Strategic Communication Studies Major
Acceptance to Major Requirements
Course Requirements: COMM 102 Public Speaking and the Public Sphere, COMM 103 Media and Society and COMM 105 Introduction to Human Communication (must complete 2 of 3 to be accepted)
Minimum Grade and/or GPA for required courses: GPA 2.0
Minimum Cumulative GPA: 2.0
Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 102 | Public Speaking and the Public Sphere | 4 |
| COMM 103 | Media and Society | 4 |
| COMM 105 | Introduction to Human Communication | 4 |
| COMM 390 | Communicating Ethically | 4 |
| Goal Area Requirements 1 | 12 | |
Message Design Elective | ||
Analysis Elective | ||
Communication and Community Elective | ||
| Additional Approved Strategic Communication Studies Electives 2 | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 40 | |
- 1
Minimum of four credits from each goal area.
- 2
16 credits of 300-level COMM courses must be completed in the Strategic Communication Studies Department (COMM 390 Communicating Ethically plus 3 more 4-credit courses). Internships and individual learning projects cannot be used to satisfy the 300-level course requirement but up to 4 credits of internships and independent learning projects may can be used to satisfy the requirement of 40 overall credits.
Message Design (at least 4 credits of the following)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 220 | Debate & Democracy | 4 |
| COMM 225 | Argumentation and Advocacy | 4 |
| COMM 240 | Digital Video Communication | 4 |
| COMM 245 | Introduction to Media Writing | 4 |
| COMM 283A | Public Relations Branding | 2 |
| COMM 283B | Advertising Branding | 2 |
| COMM 346 | Strategic Communication Campaigns Design Experience | 4 |
Analysis (at least 4 credits of the following)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 110 | Voices Unheard: Gender, Race, and Power in America | 4 |
| COMM 112 | Adulting and Identity | 4 |
| COMM 205 | Interpersonal Communication | 4 |
| COMM 248 | Media & Youth | 4 |
| COMM 251 | Communication and Conflict | 4 |
| COMM 265 | Group Communication | 4 |
| COMM 277A | Listening for Justice | 4 |
| COMM 278A | Rhetoric of Social Change | 4 |
| COMM 282A | Public Relations | 4 |
| COMM 336 | Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations Campaign Design | 4 |
| COMM 338 | Strategic Social Media Marketing and Communication | 4 |
| COMM 342 | Communication in an AI Era | 4 |
| COMM 352 | Health Communication | 4 |
| COMM 354 | Gender, Media, and Political Campaigns | 4 |
| COMM 367 | Organizational Communication | 4 |
| COMM 379B | Rhetoric of Advertising | 4 |
Communication and Community (at least 4 credits of the following)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 304 | Political Communication | 4 |
| COMM 305 | Gender, Voice, and Power | 4 |
| COMM 310 | Black Civil Rights Rhetoric | 4 |
| COMM 312 | Rhetorical Dimensions of Sport | 4 |
| COMM 330 | Apology and Crisis Communication | 4 |
| COMM 314 | Public Health Marketing | 4 |
| COMM 341 | News and Democracy | 4 |
| COMM 347 | Media Effects | 4 |
| COMM 350 | Intercultural Communication | 4 |
| COMM 350A | Intercultural Communication | 4 |
| COMM 351 | Gender and Communication | 4 |
| COMM 353A | Intercultural Health Communication | 4 |
| COMM 361 | Fat Studies | 4 |
| COMM 378A | Environmental Rhetoric | 4 |
| COMM 379A | Freedom of Speech | 4 |
| COMM 379C | The Truth Wars: Media and the Limits of the First Amendment | 4 |
| COMM 384B | Rhetoric and Popular Music | 4 |
Additional Approved Strategic Communication Studies Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| COMM courses | ||
| Any COMM courrse from the goal areas may count as an elective 3 | ||
| Up to 4 credits | ||
| COMM 271 | Individual Learning Project | 1-4 |
| COMM 371 | Individual Learning Project | 1-4 |
| COMM 397 | Internship | 1-4 |
| Approved Courses from Other Departments (up to 4 credits) | ||
| ART 217 | Introduction to Photography | 4 |
| ART 218 | Introduction to Computer Art | 4 |
| ART 317 | Intermediate/Advanced Photography | 4 |
| ART 318 | Intermediate/Advanced Computer Art and Graphic Design | 4 |
| ART 333A | Computer Art: Portrait | 2 |
| ART 333D | Computer Art: Visual Narrative | 2 |
| DATA 162 | Introductory Data Analysis and Visualization | 2 |
| ENGL 217 | Data and Narrative Writing | 4 |
| ENGL 311 | Creative Nonfiction | 4 |
| PSYC 221 | Applied Behavioral Statistics | 4 |
| PSYC 235 | Research Methods | 4 |
| SOAN 379B | Quantitative Research in Action: Methods in the Real World | 4 |
- 3
You may use additional COMM courses from the Goal Areas Above to complete the 12 elective credits.
Additional Requirements:
General Education Requirements:
All undergraduate students must complete the requirements of the Integrations Curriculum (IC) which is designed to ensure all of our students receive a liberal arts education. Please review details of the Integrations Curriculum requirements here.
Graduation Requirements:
In addition to the Integrations Curriculum, all undergraduate students must meet the following minimum degree requirements to earn their degree from CSB and SJU.
Credits: 124 total credits, 40 of which must be from upper division coursework
GPA: 2.0 or higher*
Residency: At least 24 of your last 32 credits must be completed at CSB and SJU
Please visit Graduation under the Academic Policies and Regulations portion of the catalog for additional details regarding degree requirements.
* Cumulative GPA as well as major(s)/minor(s) GPA. Please note some majors/minors may require a higher GPA to earn their degree.
Suggested Plan of Study
The following is an example of how a student could complete the major. Courses may be taken in another order.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| INTG 105 | The Lookout | 1 |
| INTG 100 | Learning Foundations | 4 |
| COMM 103 | Media and Society | 4 |
| Language 111 | 4 | |
| Integrations Requirement | 4 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| Integrations Requirement (CI) | 4 | |
| Language 112 | 4 | |
| THEO 100 | Theological Explorations | 4 |
| COMM 102 | Public Speaking and the Public Sphere | 4 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| COMM 105 | Introduction to Human Communication | 4 |
| Language 211 | 4 | |
| Integrations Requirement or Elective | 4 | |
| Integrations Requirement (thematic encounter): not COMM | 4 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| Integrations Requirement | 4 | |
| COMM Message Design | 4 | |
| COMM 2@@ elective with BN | 4 | |
| Integrations Requirement or Elective | 4 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Integrations Requirement | 4 | |
| Integrations Requirement or Elective | 4 | |
| Integrations Requirement or Elective | 4 | |
| COMM Analysis Course 3@@ | 4 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| Integrations Requirement (CS) | 4 | |
| COMM 3@@ | 4 | |
| COMM 2@@-3@@ with Thematic Focus | 4 | |
| Elective 3@@ | 4 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Theological Integrations (TI) | 4 | |
| COMM 390 | Communicating Ethically | 4 |
| COMM 3@@ Communication & Community | 4 | |
| Integrations Requirement or Elective | 4 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| INTG 300 | Learning Integrations | 4 |
| Internship 3@@ | 4 | |
| COMM 3@@ | 4 | |
| Elective 3@@ | 4 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Total Hours | 129 | |
Integrations Curriculum Requirements
The standard requirements for the Communication Studies major will fulfill the following integrations requirements: HE, SW, WR, EX. Depending on elective course selection, it can also fulfill several other requirements. Please see below for a list of integrations requirements you will need to satisfy via elective courses.
Integrations Designations
See Integrations Curriculum under Academic Policies and Regulations for further description of the general education requirements.
Foundational Courses
| Code | Integrations Requirement |
|---|---|
| CI | Cultural/Social Difference - Identity |
| LF | Learning Foundations (INTG 100) |
| College Success (INTG 105) | |
| TE | Theological Exploration (THEO 100) |
Ways of Thinking
| Code | Integrations Requirement |
|---|---|
| AE | Artistic Expression |
| AS | Abstract Structures |
| HE | Human Experience |
| NW | Natural World |
| SW | Social World |
Upper-level Courses
| Column1 | Column2 |
|---|---|
| CS | Cultural/Social Differences - Systems |
| LI | Learning Integrations |
| TI | Theological Integrations |
Thematic Coursework
To complete the themes course requirement: students will successfully complete 3 courses in the same theme (Truth, Justice, or Movement), in at least 2 different departments, at least 1 of which is a thematic focus course (TF/JF/MF). The other two can be Focus or Encounter courses. Encounter courses can be identified by: T1/T3, J1/J3, M1/M3.
| Code | Integrations Requirement |
|---|---|
| J1, J3, JF, or M1, M3, MF, or T1, T3, TF | Thematic Encounter or Focus Course |
| J1, J3, JF, or M1, M3, MF, or T1, T3, TF | Thematic Encounter or Focus Course |
| JF, MF, or TF | Thematic Focus Course |
Global Language
| Code | Integrations Requirement |
|---|---|
| 111 | Beginning I Course |
| 112 | Beginning II Course |
| 211 | Intermediate Course |
For more details on meeting this requirement, please see the Integrations Curriculum tab on Global Language Requirements.
Engagement and Designation Requirements
| Code | Integrations Requirement |
|---|---|
| AR | Artistic Engagement |
| BN | Benedictine Raven* |
| EX | Experiential Engagement |
| GL | Global Engagement** |
| QR | Quantitative Reasoning |
| WR | Writing Designation |
- *
BN and WR waived for students entering during Academic Year 2020 and 2021.
- **
GL waived for students entering during Academic Years 2020-2025