
While stating that no single major is recommended for admission to law school, the “Statement on Prelegal Education of the Association of American Law Schools” emphasizes the absolute necessity for the “need to master, at the undergraduate level, advanced writing skills and effective oral communication. Lawyers must be able, in drafting instruments, to convey meaning clearly and effectively. In oral and written advocacy he or she must be capable of communicating ideas convincingly and concisely. Truly, the law-trained man or woman, to perform effectively the tasks expected, must be a precisionist in the use of language.”
Students interested in law school who choose Communication Arts as a major are advised to take, in addition to their major requirements, the following courses, some of which may be applicable to Distribution requirements:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL 2260 | Social & Political Philosophy | 3 |
| or PHIL 3355 | Existentialism | |
| History Course | 3 | |
| ECON 2002 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ACCT 1111 | Principles of Financial Accounting | 3 |
| PLSC 1102 | American Government | 3 |
| BALT 1150 | Business Statistics I | 3 |
| BIOL 1197 | Principles of Organismal Biology | 3 |
| or BIOL 1198 | Principles of Biology | |
Requirements - Concentration
The Sports Communication concentration requires 45 hours and consists of all of the above major requirements (except COMM 2235 Photojournalism and just one general 3000 elective) plus:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 2264 | Sports Journalism | 3 |
| COMM 2265 | Sports Broadcasting | 3 |
| COMM 3297 | Internship | 2-6 |
| MGT 3305 | Introduction to Sports Culture in America | 3 |
| Total Hours | 11-15 | |
Students in the Communication Arts program will achieve the following student learning outcomes (SLO):
Student Learning Outcome 1: Demonstrate proficiency with appropriate transferable skills used by professionals in the communications/media fields.
• University SLO: 3. Communication Skills
Student Learning Outcome 2: Develop a critical understanding of the effects of evolving communication systems on society
• University SLO: 2. Critical and Creative Thinking Skills; University SLO: 3. Communication Skills; University SLO: 4. Information Fluency
Student Learning Outcome 3: Develop storytelling skills in fiction/non-fiction environments across a variety of media situations.
• University SLO: 2. Critical and Creative Thinking Skills; University SLO: 3. Communication Skills; University SLO: 4. Information Fluency
Student Learning Outcome 4: Communicate effectively orally through speech
• University SLO: 2. Critical and Creative Thinking Skills; University SLO: 3. Communication Skills; University SLO