Communication, B.A.

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At-a-Glance

Minimum hours required for major: 40

Minimum hours required for minor: 20

Joint Program Available: Political Communication with Department of Political Science

Evening Program: Yes

Foreign Study Program: Yes

Advising: Contact the School of Communication office 216-687-4630

Financial aid: Scholarship assistance awarded to students in the School of Communication.

W.O. and Naomi E. Walker Scholarship
Max Axelrod Scholarship. (Students with journalism emphasis)
Donald Marcus Scholarship. (Students with advertising emphasis)
Jana Stone Scholarship. (Public relations emphasis)
Raymond Dorsey Scholarship. (Physically disabled student with a preference for a journalism sequence)

Scholarships are awarded annually. Call the main office at 216-687-4630 for information.

The Bachelor of Arts in Communication: The major in Communication provides students with a critical understanding of the complex, vital role that communication plays in contemporary life. Coursework offers students a host of intellectual, problem-solving, and career-related skills. In contemporary society, which is characterized by a dazzling array of new technologies, rapid social change, instant messaging, and dynamic interpersonal relationships, it is imperative that students appreciate the ways communication influences everyday life. Students who obtain a major in communication will take classes from a nationally ranked faculty and gain exposure to communication specialists who work in public and private sector jobs in Northeast Ohio. The major lays a strong general foundation in communication processes and effects.

More specialized training is available in the fields of Journalism and Promotional Communication, Film and Digital Media, and Communication Management. The School of Communication offers these three areas as separate bachelor’s degree programs.

A minimum total number of 128 credit hours are required for every student in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. All degree seeking, CLASS students must complete a specific number of General Education (GenEd) requirements which are comprised of University and College requirements. This is in addition to the credits for their major field of study. Students are responsible for ensuring the appropriate selection of courses to satisfy GenEd requirements. Students are highly encouraged to consult with both their general education advisor and faculty advisor regarding the applicability of selected courses each semester. A comprehensive description of Cleveland State University’s General Education Requirements for undergraduate students is available online at http://www.csuohio.edu/academic/gened/summarytable.html.

Major-Field Requirements

All majors are required to take a minimum total of 40 semester credit hours in Communication and maintain a 2.25 GPA across all communication courses to graduate with a major in Communication. All School of Communication Majors are required to successfully complete COM 101 - Principles of Communication and

COM 303 - Communication Inquiry

with a minimum grade of C. Two core courses, three theory courses, one capstone and four communication elective courses are required for the communication major. Transfer students must obtain at least 20 credit hours from Communication courses at Cleveland State University.

Communication Major Required Courses (8 credit hours):

Required Communication Major Theory Courses (12 credit hours):

Required Communication Major Capstone Courses (4 credit hours):

Communication Major Electives (16 credit hours):

See course listing for all Communication classes. A course can fulfill only one school requirement.