Communication, BA

A Bachelor of Arts in Communication offers four degree options: Organizational Communication, Media Management, Recording Arts, and Applied Communication. The first three options are specialized areas of study. The Applied Communication option allows a student to prepare for a career in communication with courses tailored to the individual student’s interests and career objectives.

Students pursuing a degree in Communication prepare themselves for a broad range of employment opportunities in both the public and private sectors. An internship for advanced students majoring in Organizational Communication, Media Management, or Recording Arts helps focus career objectives. Potential interns must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0. Internships are competitive and all qualified students are not guaranteed an internship. Internships are not available for Applied Communication students or students minoring in Communication.

Outcomes

To expand students’ knowledge and abilities in the communication field in order to prepare them for employment and future graduate studies and research
To prepare students with a thorough background in the discipline of communication
To provide a service function by contributing to the liberal education of noncommunication majors who take courses in communication

General Degree Requirements:

The following degree requirements apply to all Communication majors:

Minimum of 36 (for Applied Track) maximum of 54 hours for all majors
Minimum cumulative GPA of C (2.0) or better in all communication courses
At least half of required major course work must be upper division (18 hours minimum)
All graduating Communication majors must take an exit exam which samples the student’s understanding of the major concepts of his/her content area. Students will take the exam during their last semester. Graduating seniors will receive information regarding test times, dates, and locations.
Further, all transfer students must complete a minimum of 12 credit hours of course work in the UCCS Department of Communication.

BA, Communication—Organizational Communication (42 Hours)

Undergraduate students may apply for admission to the Organizational Communication track after completing COMM 250 and COMM 224 and after having met the Writing Competency requirement for the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. The combined GPA for COMM 250, COMM 224, and any course(s) taken to meet the Writing Competency Requirement must be 3.0 or higher for students to be considered for admission to the Organizational Communication track.

Organizational communication majors must take a minimum of 42 hours of communication course work, including the following requirements which cannot be waived:

Core Requirements

COMM 224 - Introduction to Organizational Communication
COMM 324 - Business and Professional Communication
COMM 424 - Advanced Organizational Communication (Spring only—Prerequisite: Admission to Organizational Communication Track, or consent of instructor.)
COMM 469 - Internship in Communication

Additional Course Requirements

Which cannot be waived:

COMM 102 - Interpersonal Communication
COMM 203 - Introduction to Communication Theory
COMM 210 - Public Speaking
COMM 250 - Research Methods
COMM 315 - Communication Competency in Groups and Teams
COMM 328 - Intercultural Communication
COMM 344 - Leadership Communication
COMM 400 - Rhetorical Dimensions in Communication
COMM 451 - Quantitative Methods for Communication Research (Fall only -Prerequisite: Math 104 and admission to Organizational Communication Track; or consent of instructor)

Other Required Course

Select one from among the following:

One College of Business course from either Marketing, Human Resources, or Organizational Management

BA, Communication—Media Management (42 Hours)

Undergraduate students may apply for admission to the Media Management track after completing COMM 100, COMM 201, COM 227, COM/JOUR 290 and all courses fulfilling the Writing Competency requirement for the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences.

Media Management majors must take a minimum of 42 hours of Communication course work, including the following requirements (which cannot be waived):

Core Requirements

Additional Course Requirements

Select any four courses from among the following:

BA, Communication—Recording Arts (42 Hours)

Undergraduate students may apply for admission to the Recording Arts after completing COMM 100, COMM 225, COMM/JOUR 290 and all courses fulfilling the Writing Competency requirement for the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences.

Recording Arts majors must take a minimum of 42 hours of Communication course work, including the following requirements (which cannot be waived):

Core Requirements

Additional Course Requirements

Select any four courses from among the following:

BA, Communication—Applied Communication Option (36 Hours)

Must include 18 hours of upper division course work.

Communication majors who do not specify a special area of interest must take a minimum of 36 hours of communication course work, including the following core requirements which cannot be waived: