Department of Communication

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION

Chair: Gerald L. Wilson (251) 380-2800

Professors: Aucoin, Wilson

Associate Professors: Murphree, Rockwell, Ward

Assistant Professors: Glover, Kimball, Lunceford, Mark, Moody, Toelken

Instructors: Bush, Dardeau, Dupree Taylor, Huling, Rigsby, Sparks

Department of Communication web site
http://comm.southalabama.edu

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 advertising, communication technology, journalism, public relations, organizational communication, and the mass media of radio, TV and film.

Given these goals, the Department attempts to meet individual performance and career needs with a flexible curriculum. Students select one of the seven 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 seven tracks, or concentrated areas of study, offered in Communication are: Advertising, Communication Technology, Interpersonal Communication and Rhetoric, Journalism (Print Journalism and Broadcast Journalism), Organizational Communication, Public Relations, and Radio-Television-Film. 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. Students pursuing a degree in Communication also must have a minor in another discipline.

All first-time freshmen must successfully complete CAS 100: New Student Seminar as a degree requirement. Students must enroll during their first term at USA, except for summer-entry students who must enroll in the fall semester following entry.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A MAJOR IN COMMUNICATION

Communication majors must complete the College of Arts and Sciences Public Speaking requirement (CA 110) and 39 semester hours in one of the department’s seven tracks listed below.

At least five communication classes must be numbered 300 or higher and must be taken at USA. Only three hours of credit from CA 394 or CA 494 can be used to satisfy this requirement.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR MASS COMMUNICATION CONCENTRATIONS: ADVERTISING, COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, JOURNALISM, PUBLIC RELATIONS, AND RADIO/TV/FILM

At least 80 hours in courses outside the Department of Communication are required, with at least 65 semester hours being completed in the College of Arts and Sciences.

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMUNICATION MAJORS

General Education Requirements for Communication are specified in the College of Arts and Sciences Section.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A MINOR IN COMMUNICATION

Minors in Communication must complete a total of 24 hours to include CA 110 (Public Speaking), CA 200 (Communication Theory), CA 210 (Argumentation), CA 220 (Writing for Communication Media), CA 300 (Foundation of Communication Research), plus nine additional hours in Communication including at least three hours of upper level credit. At least nine hours must be taken at USA.

TRACKS IN COMMUNICATION

ADVERTISING TRACK:

This track is for students interested in studying advertising.

Required: CA 101, CA 200, CA 221, CA 300, CA 310, CA 321, CA 322, CA 381, CA 445, CA 476, CA 478

Choose Two: CA 440, CA 360, CA 366, CA 455, CA 496

COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY TRACK

This track is for students interested in studying communication technology, including Internet-based technology.

Required: CA 200, CA 220, CA 260, CA 300, CA 360, CA 366, CA 445, CA 457

Choose Two: CA 211, CA 230, CA 241, CA 286

Choose Three: CA 340, CA 352, CA 382, CA 435, CA 453, CA 455, CA 496

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION AND RHETORIC TRACK

This track is for students interested in studying interpersonal communication and rhetoric.

Required: CA 100, CA 200, CA 210, CA 211, CA 310, CA 315, CA 410, CA 411, CA 422, CA 424

Choose Three: CA 230, CA 360, CA 366, CA 400, CA 430, CA 453

JOURNALISM TRACK

This track is for students interested in studying print or broadcast journalism.

Required: CA 101, CA 200, CA 220, CA 445, CA 455

Print Journalism:

Required: CA 281, CA 370, CA 472

Choose One: CA 385, CA 387

Choose Two: CA 300, CA 381, CA 382, CA 388, CA 453, CA 481, CA 496

Choose Two from Group One or Group Two:

Group One: CA 241, CA 244, CA 250, CA 340, CA 350

Group Two: CA 260, CA 360, CA 366, CA 457

Broadcast Journalism:

Required: CA 250, CA 350, CA 450, CA 451, CA 452

Choose One: CA 244, CA 300, CA 382, CA 388, CA 453, CA 496

Choose Two from Group One or Group Two:

Group One: CA 281, CA 370, CA 387

Group Two: CA 260, CA 360, CA 366, CA 457

ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION TRACK

This track is for students interested in studying organizational communication.

Required: CA 100, CA 200, CA 230, CA 275, CA 300, CA 330, CA 430, CA 435, CA 436

Choose One: CA 210, CA 211, CA 221

Choose Three: CA 260, CA 360, CA 381, CA 400, CA 411, CA 457, CA 496

PUBLIC RELATIONS TRACK

This track is for students interested in studying public relations.

Required: CA 101, CA 200, CA 220, CA 286, CA 300, CA 386, CA 445, CA 484, CA 486

Choose Two: CA 221, CA 230, CA 381

Choose Two: CA 210, CA 221 (if not selected above), CA 230 (if not selected above), CA 241, CA 244, CA 260, CA 320, CA 321, CA 350, CA 360, CA 370, CA 381 (if not selected above), CA 435, CA 496

RADIO/TV/FILM TRACK

This track is for students interested in studying radio, television, or film.

Required: CA 101, CA 200, CA 220, CA 241, CA 340, CA 356, CA 445

Choose One: CA 343, CA 344

Choose Five: CA 244, CA 260, CA 300, CA 343 (if not selected above), CA 344 (if not selected above), CA 350, CA 352, CA 360, CA 382, CA 388, CA 440, CA 441, CA 453, CA 455, CA 457, CA 496

GRADUATE STUDIES

The Master of Arts degree in Communication is a broad-based degree program that integrates theoretical and research components of mass communication and organizational and rhetorical communication. The program is designed to prepare recent graduates and experienced professionals for doctoral studies, professional advancement, and person enrichment.

The department's graduate faculty combines applied knowledge with communication theory and works to engage students to think critically as they address communication practices and issues. Courses examine how communication creates, sustains, and changes personal lives, organizations, political and cultural institutions, and society.

The program curriculum consists of 33 credit hours, including a twelve-hour core, elected courses from the communication and other university departments, and a final project or thesis.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION

All applications must receive approval from the Graduate Program Coordinator, the Director for Graduate Studies for the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Graduate Dean. Students are admitted each semester and must meet the following requirements:

REGULAR ADMISSION

GRE/GMAT Scores

Students must submit a satisfactory score on the general portion of the Graduate Record Examination or the Graduate Management Admissions Test. The scores required for regular admission are:

	GRE - 1000 or more combined points on the quantitative and verbal portions.
	GMAT - A combined score of 1000 or more when calculated as follows: 200 x undergraduate GPA + GMAT score.
	Earned graduate degree - An earned graduate degree may substitute for graduate entry exam scores. Students must submit a written request along with evidence of the degree to the graduate coordinator for review.

Undergraduate requirements

Students must submit official copies of undergraduate transcripts indicating the following:

	A minimum grade point average of 3.0.
	A major in communication or 21 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. Students must submit written request for review to the graduate director.

International Students

	International students must submit documentation of TOEFL test scores of at least 525.
	Students who are required to take the English Language Proficiency Examination and whose scores suggest an English language deficiency must take the appropriate English as a Second Language courses. These courses are not counted as part of the 33-hour degree program.

PROVISIONAL ADMISSION

Students who do not meet the requirement for regular admission may apply for provisional admission if they meet the following standards.

GRE/GMAT Scores

	GRE - 800 or better combined points on the quantitative and verbal portions.
	GMAT - A combined score of 800 or better when calculated as follows: 200 x undergraduate GPA + GMAT score.

Undergraduate requirements

Students must submit official copies of undergraduate transcripts indicating the following:

	A minimum grade point average of 2.5 on all undergraduate work or a 2.75 on the last 64 hours of undergraduate work.
	An undergraduate minor in communication or 21 semester hours in communication.

Provisional students will be eligible for regular standing after accruing at least nine 500-level semester hours (usually three courses) taken for graduate credit toward the degree requirements with at least a 3.0 GPA. Applications for regular status must be submitted prior to completion of 15 credit hours. Provisional students who do not have a 3.0 GPA after completing 15 hours of course work will be subject to dismissal from the program.

NON-DEGREE ADMISSION

Students may register for and complete up to five courses without formal entrance into the program.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS AND COURSES

Students must complete a minimum of 33 semester hours of credit in approved 400 and 500-level courses. This includes three hours for thesis or project work. A minimum of 24 semester hours must be completed at the University of South Alabama. At least 24 semester hours must be taken in communication. At least 24 hours must be at the 500 level.

Core Courses

For students with an undergraduate degree in communication, the normal requirements consist of the following four courses.

	CA 500, Introduction to Graduate Studies in Communication (generally offered in the fall semester)
	CA 501, Communication Research Methods (generally offered in the spring semester)
	CA 502, Communication Theory (generally offered in the fall semester)
	CA 503, Communication Research Methods II (generally offered in the spring semester)

Students beginning in the fall must take CA 500 before or concurrently with the first 500-level class. Students beginning in the spring semester must take CA 500 the following fall.

Although students are advised to take CA 501, 502, and 503 sequentially, they are not required to do so.

Remaining Courses

	With advisor approval, students may take nine of the 33 required graduate hours outside of the communication department.
	With advisor approval, a maximum of nine hours of advanced undergraduate-level course work may be applied toward the graduate degree if the following requirements are met:
		A member of the graduate faculty serves as the course instructor.
		Graduate students in 400-level courses perform additional work to satisfy graduate standing.
		The course (or its equivalent) was not taken at and counted toward the undergraduate degree.
		The graduate director approves the course as part of the student's graduate program.

Directed Studies - CA 594

Directed study courses involve independent study of a communication topic. The purpose is to provide study in an area of specialization not covered by an existing course.

	Students must submit topic proposals to a graduate faculty member. Once the topic is approved, both the faculty member and the students must sign a contract describing student expectations and outcomes and grading criteria.
	Students can register for between one and three credit hours in CA 594 courses with course requirements determined accordingly.
	Students make take a maximum of 6 hours in directed study coursework.

Grade Requirements

	A minimum of a 3.0 GPA on all work attempted is required for graduation.
	Courses in which the students received a "D" or below will not be counted toward the degree program.
	A maximum of two courses with a grade of "C" will be counted toward the degree program.
	Students receiving three grades of "C" or below, regardless of the overall GPA, will be dismissed from the program.

Time Limitations

	All degree requirements must be completed within seven calendar years.
	Most students who take nine hours per semester complete the degree within a two-year period.
	The time required for degree completion depends on how many courses a student can take each semester and the ability of that student to complete the thesis or final project.

Course Load

Two or three courses (6-10 credit hours) per semester constitute a full-time course load.

WRITTEN COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATIONS

All degree candidates must successfully complete a written comprehensive examination. The exam lasts six hours and covers material from department graduate courses offered during the latest three-year period.

The examination provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate independent thought and depth of understanding of the discipline. Using examples from the area of specialization, students should be prepared to demonstrate the ability to:

	Conceptualize problems
	Create and critique research designs
	Evaluate literature, research theories, models, and methodologies
	Discern, discuss, and explain substantive issues, problems, trends, alternative perspectives and research approaches in both general and specific areas.

DESCRIPTIONS OF ALL COMMUNICATION (CA) COURSES

College of Arts and Sciences