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
- Students will be able to use scientific reasoning to interpret communication phenomena.
- Students will be able to design and conduct basic communication research.
- Students will be able to communicate well for professional purposes.
- 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.
Requirements (120 hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Carolina Core (31-46 hours) | ||
| CMW - Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written 1 | ||
| ENGL 101 | Critical Reading and Composition | 3 |
| ENGL 102 | Rhetoric and Composition | 3 |
| ARP - Analytical Reasoning and Problem Solving | ||
| CC-ARP course(s) (Select one) | 3 | |
| While any two CC-ARP courses fulfill this requirement, at least one course from the following is recommended: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Statistical Reasoning | ||
| Statistics and the Media | ||
| Elementary Statistics | ||
| Elementary Statistics for the Biological and Life Sciences | ||
| Elementary Statistics for Business | ||
| SCI - Scientific Literacy | ||
| Select two of the following, including one laboratory course: | 7 | |
| GFL - Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language | ||
| 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 course(s) | 0-6 | |
| GHS - Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking | ||
| CC-GHS course(s) | 3 | |
| GSS - Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences | ||
| CC-GSS course(s) | 3 | |
| AIU - Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding | ||
| CC-AIU course(s) | 3 | |
| CMS - Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component 2 | ||
| CC-CMS course(s) | 0-3 | |
| INF - Information Literacy 2 | ||
| CC-INF course(s) | 0-3 | |
| VSR - Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility 2 | ||
| CC-VSR course(s) | 0-3 | |
| 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. | 44-59 | |
| 4. Major Requirements (30 hours) 1 | ||
| Major Courses (15 hours) | ||
| COMM 101 | Introduction to Human Communication | 3 |
| COMM 332 | Communication Research | 3 |
| Select 6 hours from the following: | 6 | |
| Applied Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Social Influence and Persuasion | ||
| Communication in Teams | ||
| Conflict and Negotiation | ||
| Internship: | ||
| JOUR 597 | Internship in Mass Communications | 3 |
| Major Electives (15 hours) | ||
| Select 6 hours at 300-level and above | 6 | |
| Select 6 hours at 400-level and above | 6 | |
| Select 3 hours at 500-level | 3 | |
- 1
Must be passed with a grade of C or higher.
- 2
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.
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.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| ENGL 101 | Critical Reading and Composition | 3 |
| COMM 101 | Introduction to Human Communication | 3 |
| Any CC-ARP course (but one of the following is recommended: STAT 110 or STAT 112 or STAT 201 or STAT 205 or STAT 206 3 | 3 | |
| Communication Major Elective 6 | 3 | |
| UNIV 101 | The Student in the University (or Carolina Core Requirement) 3 | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENGL 102 | Rhetoric and Composition | 3 |
| Communication Skills Course 5 | 3 | |
| Carolina Core ARP Requirement 3 | 3-4 | |
| Carolina Core SCI Requirement 3 | 4 | |
| Foreign language or other Carolina Core Requirement 3,4 | 3-4 | |
| Credit Hours | 16-18 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| COMM 332 | Communication Research | 3 |
| Communication Skills Course 5 | 3 | |
| Carolina Core SCI Requirement 3 | 3-4 | |
| Carolina Core Requirement 3 | 3 | |
| Foreign language or other Carolina Core Requirement 3,4 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15-16 | |
| Spring | ||
| Communication Major Elective 6 | 3 | |
| Carolina Core Requirement 3 | 3 | |
| Carolina Core Requirement or Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Carolina Core Requirement or Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Communication Major Elective 6 | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Communication Major Elective 6 | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Communication Major Elective 6 | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| JOUR 597 | Internship in Mass Communications | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 2 | |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120-123 | |
- 1
Regardless of individual course grades, students must maintain a minimum 2.25 cumulative GPA.
- 2
Some colleges require a minimum GPA for major courses.
- 3
The Carolina Core provides the common core of knowledge, skill and academic experience for all Carolina undergraduate students.
- 4
Students in the Communication major are required to demonstrate proficiency in one foreign language equivalent to the 121 course through course credit or the corresponding foreign language placement score.
- 5
Communication Skills Courses (6 hours): COMM 201, 202, 203, 204.
- 6
Communication Major Electives (15 hours):
- Six hours at 300-level and above.
- Six hours at 400-level and above.
- Three hours at 500-level.
Program Notes:
- All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade that covers the founding documents. This course may fulfill any requirement in the program of study. Courses that meet this requirement are listed in the academic bulletin.
- The last 30 credit hours toward your degree must be earned in residence at the University of South Carolina.