Political Communication (Interdisciplinary Specialization)
Students majoring in communication and/or political science may select political communication as a specialization. The School of Communication and the Department of Political Science jointly administer the program, which provides students with a systematic and comprehensive orientation to political communication. This orientation will enable students to understand the role of communication in the political process.
Communication processes have always been critical to the evolution of American political institutions. Specific communication practices have helped to create support for a basic set of democratic norms and values, arouse interest and participation by various groups in the election of officeholders at all levels of government, facilitate involvement in and commitment to choices of solutions for social problems, and create support for a particular government regime and its programs.
Professionals operating in the American political process must be prepared to shape their personal impact and the impact of their decisions. It is to facilitate such an objective that this program was developed. The program should especially suit students planning careers in public administration; law; journalism; public information; or as political party organizers, elected officials, and campaign specialists.
Required Courses:
Students interested in this program need to obtain prior written approval from an advisor in the department of their major. Completion of the political communication sequence and the major requirements in one of the two departments involves a minimum of 40 to 44 semester credit hours. A 2.25 GPA must be maintained across all required courses. The specific requirements in addition to those for a major in one of the two departments are: