Communication: Communication Studies (BA)

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

Offered by the School of Communication .

Admission to the Program

Formal admission to the major requires a cumulative grade point average of 2.50 (on a 4.00 scale). Students should declare their major by the end of the sophomore year and no earlier than the end of the freshman year.

Students who are unable to achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.50 and declare a major in communication are not allowed to take courses in the school after they have completed 60 hours of undergraduate credit.

University Requirements

120 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better
Completion of college writing requirement
Completion of university mathematics requirement

General Education Requirements

A total of ten courses, consisting of two courses from each of the five foundational areas
At least one course from Area Five: The Natural and Mathematical Sciences must include a laboratory science component
No more than two courses may be taken in the same discipline

Concentrations

History of the Media, International Media, Media and Government, or Media and Society

Major Requirements

Minimum of 36 and a maximum of 40 credit hours with grades of C or better within the School of Communication including core, media ethics and legal aspects, concentration, and media studies courses.
- With approval of the student’s advisor, up to 6 credit hours taken abroad may be applied toward the communication major requirements.
Related course requirements taken outside the School of Communication with grades of C or better.
Minimum of 80 credit hours outside the field of communication, including 65 credit hours in the liberal arts and sciences.
- Subject to the approval of an advisor, a maximum of 12 credit hours in communication transferred from another university may be substituted for required communication courses. Transfer students majoring in communication studies are required to graduate with a total of 80 credit hours outside the field of communication.
Minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA.

Course Requirements

Related Course Requirements

Students must complete the following with grades of C or better:

3 credit hours in United States history (HIST-xxx)
3 credit hours in economics (ECON-xxx)
A minor or second major outside the School of Communication

Communication Course Requirements (36 credit hours)

Core Courses (15 credit hours)

Media and Legal Ethics Courses (3 credit hours)

One of the following:

Concentrations (18 credit hours)

Complete one of the following concentrations: History of the Media, International Media, Media and Government, Media and Society.

History of the Media

18 credit hours from the following:

COMM-270 How the News Media Shape History FA2 (3)
COMM-275 Dissident Media: Voices from the Underground FA4 (3)
COMM-360 Myths of the Media (3)
COMM-401 Communication Law (3) if not used to fulfill media and ethics requirement above
COMM-504 Journalism Ethics (3) if not used to fulfill media and ethics requirement above
COMM-505 History of Broadcast Journalism (3)
COMM-511 History of Documentary (3)
COMM-514 Censorship and Media (3)
COMM-516 Topics in Film and Media Arts (3) with permission of the student’s advisor
COMM-517 History of Cross-Cultural Cinema (3)
COMM-520 History of Animation (3)
COMM-527 History of Photography (3)
COMM-533 Ethics in Strategic Communication (3) if not used to fulfill media and ethics requirement above
COMM-535 Special Topics in News Media (3) with permission of the student’s advisor
COMM-558 Survey of American Cinema (3)
COMM-391 Internship (3)
or
COMM-491 Senior Professional Internship (3)
An approved elective outside of SOC

International Media

18 credit hours from the following:

COMM-280 Contemporary Media in a Global Society FA3 (3)
COMM-360 Myths of the Media (3)
COMM-507 Media in Britain (3) (London)
COMM-514 Censorship and Media (3)
COMM-516 Topics in Film and Media Arts (3) with permission of the student’s advisor
COMM-517 History of Cross-Cultural Cinema (3)
COMM-535 Special Topics in News Media (3) with permission of the student’s advisor
COMM-538 Contemporary Media Issues (3)
COMM-539 International Public Communication (3)
COMM-546 Foreign Policy and the Press (3)
COMM-548 Global Journalism: Issues and Trends in the Twenty-First Century (3)
COMM-589 Communication, Culture, and the Environment (3)
COMM-391 Internship (3)
or
COMM-491 Senior Professional Internship (3)
An approved elective outside of SOC

Media and Government

18 credit hours from the following:

COMM-275 Dissident Media: Voices from the Underground FA4 (3)
COMM-327 The PR Presidency (3)
COMM-360 Myths of the Media (3)
COMM-365 Digital Media and Culture (3)
COMM-401 Communication Law (3) if not used to fulfill media and ethics requirement above
COMM-504 Journalism Ethics (3) if not used to fulfill media and ethics requirement above
COMM-509 Politics and the Media (3)
COMM-514 Censorship and Media (3)
COMM-515 Children, Youth, and Digital Culture (3)
COMM-516 Topics in Film and Media Arts (3) with permission of the student’s advisor
COMM-531 Political Communication (3)
COMM-533 Ethics in Strategic Communication (3) if not used to fulfill media and ethics requirement above
COMM-535 Special Topics in News Media (3) with permission of the student’s advisor
COMM-548 Global Journalism: Issues and Trends in the Twenty-First Century (3)
COMM-589 Communication, Culture, and the Environment (3)
COMM-391 Internship (3)
or
COMM-491 Senior Professional Internship (3)
An approved elective outside of SOC

Media and Society

18 credit hours from the following:

COMM-275 Dissident Media: Voices from the Underground FA4 (3)
COMM-280 Contemporary Media in a Global Society FA3 (3)
COMM-360 Myths of the Media (3)
COMM-365 Digital Media and Culture (3)
COMM-401 Communication Law (3) if not used to fulfill media and ethics requirement above
COMM-503 Broadcast and Multimedia Journalism Management (3)
COMM-504 Journalism Ethics (3) if not used to fulfill media and ethics requirement above
COMM-510 Women in Journalism (3)
COMM-511 History of Documentary (3)
COMM-514 Censorship and Media (3)
COMM-515 Children, Youth, and Digital Culture (3)
COMM-516 Topics in Film and Media Arts (3) with permission of the student’s advisor
COMM-517 History of Cross-Cultural Cinema (3)
COMM-533 Ethics in Strategic Communication (3) if not used to fulfill media and ethics requirement above
COMM-534 Race and Gender in Communication and Media (3)
COMM-538 Contemporary Media Issues (3)
COMM-558 Survey of American Cinema (3)
COMM-589 Communication, Culture, and the Environment (3)
COMM-391 Internship (3)
or
COMM-491 Senior Professional Internship (3)
An approved elective outside of SOC

University Honors Program

To graduate with University Honors in the major through the University Honors Program, students must meet the requirements detailed on the Honors website and have been enrolled as either a first-year student between Fall 1989 and Spring 2014, or as a transfer or self-nominated student through Spring 2015. The University Honors Program should not be confused with the AU Honors Program, which begins in Fall 2014 and has separate requirements, also detailed on the Honors website.

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 Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees for more information.