This is an archived copy of the 2021-2022 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.uta.edu/.

Communication - Undergraduate Programs


Overview

The Department of Communication offers two bachelor’s degrees: Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Bachelor of Arts in Philanthropy.

The degree Bachelor of Arts in Communication is offered with multiple specializations. The department curricula provide students with an overview of the role and function of communication in society. These courses present a broad academic exposure, including theories, skills, techniques, critical analysis, historical perspectives, and aesthetic appreciation.

The Department of Communication seeks to emphasize theories and techniques which give students the ability to adapt to rapid changes in communication technology.

Within the major disciplines, specializations are available in advertising, broadcasting, communication technology, journalism, public relations, organizational communication, and speech communication. 

The Bachelor of Arts in Philanthropy is offered in collaboration with the College of Business.  Students will be presented with theoretical frameworks and practical knowledge about voluntary action and organizations that support giving in society.

The major courses offered by the Department of Communication provide students with communication skills in the areas of communication, communication studies, multi-media communication, and public relations, which will equip students with key skills in the field of communication as they relate to philanthropy and the nonprofit sector.

As a part of the degree plan, students will be required to complete a certificate (12 hours) or minor (18 hours) in Business Philanthropy in the College of Business. The Minor/Certificate will address a variety of business perspectives related to the management and operation of philanthropic organizations through courses in marketing, management, accounting, and finance.

All majors in the Department of Communication must complete the following core courses. The department math requirement must be completed before reaching 60 hours

COMM 3300COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY3
COMM 3310COMMUNICATION LAW & ETHICS3
COMM 3315COMMUNICATION THEORY3

Declaring a Major in the Department of Communication

I. Admission to Major

All undergraduate students seeking to declare a major in the Department of Communication (ADVT, BCMN, COMS, CTEC, JOUR, PCOM, PREL) must meet the following criteria:

Completion of a minimum of 12 hours in residence at The University of Texas at Arlington with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.25/4.0.

Students that do not meet these minimum requirements can request to be admitted as a COMM Intended PCOM intended major. Please see restrictions below.

II. Admission as a COMM Intended or PCOM Intended Major

  1. Completion of a minimum of 12 hours in residence at The University of Texas at Arlington with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0/4.0.
  2. COMM Intended or PCOM Intended majors may enroll in up to a total of 18 hours in the Department of Communication (ADVT, BCMN, COMS, CTEC, JOUR, PCOM, PREL)
  3. Students who do not achieve a cumulative UT Arlington GPA of 2.25/4.0 by the completion of 18 hours in the Department of Communication will not be cleared to continue in the department.

III. Dismissal from Department of Communication COMM Intended or PCOM Intended Status

Students who do not meet the requirements for declaring a Department of Communication major after completing eighteen (18) hours of communication course work will not be allowed to take additional communication courses at UT Arlington. The student will be suspended from the Department of Communication COMM Intended or PCOM Intended status and must choose a major not offered by the Department of Communication at that time in order to remain enrolled at UT Arlington.

General Academic Standards in the Department of Communication

  1. Graduation as a major in the Department of Communication must meet the UT Arlington graduation standard of a minimum GPA of 2.0/4.0.
  2. Graduation as a major in the Department of Communication must meet the department graduation standard of a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0/4.0 in all department courses (ADVT, BCMN, COMS, CTEC, JOUR, PCOM, PREL).

Requirements for a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication

Pre-Professional Courses
General Core Requirements 42
Students must take ENGL 1301 RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION I and ENGL 1302 RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION II (Note: These courses also fulfill requirements in the General Core) Students should see their individual sequence for the specific COMS requirement. For students pursuing a degree in Nonprofit and Philanthropic Management it is recommended that they take PHIL 1304 to fulfill the Language, Philosophy, Culture requirement, and GEOG 2302 or GEOG 2303 to satisfy the Social and Behavioral Sciences requirement of the Common Core.
The College of Liberal Arts has a modern and classical languages requirement for the B.A. degree. Students must demonstrate proficiency in a modern or classical language at the first-year college level (1441 and 1442) unless the degree pursued does not require a modern or classical language. 8
Student Success requirement: UT Arlington’s first year experience courses are designed to orient students to life on the Maverick campus. Freshman and transfer students are required to receive credit for one of these two classes (UNIV 1101 or UNIV 1131) or an equivalent course. The required course for the degree plan for a program of study will be determined by the college/school/department faculty.1
Professional Courses
Major
A minimum of 45 semester hours, with 18 at the 3000/4000 level. A student must complete the requirements for one of the departmental specializations. 45
Minor, Certificate, or Electives
Students may complete an optional minor consisting of 18 hours, six of which must be at the 3000/4000 level. The minor will be selected after consulting with an advisor. Students may also complete the Certificate in Digital Media, the Certificate in Professional Communication, or the minor may be combined with the Certificate. Students must also take electives as needed to bring the total number of credit hours to 120.24
Total Hours120

Department of Communication Degree Programs

Advertising

COMM 2311WRITING FOR MASS MEDIA 13
COMM 3300COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY3
COMM 3303COMMUNICATION GRAPHICS 13
COMM 3310COMMUNICATION LAW & ETHICS3
COMM 3315COMMUNICATION THEORY3
COMS 2305BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION3
PREL 2338INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC RELATIONS 13
PREL 3320STRATEGIC SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATION 13
ADVT 2337INTRODUCTION TO ADVERTISING 13
ADVT 3304STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION I 13
ADVT 3305ADVERTISING MEDIA 13
ADVT 3306STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION II 13
ADVT 4300DIGITAL INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION (IMC) MANAGEMENT 13
ADVT 4301ADVERTISING AND IMC CAMPAIGNS 13
Elective within the department at the 3000/4000 level.3
Total Hours45

Advertising majors must meet the following math requirement: MATH 1308, with a grade of C (2.0/4.0 scale) or higher and the following Social Science requirement: ECON 2305

Broadcasting

COMM 2311WRITING FOR MASS MEDIA 13
COMM 3300COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY3
COMM 3310COMMUNICATION LAW & ETHICS3
COMM 3315COMMUNICATION THEORY3
BCMN 2347BROADCAST WRITING AND REPORTING 13
BCMN 2357RADIO PRODUCTION I 13
BCMN 2358TELEVISION PRODUCTION I 13
BCMN 2360INTRODUCTION TO BROADCASTING 13
BCMN 3340ELECTRONIC NEWS 13
BCMN 3350TELEVISION REPORTING I 13
or BCMN 3319 BROADCAST MANAGEMENT
BCMN 3355BROADCAST ANNOUNCING 13
or COMS 2305 BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION
BCMN 4350TELEVISION REPORTING II 13
or BCMN 4322 CORPORATE VIDEO PRODUCTION
Electives in the department at the 3000/4000 level9
Total Hours45

Communication Studies: Organizational Communication

COMM 3300COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY3
COMM 3303COMMUNICATION GRAPHICS3
COMM 3310COMMUNICATION LAW & ETHICS3
COMM 3315COMMUNICATION THEORY3
COMS 1301FUNDAMENTALS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING3
COMS 2304GROUP COMMUNICATION PRINCIPLES 13
COMS 2305BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION 13
COMS 3309ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION 13
COMS 4315BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS 13
Select two of the following:6
GROUP COMMUNICATION THEORY 1
COMMUNICATION FOR EDUCATORS 1
COMMUNICATION IN HUMAN RELATIONS 1
INTERVIEW PRINCIPLES 1
Select three of the following: 29
PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION 1
MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION 1
COMMUNICATION TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT 1
COMMUNICATION RESEARCH 1
HEALTH COMMUNICATION 1
PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIP 1
Electives in the department at the 3000/4000 level3
Total Hours45

Communication Studies: Interpersonal Communication

COMM 3300COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY3
COMM 3303COMMUNICATION GRAPHICS3
COMM 3310COMMUNICATION LAW & ETHICS3
COMM 3315COMMUNICATION THEORY3
COMS 1301FUNDAMENTALS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING3
COMS 2304GROUP COMMUNICATION PRINCIPLES 13
COMS 3310GROUP COMMUNICATION THEORY 13
COMS 3312BACKGROUNDS OF PUBLIC ADDRESS 13
or COMS 4302 MODERN PUBLIC ADDRESS
COMS 3315COMMUNICATION FOR EDUCATORS 13
COMS 3316COMMUNICATION IN HUMAN RELATIONS 13
Select one of the following:3
ORAL INTERPRETATION OF LITERATURE 1
ORAL INTERPRETATION OF CHILDREN'S LITERATURE 1
Select three of the following: 29
PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION 1
BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS 1
READERS THEATRE 1
COMMUNICATION RESEARCH 1
HEALTH COMMUNICATION 1
PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIP 1
Electives in the department at the 3000/4000 level3
Total Hours45

 Communication Technology

COMM 2311WRITING FOR MASS MEDIA3
COMM 3300COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY3
COMM 3303COMMUNICATION GRAPHICS3
COMM 3310COMMUNICATION LAW & ETHICS3
COMM 3315COMMUNICATION THEORY3
COMS 2302PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING3
CTEC 2350WEB COMMUNICATION DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT 1 13
CTEC 3320MULTIMODAL COMMUNICATION AND DESIGN 13
CTEC 3350WEB COMMUNICATION DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT 2 13
CTEC 4309INTERNET MARKETING COMMUNICATION 13
CTEC 4321DIGITAL COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT 13
or CTEC 4323 USER EXPERIENCE RESEARCH AND DESIGN
CTEC 4350WEB COMMUNICATION DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT 3 13
Electives in the department at the 3000/4000 level9
Total Hours45

Journalism

COMM 2311WRITING FOR MASS MEDIA 13
COMM 3300COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY3
COMM 3310COMMUNICATION LAW & ETHICS3
COMM 3315COMMUNICATION THEORY3
JOUR 2330INTRODUCTION TO JOURNALISM3
JOUR 2340PHOTOJOURNALISM I3
JOUR 2346REPORTING 13
JOUR 3330DATA JOURNALISM 13
JOUR 3345COPY EDITING 13
JOUR 4326FEATURE AND OPINION WRITING 13
JOUR 4341DIGITAL STORYTELLING 13
JOUR 4346PUBLIC AFFAIRS REPORTING 13
Electives in the department at the 3000/4000 level9
Total Hours45

Public Relations

COMM 2311WRITING FOR MASS MEDIA 13
COMM 3300COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY3
COMM 3303COMMUNICATION GRAPHICS3
COMM 3310COMMUNICATION LAW & ETHICS3
COMM 3315COMMUNICATION THEORY3
COMS 2305BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION3
ADVT 2337INTRODUCTION TO ADVERTISING3
PREL 2338INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC RELATIONS 13
PREL 3320STRATEGIC SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATION 13
PREL 3339PUBLIC RELATIONS METHODS I 13
PREL 3340PUBLIC RELATIONS METHODS II 13
PREL 4316PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGNS 13
PREL 4320PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGEMENT CASE STUDIES 13
Electives in the department at the 3000/4000 level6
Total Hours45

Public relations majors must meet the following math requirement: MATH 1308, with a grade of C (2.0/4.0 scale) or higher, and the following Social Science requirement: ECON 2305

Requirements for a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philanthropy

Pre-Professional Courses
General Core Requirements 42
Students must take the following courses.These courses also fulfill requirements in the General Core.
RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION I
RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION II
FUNDAMENTALS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
Student Success requirement: UT Arlington’s first year experience courses are designed to orient students to life on the Maverick campus. Freshman and transfer students are required to receive credit for one of these two classes (UNIV 1101 or UNIV 1131) or an equivalent course. The required course for the degree plan for a program of study will be determined by the college/school/department faculty.1
Subtotal43
Professional Courses
Students must complete the professional courses as listed below.
PCOM 2301INTRODUCTION TO NONPROFITS AND PHILANTHROPY 13
COMS 2304GROUP COMMUNICATION PRINCIPLES 13
COMS 2305BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION 13
COMM 3315COMMUNICATION THEORY3
BCMN 2370MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION3
PCOM 3301FUNDRAISING AND DEVELOPMENT 13
COMM 3310COMMUNICATION LAW & ETHICS3
COMM 3300COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY3
COMM 3303COMMUNICATION GRAPHICS3
PCOM 3309ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION 13
PCOM 4315BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS 13
PCOM 3320STRATEGIC SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATION 13
PCOM 4301NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT 13
PCOM 4395DIRECTED INTERNSHIP IN NONPROFITS AND PHILANTHROPY 13
ENGL 2338TECHNICAL WRITING3
ENGL 3379GRANT AND PROPOSAL WRITING3
Select two of the following:6
PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION
MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION 1
HEALTH COMMUNICATION
COMMUNICATION & SOCIETY
SPECIAL TOPICS 1
Subtotal54
Required Certificate (12 HOURS) or Minor (18 HOURS) in Business Philanthropy (College of Business)
Students must complete a certificate or minor in Business Philanthropy in the College of Business. For the minor option, students must take all of the following courses. For the certificate option, students must take four of the following courses.12 or 18
PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING
PHILIANTHROPY, FUNDRAISING, AND PROFESSIONAL SELLING
MARKETING AND PHILANTHROPIC STRATEGY
NONPROFIT AND VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT
WEALTH AND EXCHANGE
ACCOUNTING AND COMPLIANCE OF NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
Electives
Students must take electives as needed to bring the total number of credit hours to 121. For students selecting the minor in Business Philanthropy, 6 hours of electives are needed. For students selecting the certificate in Business Philanthropy, 12 hours of electives are needed.6 or 12
Following are recommended electives.
GLOBAL HISTORY OF PHILANTHROPY
INTRODUCTION TO GLOBAL ISSUES
INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, CIVIL SOCIETY, AND COMMUNITY
TOPICS IN MODERN LANGUAGE LEVEL I
TOPICS IN MODERN LANGUAGE LEVEL II
TOPICS IN MODERN LANGUAGE LEVEL III
TOPICS IN MODERN LANGUAGE LEVEL IV
Total Hours121

Certificate in Digital Media

This certificate provides students with expertise in using and managing digital media to communicate effectively to audiences in a variety of situations, across multiple platforms.

To earn this certificate students must complete four of the classes listed below with a grade of C or better.  Broadcast majors must take BCMN 2358 instead of BCMN 2370.

Select four of the following:
ADVT 3308DIGITAL ADVERTISING DESIGN
BCMN 2370MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION (Broadcast majors must take BCMN 2358 )
COMM 3303COMMUNICATION GRAPHICS
CTEC 2350WEB COMMUNICATION DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT 1
CTEC 3320MULTIMODAL COMMUNICATION AND DESIGN
JOUR 3330DATA JOURNALISM
JOUR 4341DIGITAL STORYTELLING
PREL 3320STRATEGIC SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATION
Total Hours12

Certificate in Professional Communication

This certificate develops students’ professional communication competency including oral and written proficiency, effective messaging and presentation, and teamwork and collaboration skills in various work and organizational contexts.

To earn this certificate students must complete two lower-division courses and two upper-division courses from the options listed below with a grade of C or better.

Select two lower-division courses from the following options:6
COMS 1301FUNDAMENTALS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
COMS 2302PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
or COMS 2305 BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION
COMS 2304GROUP COMMUNICATION PRINCIPLES
Select two upper-division courses from the following options:6
COMS 3310GROUP COMMUNICATION THEORY
COMS 3320INTERVIEW PRINCIPLES
COMS 4300PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION
COMS 4315BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS
COMS 4322COMMUNICATION TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
Total Hours12