Communication Major
Communication takes as its subject matter the history, processes, and effects of human communication through speech and its extensions. The departmental curriculum is designed to provide a liberal education in the arts and sciences of human communication as well as preparation for career opportunities in business, government, education, law, and related fields. Students pursue academic programs that emphasize many disciplinary areas, including intercultural communication, political communication, public relations, negotiation and conflict management, cognition and persuasion, rhetorical theory, risk communication, history of rhetoric, and criticism of public discourse. Departmental advising is mandatory for new majors, second semester sophomores, and seniors.
Admission to the Major
First-time Freshman
All first-time freshmen who designate Communication as a major prior to the end of the final exam period of their first semester will be admitted directly to the program. They must sign a Memorandum of Understanding that states that they understand that by the semester in which they attain 45 University of Maryland credits (excluding AP), they must meet the following Gateway requirements:
- Complete one of the following courses with a grade of "C-" or better: BMGT230, CCJS200, EDMS451, PSYC200, SOCY201, STAT100, or equivalent.
- Complete COMM107, COMM200, or COMM230 with a grade of "C-" or better
- Complete COMM250 with a grade of "C-" or better and
- A GPA of 2.0 or better
Students may repeat only one of the Gateway requirements and that requirement may be repeated only once in their attempt to meet the requirements. Students who fail to meet the Gateway requirements by the semester in which they attain 45 credits will be dismissed from the program and cannot reapply.
Transfer Students
Internal and external transfer students who meet the Gateway requirements specified above must also have a cumulative GPA of 2.70 in all college-level coursework to apply to the program.
Appeals
All students may appeal admission decisions. Students directly admitted as freshmen, who are dismissed because of failure to meet Gateway requirements or a failure to be in good academic standing at 45 credits, may appeal directly to the Undergraduate Director in the Department of Communication. All other students who are denied admission may appeal to the University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the degree program in Communication, students should be able to demonstrate the following knowledge and skills:
- An ability to distinguish among a variety of theoretical approaches in the communication discipline and use them appropriately and effectively in academic and professional work.
- An ability to conduct research and write research reports employing social scientific and/or humanistic approaches in the communication discipline.
- An ability to argue clearly and effectively in a speech.
The course of study for a Communication major must satisfy all of the following requirements:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| College Requirements | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Oral Communication: Principles and Practices | ||
| Critical Thinking and Speaking | ||
| Argumentation and Debate | ||
| COMM250 | Introduction to Communication Inquiry | 3 |
| COMM400 | Research Methods in Communication | 3 |
| COMM401 | Interpreting Strategic Discourse | 3 |
| Select one of the following tracks: | 39-44 | |
Social Influence | ||
Communication Studies | ||
Public Relations | ||
Rhetoric and Political Culture | ||
| Total Credits | 51-56 | |
Social Influence Track
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMM402 | Communication Theory and Process | 3 |
| Select five of the following: | 15 | |
| Theories of Group Discussion | ||
| Communication in Complex Organizations | ||
| Negotiation and Conflict Management | ||
| Conflict Management | ||
| Theories of Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Listening | ||
| Persuasion | ||
| Discourse Analysis | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| COMM Elective | 3 | |
| 3xx or 4xx-Level COMM Elective | 3 | |
| Select one Statistical Analysis of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Statistical Methods in Psychology | ||
| Introductory Statistics for Sociology | ||
| Business Statistics | ||
| Introduction to Educational Statistics | ||
| Elementary Statistics and Probability (or an equivalent course - see advisor) | ||
| Select one Structural Anlysis of Language from the following: | 3 | |
| Introductory Linguistics | ||
| Introduction to Linguistics | ||
| Culture and Discourse (or an equivalent course - see advisor) | ||
| Select courses related to Social Influence in one department other than COMM | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 39-40 | |
Communication Studies Track
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMM402 | Communication Theory and Process | 3 |
| Select one from the following: | 3 | |
| Theories of Group Discussion | ||
| Communication in Complex Organizations | ||
| Negotiation and Conflict Management | ||
| Conflict Management | ||
| Theories of Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Listening | ||
| Persuasion | ||
| Discourse Analysis | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Select one from the following: | 3 | |
| Argumentation and Public Policy | ||
| The Rhetoric of Black America | ||
| Ancient and Medieval Rhetorical Theory | ||
| Renaissance & Modern Rhetoric Theory | ||
| The Power of Discourse in American Life | ||
| Speechwriting | ||
| Public Life in American Communities, 1634-1900 | ||
| Voices of Public Leadership in the Twentieth Century | ||
| The Discourse of Social Movements | ||
| Public Communication Campaigns | ||
| Language, Communication, and Action | ||
| COMM Elective | 3 | |
| 3xx or 4xx-Level COMM Electives | 12 | |
| Select one Statistical Analysis from the following: | 3-4 | |
| Statistical Methods in Psychology | ||
| Introductory Statistics for Sociology | ||
| Business Statistics | ||
| Introduction to Educational Statistics | ||
| Elementary Statistics and Probability (or an equivalent course - see advisor) | ||
| Select one Structural Anlysis of Language from the following: | 3 | |
| Introductory Linguistics | ||
| Introduction to Linguistics | ||
| Culture and Discourse (or an equivalent course - see advisor) | ||
| Select courses related to Communication Studies in one department other than COMM | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 39-40 | |
Public Relations Track
The requirements below are effective for incoming Fall 2015 freshmen and transfers admitted to Communication.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| JOUR181 | Grammar for Journalists | 1 |
| COMM331 | News Writing and Reporting for Public Relations | 3 |
| COMM332 | News Editing for Public Relations | 3 |
| COMM201 | Introduction to Public Relations | 3 |
| COMM351 | Public Relations Techniques | 3 |
| COMM353 | New Media Writing for Public Relations | 3 |
| COMM386 | Experiential Learning 1 | 3-6 |
| COMM483 | Senior Seminar in Public Relations | 3 |
| 3xx or 4xx-Level COMM Electives | 6 | |
| Select one Statistical Analysis from the following: | 3-4 | |
| Statistical Methods in Psychology | ||
| Introductory Statistics for Sociology | ||
| Business Statistics | ||
| Introduction to Educational Statistics | ||
| Elementary Statistics and Probability (or an equivalent course - see advisor) | ||
| Courses related to Public Relations in one department other than COMM or JOUR | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 40-44 | |
| 1 | Only 3 credits apply to major |
Rhetoric and Political Culture Track
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMM450 | Ancient and Medieval Rhetorical Theory | 3 |
| Select five from the following: | 15 | |
| Argumentation and Public Policy | ||
| The Rhetoric of Black America | ||
| Renaissance & Modern Rhetoric Theory | ||
| The Power of Discourse in American Life | ||
| Speechwriting | ||
| Public Life in American Communities, 1634-1900 | ||
| Voices of Public Leadership in the Twentieth Century | ||
| The Discourse of Social Movements | ||
| Public Communication Campaigns | ||
| Language, Communication, and Action | ||
| COMM Elective | 3 | |
| 3xx or 4xx-Level COMM Elective | 3 | |
| Select one Critical Analysis of Discourse from the following: | 3 | |
AMST432 | ||
| Genres | ||
| Literary Theory | ||
JWST263 | ||
| Philosophy in Literature | ||
| Select one Structural Analysis of Language from the following: | 3 | |
| Introductory Linguistics | ||
| Introduction to Linguistics | ||
| Culture and Discourse (or an equivalent course - see advisor) | ||
| Courses related to Rhetoric and Political Culture in one department other than COMM | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 39 | |
Notes:
- Because the Department's curriculum changes over time, the Department's Undergraduate Director may approve other appropriate Communication courses to meet the requirements for each track.
- Courses required for the Communication major, but taken outside COMM, may be used to satisfy general education requirements.
- Only 3 credits of COMM386 may apply toward the major.
- No course grade below the grade of "C-" may count toward the major.
- An overall GPA of 2.0 in the major is required for graduation.
Click here for roadmaps for four-year plans in the College of Arts and Humanities.
Additional information on developing a four-year academic plan can be found on the following pages:
- 4yearplans.umd.edu
- the Student Academic Success-Degree Completion Policy section of this catalog