Schools

School of Arts and Letters

Communication - Speech (Bachelor of Arts)

Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Communication Studies is to produce student learning and to advance knowledge about human communication from both a humanistic and social scientific perspective. The Department will provide a challenging, innovative, and supportive environment that will facilitate students’ intellectual growth. This includes students’ communication (both oral and written), research, and critical thinking skills across an array of contexts. The Department will serve the university, the community, and the discipline.

Student Learning Goals     

  1. Students will communicate effectively in speaking and writing. They will become proficient delivering public presentations, working in group situations, and interacting interpersonally.  Students will also learn to write effectively for a variety of purposes and audiences.            
  2. Students will think logically and critically. Communication Studies students should be proficient in the following: developing problem-solving approaches, conducting research, analyzing evidence and sources of evidence, distinguishing between sound and fallacious reasoning, and analyzing and evaluating texts and messages.
  3. Students will possess an in-depth knowledge of the field of communication studies. This will include major theoretical foundations in communication, advertising, or theatre. Students will also be able to utilize such information in practical applications of the theories and concepts.
  4. Students will function effectively in a culturally diverse community and a global society.

Major/Department Policies

The following policies apply to the tracks in Communication and Advertising.

  • GPA: A student must have a Grade Point Average of 2.0 or higher to graduate.  Additionally, students must have a GPA of 2.3 to enroll in SPCH-S 246 (Rhetorical Skills), the threshold course for the department.  All core courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher.
  • Graduation Requirements: Students must complete all General Education and Bachelor of Arts requirements.  For a major in Communication Studies, students must complete all courses listed in the program's degree plan.  In total, students must have completed with a C or higher 39 hours of Communication Studies courses, or courses in other departments approved by Communication Studies and listed on the degree plan. To earn a major in Communication Studies, students must take a minimum of 21 hours within the Department.  Further, the Department also must approve all transfer credits into the major.
  • Transfer credits (Resident, Transfer, and Returning Students): Students who originally enrolled at IU Southeast, who have completed the requirements for admission into the Communication Studies program, and who have been continuously enrolled at IU Southeast (no more than three consecutive semesters without enrolling at IUS) are considered resident students. A student transferring from another university, or changes majors within IU Southeast, will be considered a resident student and will be covered by resident student guidelines.  Students who have not enrolled at IU Southeast for four or more consecutive semesters are considered returning students. 
  • Policies for Accepting Transfer Credit:  Department of Communication Studies policy for those transferring core courses:
    • Transfer credit for SPCH-S 246 is dependent upon reasonable evidence of competence in writing and speaking. This should include both an example of academic writing that is substantially similar to requirements for successfully completing the written portion of SPCH-S 246. Evidence will also include either a video-taped or live performance of a persuasive speech that is substantially similar to the requirements for completing the speaking portion of SPCH-S 246. Whether or not a paper or speech is considered "substantially similar" will be determined by the faculty of the Communication Studies Department.
    • The student must meet a minimum Grade Point Average of 2.3 for admission to the Communication Studies Department.
    • Prerequisites for core courses must be met (either by completing the course[s] at IU Southeast or through transfer credit from another university) before a student may enroll in the core course.
    • All of the core courses must be completed either by taking the appropriate course, or through substitution via a comparable course transferred from another institution or department.
    • The authority to decide which, if any, courses will be accepted for transfer credit will rest with the student's advisor (with the consent of the faculty of the Communication Studies Department). The student's advisor may require a syllabus or some other evidence of a course's suitability for transfer credit before a decision is made.
    • Transfer students must also meet the distribution and graduation requirements as they appear in the IU Southeast Bulletin.
  • Returning Students: Returning students must meet the distribution and major requirements as outlined in the IU Southeast Bulletin for the term in which they re-enroll.  Core courses completed more than five years prior to re-enrollment will be accepted for credit on a case by case basis to be determined by the Department of Communication Studies faculty.  All students (resident, transfer, and returning) must meet the B.A. requirements for distribution and major courses outlined in the IU Southeast Bulletin.
  • University policies: Students must adhere to all university policies and rules as described in the IU Southeast Bulletin in effect when a student enrolls in the university.
  • Internships: To register for an internship in the communication area, a student must meet the following requirements:
    • The student must be of junior or senior standing.
    • The student must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) and must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 in the Communication Studies area.
    •  The student must have taken at least three, 3-credit hour courses at the 200-level or above, in communication studies or telecommunications.  At least two of the courses must be core courses.
    • Students with Communication Studies majors will have priority over other students when selecting internships with advisors from the Communication Studies faculty.
    • The student must have taken at least one course with the professor he/she chooses as the faculty advisor for the internship.  The faculty member must consent to serving as the advisor for the student.
    • Only 6 hours of COAS-S 399 credit can apply toward the Communication Studies major.  These internship hours will be graded; they cannot apply toward the major if taken on an S/F basis.  Any COAS-S 399 courses taken in addition to the 6 hours can only be applied to general electives, not the Communication Studies major.
    • Internships descriptions must be approved by the Communication Studies faculty to assure that the proposed internship is worthy of credit toward a Communication Studies major.
    • If a student wishes to serve two internships with the same company, it must be verified that the experiences in the second internship experience will be significantly different and pose different challenges than those in the first internship.
  • Requirements for Fulfilling COAS-S 399:
  • The student must meet with his/her advisor at midterm and again at the end of the internship.
  • The final evaluation made by the faculty advisor will be based on the following:
    • A weekly log prepared by the intern. The intern will record the activities of the week and his/her responses and reactions to those activities.
    • Employer evaluations
    • Sample materials: Letters, projects, etc. prepared by the student in the internship experience.
    • Final paper - The intern will prepare an 8-10 page final paper with proper documentation. In this paper, the student will relate internship experiences to topics and theories discussed in Communication Studies coursework.

Scholarships/Awards

Outstanding Communication Student; Outstanding Advertising Student

Degree Requirements

Degree Program Admission Requirements

The following requirements apply to students pursuing the Communication track.

Dept.

Course Number

Title

Credit Hours

Minimum Grade

Co-Reqs or Pre-reqs

SPCH-S

121

Public Speaking

3

C

ENG-W 131

SPCH-S

122

Interpersonal Communication

3

C

See “General Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees at IU Southeast” and “General Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree.”

General Education Component

Note: This is not a re-statement of the University’s General Education Requirement but a list of specific General Education courses which are also requirements or pre-requisites for course work in the school/major.

Dept.

Course Number

Title

Credit Hours

Minimum Grade

Co-Reqs or Pre-reqs

SPCH-S

121

Public Speaking

3

C

ENG-W 131

SPCH-S

122

Interpersonal Communication

3

C

SPCH-S

228

Argumentation and Debate

3

C

Sophomore standing; SPCH-S 121

Common Requirements/Core Program

 Dept.

Course Number

Title

Credit Hours

Minimum Grade

Co-Reqs or Pre-reqs

SPCH-S

210

Survey of Communication Studies

1

C

SPCH-S

228

Argumentation and Debate

3

C

Sophomore standing; SPCH-S 121

SPCH-S

229

Discussion and Group Methods

3

C

Sophomore standing; SPCH-S 121 

SPCH-S

246

Rhetorical Skills

3

C

SPCH-S 121, SPCH-S 122; 2.3 GPA; ENG-W 131 (completed with a grade of C or better), and 30 credit hours

SPCH-S

324

Persuasion

3

C

Junior standing; SPCH-S 246

SPCH-S 

400

Senior Seminar

 2 

C

SPCH-S 246; SPCH-S 210: Senior standing 

SPCH-S

405

Human Communication Theory

3

C

Senior standing; SPCH-S 246; SPCH-S 210

SPCH-S

424

Empirical Research in Speech Communication

3

C

Junior or senior standing; SPCH-S 246; MATH-M 118 or MATH-A118, completed with a letter grade of C or better

Students must complete one (1) Diversity course within the major. The course taken to fulfill the requirement will not also count as one of the five electives within the major. Choose from the following:

Major Specific Requirements 

Dept.

Course Number

Title

Credit Hours

Minimum Grade

Co-Reqs or Pre-reqs

CMCL-C

202

Media in the Global Context

3

C

SPCH-S

308

Family Communication

3

C

Junior standing; SPCH-S 122

SPCH-S

421

Rhetorical Criticism

3

C

Junior standing; SPCH-S246

SPCH-S

427

Cross-Cultural Communication

3

 C

Sophomore standing

SPCH-S

450

Gender and Communication

3

 C

Junior standing; SPCH-S 122

Select 15 credit hours from the classes below - or classes approved by the communication studies faculty from related disciplines. 

Electives

Dept.

Course Number

Title

Credit Hours

Minimum Grade

Co-Reqs or Pre-reqs

SPCH-C

205

Oral Interpretation

3

C

Sophomore standing; SPCH-S 121 or THTR-T120

SPCH-S

223

Business and Professional Communication

3

C

Sophomore standing; SPCH-S 121, SPCH-S 122, or consent of instructor

SPCH-S

306

Leadership

3

C

Junior standing; SPCH-S 121

SPCH-S

307

Crisis Management

3

C

Junior standing; SPCH-S 121 (completed with a grade of C or better)

SPCH-S

308

Family Communication

3

C

Junior standing; SPCH-S 122

SPCH-S

322

Advanced Interpersonal Communication

3

C

Junior standing; SPCH-S 122

SPCH-S

325

Voice and Diction

3

C

Sophomore standing; SPCH-S 121 or THTR-T 120

SPCH-C

325

Interviewing Principles and Practices

3

C

Sophomore standing

SPCH-S

333

Public Relations

3

 C

Junior standing; SPCH-S 121

SPCH-S

336

Current Topics in Communication

3

C

SPCH-S

353

Advanced Public Speaking

3

C

Sophomore standing; SPCH-S 121

SPCH-S

380

Nonverbal Communication

3

C

Junior standing; SPCH-S 122

SPCH-S

398

Independent Study

3

C

Junior standing; consent of instructor

COAS-S

399

Internship

3

C

SPCH-S

407

Historical Development of Rhetorical Theory

3

C

Junior standing; SPCH-S 246

SPCH-S

421

Rhetorical Criticism

3

C

Junior standing; SPCH-S 246

SPCH-S

427

Cross-Cultural Communication

3

C

Sophomore standing

SPCH-S

440

Organizational Communication

3

C

Junior standing; SPCH-S 246

SPCH-S

450

Gender and Communication

3

 C

Junior standing; SPCH-S 122

Capstone

Dept.

Course Number

Title

Credit Hours

Minimum Grade

Co-Reqs or Pre-reqs

SPCH-S

400

Senior Seminar

  2

   C

Senior standing; SPCH-S 210; SPCH-S 246

Academic Bulletins

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