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 interpersonal communication.
The Bachelor of Arts in Philanthropy equips students with the necessary theoretical frameworks and practical knowledge about communication, fundraising, and leadership for a career in nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. The major courses provide students with training in nonprofit management, nonprofit ethics, fundraising and development, public relations, and multi-media communication. Students also take grant writing courses from the English department and are recommended to take marketing, management, and other related courses as electives.
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 3300 | COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY | 3 |
| COMM 3310 | COMMUNICATION LAW & ETHICS | 3 |
| COMM 3315 | COMMUNICATION THEORY | 3 |
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 who do not meet these minimum requirements can request to be admitted as a COMM Intended or PCOM intended major. Please see restrictions below.
II. Admission as a COMM Intended or PCOM Intended Major
- 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.
- 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)
- 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
- 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.
- 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 Philanthropy 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 in the selected minor. The minor will be selected after consulting with an advisor. Students may also complete the Certificate in Digital Media, the Certificate in Professional Communication, the Certificate in Fundraising and Nonprofit Management, 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 Hours | 120 | |
Department of Communication Degree Programs
Advertising
| COMM 2311 | WRITING FOR MASS MEDIA 1 | 3 |
| COMM 3300 | COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY | 3 |
| COMM 3303 | COMMUNICATION GRAPHICS 1 | 3 |
| COMM 3310 | COMMUNICATION LAW & ETHICS | 3 |
| COMM 3315 | COMMUNICATION THEORY | 3 |
| COMS 2305 | BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION | 3 |
| PREL 2338 | INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC RELATIONS 1 | 3 |
| PREL 3320 | STRATEGIC SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATION 1 | 3 |
| ADVT 2337 | INTRODUCTION TO ADVERTISING 1 | 3 |
| ADVT 3304 | STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION I 1 | 3 |
| ADVT 3305 | ADVERTISING MEDIA 1 | 3 |
| ADVT 3306 | STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION II 1 | 3 |
| ADVT 4300 | DIGITAL INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION (IMC) MANAGEMENT 1 | 3 |
| ADVT 4301 | ADVERTISING AND IMC CAMPAIGNS 1 | 3 |
| Elective within the department at the 3000/4000 level. | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 45 | |
- 1
ADVT majors must obtain a minimum grade of C (2.0/4.0 scale) or higher in all of these classes.
Advertising majors must meet the following math requirement: a grade of C (2.0/4.0 scale) or higher in MATH 1308 or MATH 1309, and the following Social Science requirement: ECON 2305.
Broadcasting
| COMM 2311 | WRITING FOR MASS MEDIA 1 | 3 |
| COMM 3300 | COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY | 3 |
| COMM 3310 | COMMUNICATION LAW & ETHICS | 3 |
| COMM 3315 | COMMUNICATION THEORY | 3 |
| BCMN 2347 | BROADCAST WRITING AND REPORTING 1 | 3 |
| BCMN 2357 | RADIO PRODUCTION I 1 | 3 |
| BCMN 2358 | TELEVISION PRODUCTION I 1 | 3 |
| BCMN 2360 | INTRODUCTION TO BROADCASTING 1 | 3 |
| BCMN 3340 | ELECTRONIC NEWS 1 | 3 |
| Select two of the following | 6 | |
| BCMN 3319 | BROADCAST MANAGEMENT 1 | |
| BCMN 3360 | SPORTS REPORTING 1 | |
| BCMN 3380 | PODCAST PRODUCTION 1 | |
| Select one of the following | 3 | |
| BCMN 3355 | BROADCAST ANNOUNCING 1 | |
| COMS 2305 | BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION 1 | |
| Select one of the following | 3 | |
| BCMN 4350 | ADVANCED TELEVISION REPORTING 1 | |
| BCMN 4322 | CORPORATE VIDEO PRODUCTION 1 | |
| Electives in the department at the 3000/4000 level | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 45 | |
- 1
BCMN majors must obtain a minimum grade of C (2.0/4.0 scale) or higher in all of these classes.
Communication Studies: Organizational Communication
| COMM 3300 | COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY | 3 |
| COMM 3303 | COMMUNICATION GRAPHICS | 3 |
| COMM 3310 | COMMUNICATION LAW & ETHICS | 3 |
| COMM 3315 | COMMUNICATION THEORY | 3 |
| COMS 1301 | FUNDAMENTALS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING | 3 |
| COMS 2304 | GROUP COMMUNICATION PRINCIPLES 1 | 3 |
| COMS 2305 | BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION 1 | 3 |
| COMS 3309 | ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION 1 | 3 |
| COMS 4315 | PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS 1 | 3 |
| COMS 4320 | MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION 1 | 3 |
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| GROUP COMMUNICATION THEORY 1 | ||
| COMMUNICATION FOR EDUCATORS 1 | ||
| COMMUNICATION IN HUMAN RELATIONS 1 | ||
| INTERVIEW PRINCIPLES 1 | ||
| Select two of the following: 2 | 6 | |
| PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION 1 | ||
| COMMUNICATION TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT 1 | ||
| COMMUNICATION RESEARCH 1 | ||
| INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 1 | ||
| PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIP 1 | ||
| Electives in the department at the 3000/4000 level | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 45 | |
Communication Studies: Interpersonal Communication
| COMM 3300 | COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY | 3 |
| COMM 3303 | COMMUNICATION GRAPHICS | 3 |
| COMM 3310 | COMMUNICATION LAW & ETHICS | 3 |
| COMM 3315 | COMMUNICATION THEORY | 3 |
| COMS 1301 | FUNDAMENTALS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING | 3 |
| COMS 2304 | GROUP COMMUNICATION PRINCIPLES 1 | 3 |
| COMS 3310 | GROUP COMMUNICATION THEORY 1 | 3 |
| COMS 3312 | BACKGROUNDS OF PUBLIC ADDRESS 1 | 3 |
| or COMS 4302 | MODERN PUBLIC ADDRESS | |
| COMS 3315 | COMMUNICATION FOR EDUCATORS 1 | 3 |
| COMS 3316 | COMMUNICATION IN HUMAN RELATIONS 1 | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| ORAL INTERPRETATION OF LITERATURE 1 | ||
| ORAL INTERPRETATION OF CHILDREN'S LITERATURE 1 | ||
| Select three of the following: 2 | 9 | |
| PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION 1 | ||
| PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS 1 | ||
| READERS THEATRE 1 | ||
| COMMUNICATION RESEARCH 1 | ||
| INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 1 | ||
| PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIP 1 | ||
| Electives in the department at the 3000/4000 level | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 45 | |
- 1
COMS majors must obtain a minimum grade of C (2.0/4.0 scale) or higher in all of these classes including COMS 4302.
- 2
COMS majors must select at least two COMS courses from the list.
Communication Technology
| COMM 2311 | WRITING FOR MASS MEDIA 1 | 3 |
| COMM 3300 | COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY | 3 |
| COMM 3303 | COMMUNICATION GRAPHICS | 3 |
| COMM 3310 | COMMUNICATION LAW & ETHICS | 3 |
| COMM 3315 | COMMUNICATION THEORY | 3 |
| COMS 2302 | PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING | 3 |
| CTEC 2350 | WEB COMMUNICATION DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT 1 1 | 3 |
| CTEC 3320 | MULTIMODAL COMMUNICATION AND DESIGN 1 | 3 |
| CTEC 3350 | WEB COMMUNICATION DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT 2 1 | 3 |
| CTEC 4309 | INTERNET MARKETING COMMUNICATION 1 | 3 |
| CTEC 4321 | DIGITAL COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT 1 | 3 |
| or CTEC 4323 | USER EXPERIENCE RESEARCH AND DESIGN | |
| CTEC 4350 | WEB COMMUNICATION DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT 3 1 | 3 |
| Electives in the department at the 3000/4000 level | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 45 | |
- 1
CTEC majors must obtain a minimum grade of C (2.0/4.0 scale) or higher in all of these classes including CTEC 4323.
Journalism
| COMM 2311 | WRITING FOR MASS MEDIA 1 | 3 |
| COMM 3300 | COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY | 3 |
| COMM 3310 | COMMUNICATION LAW & ETHICS | 3 |
| COMM 3315 | COMMUNICATION THEORY | 3 |
| JOUR 2330 | INTRODUCTION TO JOURNALISM | 3 |
| JOUR 2340 | PHOTOJOURNALISM I 1 | 3 |
| JOUR 2346 | REPORTING 1 | 3 |
| JOUR 3330 | DATA JOURNALISM 1 | 3 |
| JOUR 3341 | PHOTOJOURNALISM II 1 | 3 |
| JOUR 3345 | COPY EDITING 1 | 3 |
| JOUR 4326 | FEATURE AND OPINION WRITING 1 | 3 |
| JOUR 4341 | DIGITAL STORYTELLING 1 | 3 |
| JOUR 4346 | PUBLIC AFFAIRS REPORTING 1 | 3 |
| Electives in the department at the 3000/4000 level | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 45 | |
- 1
JOUR majors must obtain a minimum grade of C (2.0/4.0 scale) or higher in all of these classes.
Public Relations
| COMM 2311 | WRITING FOR MASS MEDIA 1 | 3 |
| COMM 3300 | COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY | 3 |
| COMM 3303 | COMMUNICATION GRAPHICS | 3 |
| COMM 3310 | COMMUNICATION LAW & ETHICS | 3 |
| COMM 3315 | COMMUNICATION THEORY | 3 |
| COMS 2305 | BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION | 3 |
| ADVT 2337 | INTRODUCTION TO ADVERTISING | 3 |
| PREL 2338 | INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC RELATIONS 1 | 3 |
| PREL 3320 | STRATEGIC SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATION 1 | 3 |
| PREL 3339 | PUBLIC RELATIONS METHODS I 1 | 3 |
| PREL 3340 | PUBLIC RELATIONS METHODS II 1 | 3 |
| PREL 4316 | PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGNS 1 | 3 |
| PREL 4320 | PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGEMENT CASE STUDIES 1 | 3 |
| Electives in the department at the 3000/4000 level | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 45 | |
- 1
PREL majors must obtain a minimum grade of C (2.0/4.0 scale) or higher in all of these classes.
Public relations majors must meet the following math requirement: a grade of C (2.0/4.0 scale) or higher in MATH 1308 or MATH 1309, 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 | |
| Subtotal | 43 | |
| Professional Courses | ||
| Students must complete the professional courses as listed below. | ||
| PCOM 2301 | INTRODUCTION TO NONPROFITS AND PHILANTHROPY 1 | 3 |
| COMS 2304 | GROUP COMMUNICATION PRINCIPLES 1 | 3 |
| COMS 2305 | BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION 1 | 3 |
| COMM 3315 | COMMUNICATION THEORY | 3 |
| BCMN 2370 | MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION | 3 |
| PCOM 3301 | FUNDRAISING AND DEVELOPMENT 1 | 3 |
| COMM 3310 | COMMUNICATION LAW & ETHICS | 3 |
| COMM 3300 | COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY | 3 |
| COMM 3303 | COMMUNICATION GRAPHICS | 3 |
| PCOM 3309 | ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION 1 | 3 |
| PCOM 4315 | PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS 1 | 3 |
| PCOM 3320 | STRATEGIC SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATION 1 | 3 |
| PCOM 4301 | NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT 1 | 3 |
| PCOM 4395 | DIRECTED INTERNSHIP IN NONPROFITS AND PHILANTHROPY 1 | 3 |
| ENGL 2338 | TECHNICAL WRITING | 3 |
| ENGL 3379 | GRANT AND PROPOSAL WRITING | 3 |
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION | ||
| MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION 1 | ||
| HEALTH COMMUNICATION | ||
| COMMUNICATION & SOCIETY | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS 1 | ||
| Subtotal | 54 | |
- 1
PCOM majors must obtain a minimum grade of C (2.0/4.0 scale) or higher in all of these classes.
| Electives | ||
| Students must take electives as needed to bring the total number of credit hours to 121. | 24 | |
| Following are recommended electives. | ||
| PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | ||
| PROFESSIONAL SELLING | ||
| INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION / ADVERTISING | ||
| HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | ||
| DIVERSITY IN ORGANIZATIONS | ||
| GLOBAL HISTORY OF PHILANTHROPY | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO GLOBAL ISSUES | ||
| 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 Hours | 121 | |
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 3308 | DIGITAL ADVERTISING DESIGN | |
| BCMN 2370 | MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION (Broadcast majors must take BCMN 2358 ) | |
| BCMN 3380 | PODCAST PRODUCTION | |
| COMM 3303 | COMMUNICATION GRAPHICS | |
| CTEC 2350 | WEB COMMUNICATION DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT 1 | |
| CTEC 3320 | MULTIMODAL COMMUNICATION AND DESIGN | |
| JOUR 3330 | DATA JOURNALISM | |
| JOUR 4341 | DIGITAL STORYTELLING | |
| PREL/PCOM 3320 | STRATEGIC SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATION | |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
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 1301 | FUNDAMENTALS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING | |
| COMS 2302 | PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING | |
| or COMS 2305 | BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION | |
| COMS 2304 | GROUP COMMUNICATION PRINCIPLES | |
| Select two upper-division courses from the following options: | 6 | |
| COMS 3310 | GROUP COMMUNICATION THEORY | |
| COMS 3320 | INTERVIEW PRINCIPLES | |
| COMS 4300 | PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION | |
| COMS/PCOM 4315 | PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS | |
| COMS 4322 | COMMUNICATION TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT | |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Certificate in Fundraising and Nonprofit Management
This certificate develops students’ knowledge of the nonprofit sector and trains students in fundraising strategies, nonprofit management, and community engagement.
To earn this certificate students must complete two core courses and two electives from the options listed below with a grade of C or better. PCOM majors must choose two electives from the MARK and MANA programs to earn the certificate.
| Required Courses | 6 | |
| PCOM 2301 | INTRODUCTION TO NONPROFITS AND PHILANTHROPY | 3 |
| PCOM 3301 | FUNDRAISING AND DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| Select two courses from the following options: | 6 | |
| ENGL 2338 | TECHNICAL WRITING | 3 |
| ENGL 3379 | GRANT AND PROPOSAL WRITING | 3 |
| PCOM/COMS 3309 | ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION | 3 |
| PCOM/PREL 3320 | STRATEGIC SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATION | 3 |
| PCOM 4301 | NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| PCOM/COMS 4315 | PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS | 3 |
| PCOM/COMS 4320 | MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION | 3 |
| PCOM 4393 | SPECIAL TOPICS | 3 |
| COMS 4300 | PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION | 3 |
| MARK 3321 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | 3 |
| MARK 3322 | PROFESSIONAL SELLING | 3 |
| MARK 3323 | INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION / ADVERTISING | 3 |
| HRMN 3320 | HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| MANA 4326 | DIVERSITY IN ORGANIZATIONS | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |