UMA Undergraduate Guide 2012-2013 Communication Academic Departments and Programs Communication The Major
The Major
The Communication major at UMass follows the liberal arts tradition, emphasizing the skills that make for engaged citizenship. We concentrate on theory and methods of inquiry, as opposed to technical training, although we do offer some technical courses, among them Public Speaking, Film and Television Production Concepts, Program Process in Television, Screenwriting and many research courses. Students also gain applied training and skills through internships and extracurricular campus experiences. Communication is a broad field, so our undergraduate courses are organized into clusters: 1) Interpersonal Communication and Culture, 2) Media and Popular Culture Studies, 3) Media, Technology, and Society, 4) Rhetoric, Performance, and Social Action, and 5) Film Studies. Within these is an array of topics. For example, you can study communication and cultural politics; film history and theory; technologies of communication and the nature of social institutions; communication and the constitution of social identities and relationships; mass media effects; and policies affecting communication technologies, infrastructure, and institutions. Admission to the Major The following admission standards apply to students entering the university as of the fall 2011 semester. Although many first-year and transfer students are admitted directly into the undergraduate major when they are admitted to the university, the major is restricted. Students who are not directly admitted may apply to the major during the semester in which they complete any two of the following five courses (note that enrollment is limited). We cannot review an application until we’ve received the student’s grades for two of these courses:
Anyone not directly admitted to the major must also complete and submit an application provided by the Department of Communication. The application includes 1) an up-to-date, unofficial transcript that includes your grades in the two predictor courses, above, and 2) one to three written statements on your academic interests and record, career goals, and why you want to become a Communication major. The evaluation of the application is based on: 1) performance in Communication courses, 2) overall academic record, and 3) the written statement(s). Major Requirements Students majoring in Communication must complete at least 12 or 13 courses (36 or 37 credits) in Communication. The following requirements apply to students entering the program in the fall of 2011 or later. 1. *For freshmen admitted directly into the major, and optional for transfer students, COMM 101: Introduction to Communication (1 credit). This course bumps the 12-course/36-credit requirement to 13 courses/ 37 credits. 2. Junior Year Writing requirement, COMM 375: Writing as Communication (3 credits) 3. Three of the five courses that introduce Subject Areas (9 credits). Most COMM courses will have an “Introductory SUBJECT AREA” course as a prerequisite. The courses below are prerequisites for those at the 300 level and above in each Subject Area:
4. At least eight additional courses (24 credits).
Note: Each semester a number of special topics (COMM 297, 397, 497, or 597) and seminar courses (COMM 491, 492, 493, 494, 495, 591, 592, 593, 594, or 595) may also be used as electives. Please note the following restrictions:
Internships and International Exchanges Internships are optional, supervised apprenticeships that can introduce students to many kinds of organizations and professional work. Such hands-on experiences complement the theoretical and analytic orientation of the undergraduate curriculum, and many students find that they provide experiences and connections that help them land jobs after graduation. Communication majors have interned in such diverse fields as media programming, public interest research, TV news, advertising, public relations, corporate management, sales, government, newspapers, magazines, and film production, and community cultural organizations. Communication majors are encouraged to study abroad. More than 40 Communication majors do so each year, and many of them report the experience to be life-changing. In the last few years, Communication majors have studied in Australia, Germany, Israel, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, England, France, South Africa, and Ireland—and there are yet more options. |
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