Foreign Language and Communication Media (BA)

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Administered jointly by the Department of World Languages and Cultures , College of Arts and Sciences and School of Communication .

Admission to the Program

Students are admitted either to the School of Communication or to the Department of World Languages and Cultures in the College of Arts and Sciences . Formal admission to the Foreign Language and Communication Media (FLCM) major requires a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.50. Students who are unable to achieve a 2.50 GPA and declare a major in FLCM are not allowed to take courses in the School of Communication after they have completed 60 credit hours of undergraduate credit.

University Requirements

120 credit hours with minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 2 )
Completion of all requirements for a major (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 9 )

AU Core Requirements

Completion of AU Core foundation requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.2-8.6 )
Completion of AU Core Habits of Mind requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.7 )
Completion of AU Core integrative course requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.8-8.11 )

For additional information, see AU Core Curriculum .

Major Requirements

57 credit hours with grades of C or better
- With approval of the student’s advisor, up to 6 credit hours taken abroad may be applied toward the communication requirements
Specialization: French, German, Russian, or Spanish combined with Communication Studies, Film and Media Arts, Journalism, or Public Relations & Strategic Communication
Prerequisite competency in the major language at the intermediate level
Minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA

Course Requirements

Foundation (3 credit hours)

COMM-100 Understanding Media FA4 (3)

Contemporary Culture (6 credit hours)

Complete 6 credit hours from the following, or other contemporary culture coursework as approved by advisor:

Linguistics (3 credit hours)

Complete 3 credit hours from the following, or other approved courses:

Language Specialization (18 credit hours)

Complete one of the following language specializations:

French

Complete 18 credit hours in French from the following, or other approved courses:

German

Complete 18 credit hours in German from the following, or other approved courses:

Russian

Complete 18 credit hours in Russian from the following, or other approved courses:

Spanish

Complete 18 credit hours in Spanish from the following, or other approved courses:

Communication Specialization (27 credit hours)

Complete one of the following communication specializations:

Communication Studies

Required (15 credit hours)

Capstone (3 credit hours)

COMM-465 Senior Research Capstone Seminar (3)

Electives (9 credit hours)

Complete 9 credit hours from the following, with at least 3 credit hours at or above 300-level, or other coursework as approved by advisor:

Film and Media Arts

Required (15 credit hours)

Capstone (3 credit hours)

Complete 3 credit hours from the following:

Electives (9 credit hours)

Complete 9 credit hours from the following, with at least 3 credit hours at or above 300-level, or other coursework as approved by advisor:

Journalism

Required (18 credit hours)

Capstone (3 credit hours)

COMM-425 Advanced Reporting (3)

Electives (6 credit hours)

Complete 6 credit hours from the following, with at least 3 credit hours at or above 300-level, or other coursework as approved by advisor:

Public Relations & Strategic Communication

Required (18 credit hours)

Capstone (3 credit hours)

COMM-437 Public Relations Portfolio (3)

Electives (6 credit hours)

Complete 6 credit hours from the following, with at least 3 credit hours at or above 300-level, or other coursework as approved by advisor:

Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its combined bachelor’s/master’s programs. See Admission to a Combined Bachelor’s / Master’s Program and Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees for more information.