Communication

Communication | Courses | Faculty

407 Machmer Hall

Degree: Bachelor of Arts

Contact: April M. Tidlund
Office: 407 Machmer
Phone: 545-3539
Website: www.umass.edu/communication/

Chairperson of Department: Professor Jan Servaes. Professors Carbaugh, Cooks, Cronen, Hanson, Jhally, Morgan, Norden; Associate Professors Bailey, Castañeda, Chakravartty, Chang, Ciecko, Geddes, Henderson, Scharrer; Assistant Professors Fuentes-Bautista, Gencarella, Romantan, Shabazz, Shimpach, West; Lecturers Geisler, Phillips; Adjunct Professors Byg, Portuges.

The Field

Majors focus on the role of communication in society, learning new ways of thinking about communication as they explore everything from family communication to new media technologies. Students develop critical and analytical skills for understanding the role of communication in their own lives and in the larger society.
The goals are analytical: to understand how communication processes work, whether in an argument between friends, in a political speech, in misunderstandings between people from different cultures, or in how a television program may affect children. Emphasis is on theory, methods of inquiry, and critical thinking on a variety of topics, including the technologies of communication and the nature of social institutions, communication and the constitution of social identities and relationships, communication and cultural politics, intercultural and global communication, film history and theory, mass media effects, and regulations affecting communication technologies.

The Major

Unlike most college-level communication programs, the curriculum is neither technical nor skills-based. No courses are offered in applied industry training such as advertising, public relations or broadcasting, and only one course in public speaking is offered. Students can count only two courses in TV/film production toward major requirements. Students are very successful at gaining such applied training and skills through internships or various extracurricular campus experiences, e.g., working at the campus TV station, radio station or newspaper.

Because of the popularity of the major, 100- and 200-level classes aimed at freshmen and sophomores are generally large lecture classes. Upper-level (300- and 400-level) classes typically range from 20 to 40 plus students and are usually restricted to juniors and seniors who have been formally admitted to the major.
For further information about the Communication major and department, visit the undergraduate portion of the departmental website at www.umass.edu/communication.

Admission to the Major

Admission to the undergraduate major is restricted. Although many first-year and transfer students are admitted directly into the Communication major when they are admitted to the university, the major is restricted for students already on campus.
Students who are not directly admitted may apply to the major during the semester in which they complete the following three courses:
1. COMM 118 Introduction to Interpersonal Communication
2. COMM 121 Introduction to Media and Culture
3. One analytical reasoning course, i.e., a General Education R2 course.
Enrollment in these courses is limited. No action will be taken on an application until grades have been received for these three courses.
Students not directly admitted to the major must complete and submit a written application provided by the Department of Communication. The application includes 1) an up-to-date, unofficial transcript that includes the grades received in the three predictor courses, above, and 2) one to three written statements on the student’s academic interests and record, career goals, and reasons for wishing to become a Communication major. Forms are available from Machmer 407.
The evaluation of the application is based primarily on: 1) performance in Communication courses, 2) overall academic record, and 3) the written statement(s). For the 2008-09 academic year, it is projected that students with GPAs above 2.900 in University of Massachusetts Amherst Communication classes and above 2.700 overall in UMass Amherst classes will be guaranteed admission but that a number of students with GPAs below these thresholds will also be admitted. Applications with an overall UMass Amherst GPA or UMass Communication GPA below these thresholds are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Major Requirements

Students majoring in Communication must complete at least 12 courses (36 credits) in Communication.

1. All three of the following (9 credits):
118 Introduction to Interpersonal Communication
121 Introduction to Media and Culture
375 Writing About Communication (fulfills Junior Year Writing requirement)

2. At least one course (3 credits) from the following:
212 Cultural Codes in Communication
263 Introduction to Argumentation and Debate
265 Democracy and Discourse
297M Communicating Gender
297Z Performance and Social Theory
310 Persuasion Theory
318 Comparative Communication Theory
352 Group Dynamics
366 Approaches to Rhetorical Criticism
397F Myth, Ritual and Performance
397I Communication, Culture and Social Identity
494S Conflict/Mediation
495K Rhetorical Criticism
497E Advanced Interpersonal Communication

3. At least one course (3 credits) from the following:
222 Media Programming and Institutions
226 Social Impact of Mass Media
240 Modes of Film Communication
287 Advertising as Social Communication
297E Special Topic—Popular Culture and Cultural Studies
397T Special Topic—Contemporary World Cinema

4. Seven additional courses (21 credits minimum). At least 15 credits (five courses, including 375) of the total 36 credits for the major must be at the 300 level or above, and must include at least three credits from courses numbered at the 400 level or above.

Each semester a number of Special Topics (COMM 297, 397, 497, or 597) and Seminar (COMM 491, 492, 493, 494, 495, 591, 592, 593, 594, or 595) courses may also be used as electives.

Please note the following restrictions:

1. All major courses must be taken for a letter grade, not Pass/Fail.

2. Only three credits of COMM 396 Independent Study may be used within the 36 credits of departmental requirements.

3. General practicum (UMASS 298Y) credits given for internships may not be counted toward the major.

4. Seven additional courses (21 credits minimum). Of the total 36 credits for the major, 15 credits (five COMM courses) must be taken at the 300 and 400 level. Students must successfully complete four 300-level or above COMM courses, including COMM 375. In addition, at least one COMM course must be taken at the 400 level or above.

5. A minimum GPA of 2.000 in the major is required for graduation.

6. Only 6 credits of production courses may be applied toward the 36-credit department requirement.

Internships and International Exchanges

Internships are optional, supervised apprenticeships that serve as introduction to many types of organizations and professional work. They can provide applied, hands-on experiences that complement the theoretical orientation of the undergraduate curriculum. In many cases, they provide experiences and connections that help students find jobs after graduation.

Communication majors are encouraged to study abroad, and over 40 majors do so each year. Many such students report the experience to be life-changing.

Career Opportunities

The B.A. in Communication is a liberal arts degree, preparing students for any career that calls for higher literacy skills, analytical reasoning, and critical thinking. The Communication major helps prepare many students for work as communication specialists in industry; local, state, and federal government agencies; educational institutions; research organizations; and political organizations. Specific positions in such organizations can include: production, sales, and programming positions for radio and television stations; media and communication advisers for political campaigns, intercultural organizations, labor unions, and government agencies; and communication consultants for personnel management, advertising, and sales organizations.

Surveys of Communication alumni indicate that about 30 percent of graduates work in print, film, and broadcast communication industries; about 45 percent work in government, non-profit or business-related occupations, such as advertising, public relations, sales, financial or social services, and administration; and about 20 percent go on to graduate study, professional schools or teaching.

Communication | Courses | Faculty