| DEPARTMENT OF
COMMUNICATION Chair: Gerald L.
Wilson (380-2800)
Professors: Hanna, Hermanson, Hesse, Wilson, Wright
Associate Professor: Rockwell
Assistant Professors: Aucoin, Chryslee, Rosene, Ward
Instructors: Dupree, Moreau, Robinson
The primary objectives of the Communication Department
are: to understand and teach the functions, processes, and effects of communication; to
attempt to influence communication environments in which we live in a contributory way;
and to provide professional preparation for communication-oriented careers, including
communication technology, journalism, public relations, organizational communication, and
the mass media.
Given these goals, the Department attempts to meet
individual performance and career needs with a flexible curriculum. Thus, while a
"core" of courses is required of all Communication majors, students select one
of the six tracks offered and confer with their advisors to plan their courses of study.
These focused areas of study are not a vocational education, but they will help to prepare
students for several employment possibilities.
The six tracks, or concentrated areas of study, offered in
Communication are: Communication Technology, Interpersonal Communication and Rhetoric,
Journalism (Print Journalism and Broadcast Journalism), Organizational Communication,
Public Relations (Public Relations and Advertising), and Radio-Television. In brief, the
Department’s commitment to a broad-based study of communication activities permits a
more intelligent choice of career fields. In addition, it provides a more meaningful
classroom experience during the junior and senior years.
REQUIREMENTS FOR A
MAJOR IN COMMUNICATION
Communication majors must complete 15 semester hours including the Public Speaking (CA
110) requirement in the College of Arts and Sciences, plus a four-course Communication
Core consisting of components in Communication Theory (CA 200), Argumentation (CA 210),
Writing for Communication Media (CA 220), and Foundations of Communication Research (CA
300). EH 101 and 102 are prerequisites to CA 200, 210 and 220. CA 200 is a prerequisite to
CA 300.
In addition to these five courses, all Communication
majors must complete 27 semester hours in one of the department’s six tracks listed
below. In addition to CA 300, at least five Communication classes must be numbered 300 or
higher.
Credit for CA 394, 494 and 496 cannot satisfy the 15 hour,
College of Arts and Sciences upper level requirement.
REQUIREMENTS FOR A MINOR
IN COMMUNICATION
Minors in Communication must complete 24 semester hours
including CA 110 (Public Speaking), CA 200 (Communication Theory), CA 210 (Argumentation),
CA 220 (Writing for Communication Media), CA 300 (Foundation of Communication Research),
plus 9 additional hours in Communication including at least one additional class numbered
300 or higher.
REQUIREMENTS FOR A MINOR
IN THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS FOR STUDENTS IN COMMUNICATION
Students in Communication may select a minor in the College
of Business. Twenty-four semester hours are required including MGT 300, MKT 320, ACC 211,
ECO 215. Each student should consult a faculty advisor in Communication and a faculty
member in Business to select four (4) additional courses in Management or Marketing to
complete the minor field of study.
TRACKS IN COMMUNICATION
COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLOGY TRACK
This track is for students interested in studying communication technology.
Required: 260, 360, 366, 445
Choose One: 270, 286
Choose One: 211, 230, 240
Choose Three: 340, 352, 435, 453, 455, 496*
INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION AND RHETORIC TRACK
This track is for students interested in studying
interpersonal communication and rhetoric.
Required: 207, 211, 310, 400,
410, 422, 424
Choose One: 315, 411
Choose One: 360, 366
JOURNALISM TRACK
This track is for students interested in studying print or broadcast journalism.
Required: 101, 270, 370, 445, 455, 472
Print Journalism
Required: 281, 387
Choose One: 360, 382, 388, 453, 457, 470, 481, 496*
Broadcast Journalism
Required: 240, 250
Choose One: 244, 340, 360, 382, 388, 453, 457, 496*
ORGANIZATIONAL
COMMUNICATION TRACK
This track is for students interested in studying
organizational communication.
Required: 211, 230, 275, 286, 430
Choose One: 310, 411
Choose One: 400, 410, 422
Choose Two: 260, 221, 360, 435, 457
PUBLIC RELATIONS TRACK
This track is for students interested in studying public
relations or advertising.
Public Relations
Required: CA 101, 286, 386, 445, 484, 486
Choose Two: 230, 270, 470
Choose One: 211, 221, 240, 244, 281, 321, 322, 350, 360, 370,
430, 453, 455, 496*
Advertising
Required: CA 101, 221, 321, 322, 445, 476
Choose Two: 286, 310, 455, 470
Choose One: 230, 240, 360, 386, 453, 484, 496*
RADIO/TV TRACK
This track is for students interested in studying radio or television.
Required: CA 101, 240, 320, 340,
356, 445
Choose One: 343, 344
Choose Three: 244, 260, 343 (if not selected above), Two(if not
selected above), 350, 352, 360, 388, 440, 453, 455, 457, 496*
*This course cannot satisfy the 18-hour upper level CA major requirement.
GRADUATE STUDIES
The Master of Arts degree in communication provides education for the student who wishes
to pursue either the Ph.D. degree or a career in corporate or public communication. The
department offers a thesis program. Students who select the thesis program will
demonstrate mastery of knowledge of corporate and/or public communication and skills
necessary to conduct communication research. Students who select the non-thesis program
will demonstrate the mastery of knowledge of corporate and/or public communication and
skills necessary to carry out a project.
REQUIREMENTS FOR
ADMISSION
Students are admitted each semester. The following criteria supplement the Graduate School
criteria (see Categories of Admission).
REGULAR ADMISSION
- GRE General test combined score of at least 1,000 on the
verbal and quantitative subtests is recommended. Permission may be granted on an
individual basis by the Coordinator of Graduate Study to use a GMAT score in lieu of the
GRE scores. If the GMAT score is used, it will enter into a formula that must compute to
at least a score of 1,000. The formula used to compute the score of admission is: 200 x
GPA + GMAT score. An earned master’s degree may substitute for satisfactory GRE
General Test scores.
- An undergraduate major in communication or 36 semester
hours in communication. A master’s degree earned in a field other than communication
may be offered as a substitute for a major in communication; all such requests for
substitution will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
- Satisfactory completion of these courses at the University
of South Alabama or elsewhere: Communication Theory (CA 200 or 400), Research Methods (CA
300). An undergraduate course in Statistics is recommended.
PROVISIONAL ADMISSION
- GRE General Test combined score of less than 1,000 on the
verbal and quantitative subtests (a combined score) or GMAT/ GPA calculated score of less
than 1,000 (200 x GPA + GMAT) is recommended.
- Minimum GPA of 2.5.
- An undergraduate minor in communication or 24 semester
hours in communication; applicants with otherwise strong records may be admitted
conditionally with fewer than 24 semester hours in communication, but will be required to
make up deficiencies in their undergraduate course work in addition to the normal
master’s degree requirements and to be eligible for Regular Standing. A master’s
degree earned in a field other than communication may be offered as a substitute for a
minor in communication; all such requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
- Incomplete record of undergraduate core courses (see #3
above under Regular Standing); applicants admitted provisionally will be required to make
up deficiencies in the undergraduate core in addition to the normal requirements and in
order to be eligible for Regular Standing.
NON-DEGREE
ADMISSION
An applicant for admission to the Master of Arts in Corporate and Public Communication
program who does not meet the requirements for admission under the regular or provisional
categories, especially mature adults with considerable work experience, may apply for and
be admitted as non-degree candidates if approved by the department’s graduate
committee. Students must maintain a "B" average on all courses attempted in the
department to remain in the program.
Upon successful completion of nine or more credit hours of
graduate core courses with a grade of "B" or better in each course, a non-degree
student may apply for regular admission to the program. Non-degree students may take a
maximum of 18 credit hours over no more than two years. No more than 15 hours taken as a
non-degree student may be applied to degree status.
GRADUATE
ASSISTANTSHIPS
Applicants for graduate assistantships in communication should submit an application and
three letters of recommendation to the Graduate Coordinator by February 1 at which date
review of completed applications will commence for appointments for the following academic
year. An application may be obtained by writing to the Graduate Coordinator.
REQUIREMENTS FOR DEGREE
Thesis Program
In addition to satisfying the requirements of the Graduate School, the candidate for the
Master of Arts Degree in Communication must satisfy the following.
- Complete at least 36 approved semester hours beyond the
bachelor’s degree with a minimum overall 3.0 grade-point average. At least 24 hours
of these courses must be in communication. At least 24 hours of these courses must be at
the 500 level. All 400 level courses must be approved by the Graduate Coordinator. A
minimum of 24 semester hours must be taken in residence at the University of South
Alabama.
- Complete successfully a comprehensive written examination,
at least one semester before graduation. The comprehensive examination may be attempted no
more than two times. A student who fails this examination must wait a minimum of three
months before repeating it. Failure of the examination on the second attempt will result
in dismissal from the program.
- Complete a thesis representing original research.
- Defend orally the thesis during the last semester of
residency.
- Complete all requirements for the degree within five
calendar years from the date of matriculation as a graduate student.
Non-Thesis Program
This program is available to students who do not wish to conduct research or to continue
graduate study beyond the master’s degree. Students who select the non-thesis program
will complete two additional courses for graduate credit and an approved project instead
of a thesis. The student must defend orally the project during the last semester of
residency. At least 24 hours of courses in the non-thesis program must be in
Communication. All other requirements of the thesis program apply to the non-thesis
program.
THE CORE CURRICULUM
All candidates for the Master of Arts Degree in Communication
must complete the following courses:
CA 500
CA 502 |
CA 501
CA 503 |
Descriptions of all Communications (CA) courses
College
of Arts and Sciences
|
