Bachelors of Arts Degree in Communication

The Communication program is a valuable component of the liberal arts tradition and seeks to help students understand one of the most basic elements of humanness – communication. Built on a strong social science foundation the program prepares students to understand the theory behind and the applied nature of human communication. Course work prepares the student to consider the range of human communication from interpersonal to small group, to organizational, and mass media – with a special emphasis on intercultural differences among groups of humans. Students completing the program are prepared for a variety of careers in communication and the fields it supports or for continued education in graduate school.

Degree Requirements

Baccalaureate Program (B.A.)
The requirements for a major in Communication consist of 39 semester hours of courses including:

• Communication 101- Introduction to Human Communication
• Communication 110- Survey of Mass Media
• Communication 111- Small Group Communication Dynamics
• Communication 201- Survey of Rhetorical Thought
• Communication 205- Communication Theories
• Communication 350 (or Sociology 334)- Communication Research Methods
• Communication 216- Writing for the Mass Media (or a departmentally approved intensive writing course)
• Communication 394 (minimum of three semester hours)- Practicum
• Sociology 223- Race, Gender, and Social Inequality

And nine semester hours chosen from:

• Communication 310- Organizational Communication
• Communication 311- Process and Effects of Mass Communications
• Communication 312- Seminar in Interpersonal Communication
• Communication 313- Intercultural Communication
• Communication 314- Nonverbal Communication

Also required are three semester hours chosen from:

• Business 209- Business Communication
• Management 201- Principles of Management
• Recreation Management and Tourism 215 - Introduction to Travel and Tourism

The computer literacy requirement may be met by taking:

• Computer Science 100- Personal Computing
• Computer Science 140- Computer Basics
• Business Administration 230- Information Software Processing I

Also, recommended but not required include:

• Business 339- International Business
• Marketing 321- Advertising and Promotion

Minor
The requirements for a minor in Communication consist of 18 semester hours including Communication 101, 111, 205, and 312; plus six semester hours chosen from Communication 110, 201, 310, 311, 313, or 314.

For More Information Contact

Dr. Amir Jafri
Department of English, Communication, & Foreign Language
Davis & Elkins College
Elkins, WV 26241
(304) 637-1366
e-mail: jafri@davisandelkins.edu