Britt 246
541-552-6423
Jody Waters, Chair

The Department of Communication helps students develop their verbal, nonverbal, and visual communication knowledge and skills through the exploration of human communication, journalism, and media arts.

The Communication: Human Communication degree focuses on the study of how human beings create meaning through the exchange of verbal, nonverbal and mediated messages. Students learn how to competently create and critically consume communication messages in both written and oral forms, and become adept at the skills and underlying theories of such topics as intercultural interactions, small group communication, persuasion, public communication, race and gender, conflict resolution, and interviewing and listening.

The degrees in Communication: Photojournalism; Communication: Journalism; and Communication: Video Production emphasize the current convergence of media practices and applications. The new media workplace demands that media professionals have superior skills and proficiencies in several areas including journalistic practices, digital photography and other visual media, professional video and audio production, and production and dissemination of web content, whether for entertainment or news. Students are trained to craft quality messages and images across disciplines and across media.

The faculty bring a broad range of academic and professional training and accomplishments to the classroom, and the department’s student-centered program emphasizes skill-building, critical thinking, research, and writing.

Students may earn credit for on-campus practical experience with such organizations as the University’s student newspaper, student-run radio station, public radio facilities, community access television, and public relations operations.

Communication majors intern throughout and beyond the immediate region at newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations, social service organizations, government agencies, advertising and public relations firms, and other businesses and organizations.

Academic Credit Policies

Activities, Practica, and Internships

The Department of Communication has adopted the following policies regarding academic credit for human communication activities, internships, and practica. Students should also view additional policies in the information packet available from the human communication practicum administrator. No more than 12 credits of COMM 377 , COMM 409 , and COMM 410  may be applied to the human communication major. Credits accrued in COMM 377 , COMM 409 , and COMM 410  beyond the first 12 will apply toward the 180 credits required for graduation, but not toward the major. No more than 20 credits of COMM 199 , COMM 377 , COMM 401 , COMM 405 , COMM 408 , COMM 409 , and COMM 410  may be applied to the 60-credit minimum for the human communication major. The remaining 40 credits must be earned through completion of formal classroom courses.

Activity Courses

Activity courses involve an on-campus communication activity approved by the Communication Department chair. Such activities include, but are not limited to, working for the University’s student newspaper or radio station, aiding a departmental faculty member as a teaching or research assistant, judging high school or SOU forensics tournaments, working on departmental and University publications, helping with Relationships Week, and serving as a member of the SOU Orientation Team. Activity credits may be earned under COMM 377  orJRN 377A  or JRN 377B . COMM 377 is recommended, but not required, for human communication majors. Students may:

1. register for no more than 4 credits of COMM 377 per term but repeat it in subsequent terms for credit;
2. apply no more than 6 credits of COMM 377 to the human communication major; and
3. register for no more than a total of 12 credits of COMM 377.

COMM 377 credits count toward the 60 communication credits required of human communication majors, but not toward the 28 upper division communication credits required for the major. Activity courses may not be taken for a letter grade without instructor consent.

Practica and Internships

Practicum credits are earned for off-campus communication internships. Students may earn practicum credits by working at radio and television stations, newspapers, or advertising and public relations agencies; volunteering at a variety of social service agencies (e.g., HelpLine, the Rape Crisis Center, and Dunn House); or working with youth organizations, health care facilities, charitable organizations, political campaigns, governmental offices, magazines, chambers of commerce, or arts organizations. Practicum credits may be earned under COMM 409 /COMM 509 , VP 409 , or JRN 409 /JRN 509 . Students may:

1. register for no more than 4 credits of COMM 409 per term, but repeat it in subsequent terms for credit;
2. apply no more than 6 credits of COMM 409 to the human communication major; and
3. register for no more than a total of 15 credits of COMM 409.

COMM 409 credits count toward the 60 communication credits required of human communication majors and also toward the 28 upper division credits required for the major. Practicum courses may not be taken for letter grade without prior instructor approval.

Graduate Study

Graduate students may choose communication as the secondary emphasis in the school area degree (see Graduate Programs). This requires students to have previously finished three of the following courses: COMM 125 , COMM 210 , COMM 225 , COMM 324 . Graduate work must include COMM 560 - Topics in Communication  and two additional graduate courses in communication. Exceptions may be made on rare occasions with the approval of the student’s advisor.

Emerging Media and Digital Arts

Through the departments of Art and Art History and Communication, and the center for Emerging Media & Digital Arts provide interdisciplinary instruction in visual narrative, design, and creation of visuals in a digital age. Students develop fundamental analytical and practical skills in constructing, composing, and evaluating digital media. Emphasis in this area reflects the increasing digitalization of society, as well as the dispersion of multi-mediated, non-linear forms of knowledge in the twenty-first century.  See EMDA for course descriptions.

Program Requirements

Programs

Major

• •  Communication, BA or BS

Option

• •  Human Communication Option, BA or BS
• •  Journalism Option, BA or BS
• •  Photojournalism Option, BA or BS
• •  Video Production Option, BA or BS

Minor

• •  Conflict Resolution Minor
• •  Film Studies Minor
• •  Human Communication Minor
• •  Journalism Minor
• •  Media Studies Minor
• •  Video Production Minor

Certificate

• •  Certificate in Conflict Resolution
• •  Certificate in Management of Human Resources (CMHR)