Requirements

Department of Communication

Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements

Communication Major

The communication major is designed to provide broad-based competencies in oral and written communication, critical analysis of human discourse, and social scientific and humanistic research methods. The major also emphasizes how this theoretical knowledge is applied in specific contexts ranging from personal relationships to business management to public advocacy.

1. Major requirements (42 units)
Fundamental communication processes and skills (6 units)
Select two from COMM 3, 4, 5, 6H, 7, 8, 15 (see note 2)

Core competencies (12 units) (see note 6)
COMM 100, 140, 142, 166

Personal and professional communication (18 units)
Select a minimum of two courses in each area

• Personal and relational settings: COMM 108, 120, 150, 161, 162, 164, 169
• Advocacy in public settings: COMM 103, 105, 115 (see note 2), 148, 149, 160, 163
• Organizational and professional settings: COMM 114, 165, 167, 168, 170, 171, 176, 179I, 189

Electives in major (6 units) (see note 2)
Select an additional 6 units of upper-division communication coursework.

2. General Education requirements (49 units) (see note 1)

3. Other requirements (9 units)
American Government and Institutions (PLSI 2), Multicultural and International (MI), and Upper-division writing

4. Sufficient elective units to meet required total units (varies)

5. Total units (120)**

* G.E. and MI courses can be double-counted with major requirements. The writing requirement may be met by taking the upper-division writing exam. See advisor for details. 

Advising Notes

1. The 6 units of COMM 3, 5, 7 and/or 8 may be applied to fulfill General Education Foundation A1 and A3 requirements.
2. No more than 3 units from COMM 15 and 6 units from COMM 115 can count toward fulfillment of the communication major. No more than 3 units from COMM 115 can be applied to the Advocacy in Public Settings Area.
3. CR/NC grading is not permitted in the communication major with the exception of COMM 179I (Internship).
4. No more than 6 units of COMM 179I (Internship) may be applied toward completion of the communication major.
5. Students are allowed only 3 units of COMM 190 and no more than 6 units toward the baccalaureate degree.
6. A grade of C or better is required in COMM 100, 140, 142, and 166 to fulfill the core competencies requirement.

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Faculty

For faculty phone numbers and e-mail, see the campus directory.

For more on the faculty, see the faculty pages.
The faculty pages are updated by the department or program.

Roadmap

Bachelor of Arts in Communication

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Careers

The communication program presents a balance of humanistic and scientific instruction including communication skills people need to function effectively in teaching, business, law, the communication professions, public service, politics and management. Students have an opportunity to explore the full range of human communication.

Recognizing that some careers require extensive knowledge about specific communication practices (in occupations ranging from politics and law to human resources and public relations), while virtually every field demands competence in oral and written communication skills, the Department’s undergraduate program offers degree and certificate options tailored to our students' varying needs.

What You Can Earn

Marketing Communication Specialist
$70,334 (in our region)

Employee Communication Manager
$106,157 (in our region)

Internal Corporate Communication Coordinator, Internal/External Communication Representative (entry-level)
$55,982(in our region)

Speech Writer
$135,450 (in our region)

Source: HR Reported data on salary.com as of February 2021

Interesting Classes You Might Take

• The Dark Side of Close Relationships
• Communication od Science and Technology
• Organizations, Society, and Culture
• Leadership in Groups and Organizations
• Environmental Communication
• Rhetoric of Terrorism
• Critical Communication Pedagogy
• Freedom of Expression
• Rhetoric and Game Studies
• Performance for Social Change

What You Can Learn

• Various theories of interpersonal communication
• The role of culture, race, gender, and other aspects of identity in human communication
• Communication and problem solving in group settings and organizational settings
• The use of persuasion as a social tool for advocacy, resolving controversy, and shaping opinions from the perspectives of both the persuader and the persuaded
• The nature of communication and its relationship to learning and instruction

About the College

The College of Arts and Humanities provides a diverse student population with the communication skills, humanistic values and cultural awareness that form the foundation of scholarship. The college offers intellectual and artistic programs that engage students and faculty and the community in collaboration, dialog and discovery. These programs help preserve, illuminate and nourish the arts and humanities for the campus and for the wider community.

College Contact Information

College of Arts & Humanities
Office of the Dean
2380 E. Keats MS/MB99
Fresno CA 93740-8024

(559) 278-3056
FAX: (559) 278-6758
Email

Where We Are Located

We are located in the west wing of the Music Building in Room 186.

Department Contact Information

Department of Communication
5201 North Maple Ave, M/S SA 46
Fresno, CA 93740-8027

Office Location: Speech Arts 15

Phone: 559.278.2826
FAX: 559.278.4113