Communication (B.A.)

This undergraduate program is offered by the College of Arts and Sciences.

Faculty

Dr. Jamey Piland, Associate Professor of Communication (program chair)
Dr. Matthew Bates, Assistant Professor of Communication
Dr. Raúl Tovares, Associate Professor of Communication

Description

The Communication Program at Trinity offers a liberal education, emphasizing the scientific and artistic basis of communication. The Program is committed to providing quality instruction in the theoretical bases of human communication and the application of theory within a number of specific contexts. The emphasis of the Program is on interpersonal interaction and human relationships, organizational and institutional communication, public discourse and mass communication. Students choose areas of specialization and specific courses that can lead to professional or pre-professional competence in such fields as journalism, training and development, human resources, foreign service, law, politics and government, human services, labor-management relations, personnel, campaign and propaganda administration, and public health. Undergraduate study in Communication can assist the student in pursuing advanced studies for a variety of careers including law, the ministry, and higher education. Undergraduate students majoring in the Communication Program are encouraged to take course work in other fields and programs; typical areas for minors and double majors in recent years have included: political science, media technology studies, human relations, sociology, psychology, women’s studies, business, international studies, information technology, and education.

Students in the Communication Program take advantage of the many internship and field-based opportunities available in Washington, D.C. Recent internships include prestigious organizations such as National Geographic, CNN, C-SPAN, CBS, Kennedy Center, as well as other local television stations, public relations firms, lobbying groups, and political offices.

The Communication Program offers a major and minor to students in the College of Arts and Sciences. The major consists of six required courses, six elective courses, and five courses to be taken as co-requisites. All communication majors are encouraged to minor in programs related to their personal and career interests. The minor consists of six courses.  The Communication Program also offers a comprehensive concentration in Journalism.

Journalism Concentration

The journalism concentration in the Communication Program at Trinity offers students an opportunity to learn and practice the skills necessary to prepare for internships and careers in the field of journalism. Students who choose the journalism concentration will be prepared to work for newspapers and magazines (both print and electronic versions), public relations firms, and book publishing companies.

Students who choose the journalism concentration must take all of the courses necessary to fulfill the requirements for a communication degree as well as take and successfully complete courses in journalism, such as COM 383 Journalism, the introductory journalism course, and COM 395 Advanced Journalism. In addition, students must take the introductory communication class, COM 265 Introduction to Mass Communication, COM 380 The Role of the Media in Society and COM 420 Mass Media Law. Because the field of journalism is today an electronic-based as well as a print-based medium, students in the journalism concentration must also take ISYS 243 Web Page Design.

Students interested in graduate study should consult with program faculty and are encouraged to pursue graduate work at Trinity in the Strategic Communication and Public Relations.

Major Requirements

Required Courses (18 credits)

ALL of the following courses:

COM 201 Interpersonal Communication
COM 265 Introduction to Mass Communication
COM 290 Public Speaking
COM 383 Journalism
COM 391 Applied Communication: Directed Internship
COM 488 Senior Seminar: Communication

Elective Courses (18 credits)

TWO of the following courses:

COM 250 Public Relations I
COM 306 Visual Communication
COM 340 Voice Techniques and Articulation
COM 365 Advocacy and Argument
COM 370 Publicity and Media Relations
COM 392 Speechwriting
COM 395 Advanced Journalism
ISYS 341 Data Structures and Algorithms

FOUR of the following courses:

COM 225 Intercultural Communication
COM 301 Editorial Cartooning
COM 302 Persuasion Research & Theory
COM 305 Minority Images in American Media
COM 312 HON:Gangsters and American Film
COM 315 Management Communication
COM 335 International Communication
COM 355 Technology and Communication
COM 360 Small Group Communication
COM 375 Conflict and Communication
COM 380 The Role of the Media in Society
COM 385 Organizational Communication
COM 388 Gender and Communication
COM 401 Theories of Interpersonal Communication
COM 420 Mass Media Law
COM 450 Women In Organizations
COM 482 Leadership and Communication
POLS 471 Politics and The Media
SSC 201 Documentary Film
SSC 300 Politics and Film

Co-requisite Courses (15 credits)

ALL of the following courses:

ECON 100 Principles of Economics
COM 150 Critical Reasoning and Oral Argumentation or PHIL 150 Critical Reasoning and Oral Argumentation
MATH 110 Introduction to Statistics
PSYC 101 Introductory Psychology
SOCY 100 Introduction to Sociology

Minor Requirements

Required Courses (18 credits)

BOTH of the following courses:

COM 201 Interpersonal Communication
COM 265 Introduction to Mass Communication

FOUR additional communications courses, excluding COM 391 and COM 488

Program Policies

Advanced Placement:
Credits earned through AP examinations do not fulfill requirements of the communication major or minor.

CLEP Policy:
Credits earned through CLEP examinations do not fulfill requirements of the communication major or minor.

Grades in Major Courses:
Students are required to earn a grade of “C” (2.0) or better in all courses counted to fulfill requirements for the major.

Pass/No Pass:
No course fulfilling major requirements in the communication program may be taken Pass/No Pass, with the exception of COM 391 which is graded Pass/No Pass.

Senior Assessment:
Students will complete a comprehensive assessment in the Senior Seminar. The comprehensive assessment will include the preparation of a communication research project on a topic approved by the professor. Students must earn a grade of “C” or better on this project.

Study Abroad:
Students should take advantage of the many communication related study abroad programs.

TELL Policy:
Students may apply a maximum of 12 credits to major requirements earned through TELL.

Transfer Credits:
Transfer credit will be awarded after appropriate program review and approval.

Course Descriptions

COM 201 Interpersonal Communication
COM 224 Cross-Cultural Communication
COM 225 Intercultural Communication
COM 250 Public Relations I
COM 265 Introduction to Mass Communication
COM 290 Public Speaking
COM 301 Editorial Cartooning
COM 302 Persuasion Research & Theory
COM 305 Minority Images in American Media
COM 306 Visual Communication
COM 312 HON:Gangsters and American Film
COM 315 Management Communication
COM 335 International Communication
COM 340 Voice Techniques and Articulation
COM 355 Technology and Communication
COM 360 Small Group Communication
COM 365 Advocacy and Argument
COM 370 Publicity and Media Relations
COM 380 The Role of the Media in Society
COM 383 Journalism
COM 385 Organizational Communication
COM 388 Gender and Communication
COM 391 Applied Communication: Directed Internship
COM 392 Speechwriting
COM 395 Advanced Journalism
COM 400 Independent Study
COM 415 Conflict in the Workplace
COM 420 Mass Media Law
COM 430 Written and Oral Briefings
COM 450 Women In Organizations
COM 482 Leadership and Communication
COM 488 Senior Seminar: Communication