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Department of
Communication Studies

Major and Minor

Explore and Discover. Communication studies is devoted to the study of public culture and the role of persuasion in civil society. Our classes survey everything from classical understandings of argumentation to contemporary communication theories. The major is designed to be both skills-based and theory-driven, offering students the flexibility they need for career planning in the 21st century.

Communication Studies Major | Communication Studies Minor | Declaring Major or Minor

Communication Studies Major

A major in communication studies provides the skills and education necessary to excel in a wide variety of careers. The communication studies major requires 30 credit hours of coursework.

The communication studies major will have different requirements starting in Fall 2023. Students who declared the major prior to Fall 2023 can elect to stay in the previous version of the major or redeclare for the new requirements. The changes affect Categories 3 and 4 below.

Also, please note that some courses have changed among Categories 3 and 4. Others have new names. None of these changes will affect student degree progression.

Requirements (for the “new” version of the major)

Category 1: Foundations—two courses (6 credit hours)

  • Communication Studies 1002: Introduction to Communication Studies
  • Communication Studies 1500: Fundamentals of Public Speaking

Category 2: Argumentation and Advocacy—one course (3 credit hours)

  • Communication Studies 2100: Argumentation and Debate*
  • Communication Studies 2110: Persuasion*
  • Communication Studies 2120: Business Communication*

* Prerequisite CMST 1500

Category 3: Public Discourse and Deliberation—three courses (9 credit hours), one of which must be 2800, 3050, or 3600.

  • Communication Studies 2750: Rhetoric, Sport, and Society
  • Communication Studies 2800: Rhetoric and Civic Life
  • Communication Studies 2850: Science, Rhetoric, and Public Controversy
  • Communication Studies 3050: Histories of Public Communication
  • Communication Studies 3100: Rhetoric of Social Movements
  • Communication Studies 3110: Women, Rhetoric, and Social Change
  • Communication Studies 3120: Rhetoric of U.S. Religion
  • Communication Studies 3140: Communication and the First Amendment
  • Communication Studies 3150: Law, Media, and Society
  • Communication Studies 3200: Social Media & Everyday Life
  • Communication Studies 3600: Rhetorical Traditions
  • Communication Studies 3700: Political Communication (formerly Politics and Mass Media)

Category 4: Culture, Theory, and Critique—three courses (9 credit hours), one of which must be 2950, 3620, or 3730.

  • Communication Studies 2432: Soccer: Media, Art, and Society
  • Communication Studies 2950: Media and Visual Culture (formerly Rhetoric of Mass Media)
  • Communication Studies 3620: Rhetoric, Culture, and Critique
  • Communication Studies 3620W: Rhetoric, Culture, and Critique
  • Communication Studies 3710: Cultural Rhetorics of Film
  • Communication Studies 3720: Communicating Gender
  • Communication Studies 3730: Communication, Culture, and Consciousness
  • Communication Studies 3730W: Communication, Culture, and Consciousness
  • Communication Studies 3740: Rhetoric of Health and Medicine
  • Communication Studies 3750: Rhetoric of the Body
  • Communication Studies 3760: Queer Rhetorics
  • Communication Studies 3800: Communication and Media Studio

Category 5: One elective course (3 credit hours):

  • Selected from the courses listed in categories 2 through 4, which have not been counted toward those requirements.

Communication Studies 1111 (Freshman Seminar), 3840 (Directed Readings), 3850 (Independent Study in Communication), 3890 (Special Topics in Communication), 4960 (Seminar in Selected Topics), and 4961 (Seminar in Selected Topics) may be counted toward the major in the category corresponding to the topic of the course, with the permission of the director of undergraduate studies.

Requirements (for the “old” version of the major)

Category 1: Foundations—two courses (6 credit hours)

  • Communication Studies 1002: Introduction to Communication Studies
  • Communication Studies 1500: Fundamentals of Public Speaking

Category 2: Argumentation and Advocacy—one course (3 credit hours)

  • Communication Studies 2100: Argumentation and Debate*
  • Communication Studies 2110: Persuasion*
  • Communication Studies 2120: Business Communication*

* Prerequisite CMST 1500

Category 3: Public Discourse and Deliberation—three courses (9 credit hours), one of which must be 3000, 3001, or 3002. Please note that CMST 3000, 3001, and 3002 are now taught under Communication Studies 3050: Histories of Public Communication.

  • Communication Studies 2750: Rhetoric, Sport, and Society
  • Communication Studies 2850: Science, Rhetoric, and Public Controversy
  • Communication Studies 3000: Rhetoric of the American Experience 1640-1865
  • Communication Studies 3001: Rhetoric of the American Experience 1865-1945
  • Communication Studies 3002: Rhetoric of the American Experience 1945 to the present
  • Communication Studies 3050: Histories of Public Communication
  • Communication Studies 3110: Women, Rhetoric, and Social Change
  • Communication Studies 3120: Rhetoric of U.S. Religion
  • Communication Studies 3140: Communication and the First Amendment
  • Communication Studies 3200: Social Media & Everyday Life
  • Communication Studies 3600: Rhetorical Traditions
  • Communication Studies 3700: Political Communication (formerly Politics and Mass Media)

Category 4: Culture, Theory, and Critique—three courses (9 credit hours)

  • Communication Studies 2432: Soccer: Media, Art, and Society
  • Communication Studies 2800: Rhetoric and Civic Life
  • Communication Studies 2950: Media and Visual Culture (formerly Rhetoric of Mass Media)
  • Communication Studies 3100: Rhetoric of Social Movements
  • Communication Studies 3150: Law, Media, and Society
  • Communication Studies 3620: Rhetoric, Culture, and Critique
  • Communication Studies 3620W: Rhetoric, Culture, and Critique
  • Communication Studies 3710: Cultural Rhetorics of Film
  • Communication Studies 3720: Communicating Gender
  • Communication Studies 3730: Communication, Culture, and Consciousness
  • Communication Studies 3730W: Communication, Culture, and Consciousness
  • Communication Studies 3740: Rhetoric of Health and Medicine
  • Communication Studies 3750: Rhetoric of the Body
  • Communication Studies 3760: Queer Rhetorics
  • Communication Studies 3800: Communication and Media Studio

Category 5: One elective course (3 credit hours):

  • Selected from the courses listed in categories 2 through 4, which have not been counted toward those requirements.

Communication Studies 1111 (Freshman Seminar), 3840 (Directed Readings), 3850 (Independent Study in Communication), 3890 (Special Topics in Communication), 4960 (Seminar in Selected Topics), and 4961 (Seminar in Selected Topics) may be counted toward the major in the category corresponding to the topic of the course, with the permission of the director of undergraduate studies.

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Communication Studies Minor

 A minor in communication studies is an excellent accompaniment to many majors and can prepare you for a variety of careers or post-graduate study. Students must complete 18 credit hours for the communication studies minor.

The communication studies minor will have different requirements starting in Fall 2023. Students who declared the minor prior to Fall 2023 can elect to stay in the previous version of the major or redeclare for the new requirements. The changes affect Category 3 below.

Also, please note that some courses have new names. None of these changes will affect student degree progression.

Requirements (for the “new” version of the minor)

Category 1: Foundations—two courses (6 credit hours)

  • Communication Studies 1002: Introduction to Communication Studies
  • Communication Studies 1500: Fundamentals of Public Speaking

Category 2: Argumentation and Advocacy—one course (3 credit hours)

  • Communication Studies 2100: Argumentation and Debate*
  • Communication Studies 2110: Persuasion*
  • Communication Studies 2120: Business Communication*

* Prerequisite CMST 1500

Category 3: Public Discourse and Deliberation & Culture, Theory, and Critique—three courses (9 credit hours), one of which must be 2800, 3050, or 3600 and one of which must be 2950, 3620, or 3730.

  • Communication Studies 2432: Soccer: Media, Art, and Society
  • Communication Studies 2750: Rhetoric, Sport, and Society
  • Communication Studies 2800: Rhetoric and Civic Life
  • Communication Studies 2850: Science, Rhetoric, and Public Controversy
  • Communication Studies 2950: Media and Visual Culture (formerly Rhetoric of Mass Media)
  • Communication Studies 3050: Histories of Public Communication
  • Communication Studies 3100: Rhetoric of Social Movements
  • Communication Studies 3110: Women, Rhetoric, and Social Change
  • Communication Studies 3120: Rhetoric of U.S. Religion
  • Communication Studies 3140: Communication and the First Amendment
  • Communication Studies 3150: Law, Media, and Society
  • Communication Studies 3200: Social Media & Everyday Life
  • Communication Studies 3600: Rhetorical Traditions
  • Communication Studies 3620: Rhetoric, Culture, and Critique
  • Communication Studies 3620W: Rhetoric, Culture, and Critique
  • Communication Studies 3700: Political Communication (formerly Politics and Mass Media)
  • Communication Studies 3710: Cultural Rhetorics of Film
  • Communication Studies 3720: Communicating Gender
  • Communication Studies 3730: Communication, Culture, and Consciousness
  • Communication Studies 3730W: Communication, Culture, and Consciousness
  • Communication Studies 3740: Rhetoric of Health and Medicine
  • Communication Studies 3750: Rhetoric of the Body
  • Communication Studies 3760: Queer Rhetorics
  • Communication Studies 3800: Communication and Media Studio

Communication Studies 1111 (Freshman Seminar), 3840 (Directed Readings), 3850 (Independent Study in Communication), 3890 (Special Topics in Communication), 4960 (Seminar in Selected Topics), and 4961 (Seminar in Selected Topics) may not be counted toward the minor.

Requirements (for the “old” version of the minor)

Category 1: Foundations—two courses (6 credit hours)

  • Communication Studies 1002: Introduction to Communication Studies
  • Communication Studies 1500: Fundamentals of Public Speaking

Category 2: Argumentation and Advocacy—one course (3 credit hours)

  • Communication Studies 2100: Argumentation and Debate*
  • Communication Studies 2110: Persuasion*
  • Communication Studies 2120: Business Communication*

* Prerequisite CMST 1500

Category 3: Public Discourse and Deliberation & Culture, Theory, and Critique—three courses (9 credit hours), one of which must be 3000, 3001, or 3002. Please note that CMST 3000, 3001, and 3002 are now taught under CMST 3050: Histories of Public Communication.

  • Communication Studies 2432: Soccer: Media, Art, and Society
  • Communication Studies 2750: Rhetoric, Sport, and Society
  • Communication Studies 2800: Rhetoric and Civic Life
  • Communication Studies 2850: Science, Rhetoric, and Public Controversy
  • Communication Studies 2950: Media and Visual Culture (formerly Rhetoric of Mass Media)
  • Communication Studies 3000: Rhetoric of the American Experience 1640-1865
  • Communication Studies 3001: Rhetoric of the American Experience 1865-1945
  • Communication Studies 3002: Rhetoric of the American Experience 1945 to the present
  • Communication Studies 3050: Histories of Public Communication
  • Communication Studies 3100: Rhetoric of Social Movements
  • Communication Studies 3110: Women, Rhetoric, and Social Change
  • Communication Studies 3120: Rhetoric of U.S. Religion
  • Communication Studies 3140: Communication and the First Amendment
  • Communication Studies 3150: Law, Media, and Society
  • Communication Studies 3200: Social Media & Everyday Life
  • Communication Studies 3600: The Rhetorical Tradition
  • Communication Studies 3620: Rhetoric, Culture, and Critique
  • Communication Studies 3620W: Rhetoric, Culture, and Critique
  • Communication Studies 3700: Political Communication (formerly Politics and Mass Media)
  • Communication Studies 3710: Cultural Rhetorics of Film
  • Communication Studies 3720: Communicating Gender
  • Communication Studies 3730: Communication, Culture, and Consciousness
  • Communication Studies 3730W: Communication, Culture, and Consciousness
  • Communication Studies 3740: Rhetoric of Health and Medicine
  • Communication Studies 3750: Rhetoric of the Body
  • Communication Studies 3760: Queer Rhetorics
  • Communication Studies 3800: Communication and Media Studio

Communication Studies 1111 (Freshman Seminar), 3840 (Directed Readings), 3850 (Independent Study in Communication), 3890 (Special Topics in Communication), 4960 (Seminar in Selected Topics), and 4961 (Seminar in Selected Topics) may not be counted toward the minor.

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Declaring a Major or Minor

If you wish to declare a major or minor in CMST, first contact the department or department’s program specialist, Riley Ellingson. You will then be assigned a faculty adviser and instructed to complete the Major/Minor Declaration Form.

Once you have officially declared a CMST major, you will hear from your faculty adviser as the registration period approaches to set up a meeting time for discussing courses and lifting the registration hold.

Note: You must meet with your CMST adviser to have the registration hold lifted. However, if you have already been approved to study abroad or are currently studying abroad, your hold is not active. In any case, you should contact your faculty adviser via email to discuss the courses you hope to take next semester.

Prior to advising, be sure you consult the list of CMST courses offered next semester and review your degree audit on YES.

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