Communication, B.A.

Communication is essential for participating in an increasingly complex and mediated global environment. Students in the Communication major will study and practice communication from a social scientific perspective; they will gain an understanding of how communication functions to create, sustain, and transform personal and public lives;  develop the competencies required for various contexts and modes of communication including but not limited to corporate communication, interpersonal, or family communication, in-person, virtual, or mass-mediated; and sharpen their skills for analyzing communication problems and questions—hence preparing  students to be industry-ready communication leaders and practitioners.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Students will be able to use scientific reasoning to interpret communication phenomena.
  2. Students will be able to design and conduct basic communication research.
  3. Students will be able to communicate well for professional purposes.
  4. Students will be able to analyze and evaluate communication processes, understanding their impact on audiences and society.

Admissions Requirements

New freshmen, transfer, and change of campus students who meet University admissions standards are eligible for admission to the Communication, B.A.

A student who wishes to enter the Communication, B.A. from another college on the Columbia campus must be in good standing and have an institutional GPA of 2.00 or higher.

Degree Requirements (120 hours)

Program of Study

Requirements Credit Hours
1. Carolina Core 31-46
2. College Requirements 0
3. Program Requirements 44-59
4. Major Requirements 30

Founding Documents Requirement

All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade in the subject areas of History, Political Science, or African American Studies that covers the founding documents including the United State Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation and one or more documents that are foundational to the African American Freedom struggle, and a minimum of five essays from the Federalist papers.  This course may count as a requirement in any part of the program of study including the Carolina Core, the major, minor or cognate, or as a general elective.  Courses that meet this requirement are listed here.

1. Carolina Core Requirements (31-46 hours)

CMW – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written (6 hours)

must be passed with a grade of C or higher​

ARP – Analytical Reasoning and Problem Solving (6-7 hours) 

SCI – Scientific Literacy (7 hours)

Two approved Carolina Core Scientific Literacy courses, including one laboratory course

GFL – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language  (0-6 hours)

  • Students are required to demonstrate proficiency in one foreign language equivalent to the 110 or 121 course through course credit or the corresponding foreign language placement score.
  • CC-GFL courses

GHS – ​Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking (3 hours) 

GSS – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences (3 hours) 

AIU – Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding (3-4 hours)

CMS – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component1 (0-3 hours)

INF – Information Literacy1 (0-3 hours)

VSR – Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility1 (0-3 hours)

1

Carolina Core Stand Alone or Overlay Eligible Requirements — Overlay-approved courses offer students the option of meeting two Carolina Core components in a single course. A maximum of two overlays is allowed. The total Carolina Core credit hours must add up to a minimum of 31 hours. Some programs may have a higher number of minimum Carolina Core hours due to specified requirements.

2. College Requirements (0 hours)

No college-required courses for this program.

3. Program Requirements (44-59 hours)

Electives (44-59 hours)

120 degree-applicable credits are required to complete the degree. Students who have completed all other degree requirements but have not yet reached 120 degree-applicable credits will use general electives to reach the 120-credit minimum.

Non-degree-applicable credits may not be used to fill general elective requirements. Non-degree-applicable credit includes, but is not limited to, physical education activity courses, repeats of non-repeatable courses, remedial courses, and technical courses. Students may seek additional clarification about degree applicability in the Undergraduate Academic Regulations section of the Undergraduate Bulletin, or they may contact the CIC Student Services Office.

4. Major Requirements (30 hours)

A minimum grade of C is required in all major courses.

Course Title Credits
Introductory Material6
COMM 101
Introduction to Human Communication
COMM 332
Communication Research
Communication Skills6
Select six hours of the following:
COMM 201
Applied Interpersonal Communication
COMM 202
Social Influence and Persuasion
COMM 203
Communication in Teams
COMM 204
Conflict and Negotiation
Major Electives15
Select six hours at 300 level and above
Select six hours at 400 level and above
Select three hours at 500 level
Internship3
JOUR 597
Internship in Mass Communications
Total Credit Hours30

Major Map

A major map is a layout of required courses in a given program of study, including critical courses and suggested course sequences to ensure a clear path to graduation.

Major maps are only a suggested or recommended sequence of courses required in a program of study. Please contact your academic advisor for assistance in the application of specific coursework to a program of study and course selection and planning for upcoming semesters.

Communication, B.A.