BA in Communication - Open Emphasis
Program Requirements
A minimum total of 120 credit hours is required for the BA in communication - open emphasis. Students majoring in communication must maintain a 2.500 grade point average (overall and in the major) and complete a minimum of 39 credit hours in communication, including 12 credit hours in the communication core. At least 27 credit hours must be in the open emphasis area. The credit hours should be selected in consultation with a faculty advisor. In addition to meeting the requirements of the WSU General Education Program and the requirements of Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, students in the BA in communication - open emphasis must take the following courses:
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education | ||
| Select courses to meet General Education requirements 1 | 34-35 | |
| College Requirements | ||
| Select courses to complete all LAS Competency Areas 1 | 36 | |
| Communication Core Courses | ||
| COMM 205 | Visual Technologies | 3 |
| COMM 206 | Introduction to Multimedia | 3 |
| COMM 301 | Writing for the Mass Audience | 3 |
| COMM 350 | Communication Strategy for the Mass Audience | 3 |
| Select two of the following (but not both 430 and 530) | 6 | |
| Communication Research and Inquiry | ||
| Communication Law and Responsibility | ||
| Historical and Theoretical Issues in Communication | ||
| Media Analytics and Audience Behavior | ||
| Select 18 credit hours of open emphasis electives with approval by undergraduate coordinator | 18 | |
| Select one of the following applied learning classes | 3 | |
| Cooperative Education | ||
| Internship | ||
| Advanced Reporting | ||
| Shocker Ad Lab | ||
| Communication Practicum | ||
| Studio B: Live Television News | ||
| Integrated Marketing Communications Campaigns | ||
| Capstone Media Project | ||
| Communication Internship | ||
| Open Electives | ||
| Select enough electives to reach 120 credit hours | 10-11 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
- 1
Required major courses may also count towards General Education and/or LAS Competencies. Students will need to select additional electives to reach 120 credit hours required for graduation with assistance from an advisor.
Open Emphasis
Students can develop and propose an open emphasis more appropriate for their interests and needs than a structured emphasis area and which respects their background and experience. These proposals must be developed by students in consultation with a faculty advisor, be substantially different from the structured emphases available, and be coherent and justifiable to a faculty committee, which will review and act on these proposals at specified times during the academic year. Each student must submit for approval an open emphasis plan of study to the undergraduate coordinator at the beginning of the student’s junior year or upon completion of 18 credit hours in the major.
Applied Learning
Students in the BA in communication - open emphasis are required to complete an applied learning or research experience to graduate from the program. The requirement can be met by completing COMM 481, COMM 481N, COMM 581, COMM 500, COMM 622, COMM 626, COMM 655, COMM 562 or COMM 690.