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 traditional communication, organizational communication, strategic communication, 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.

• 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), a required course for the traditional and organizational tracks. Those majoring or minoring in any of the three tracks must pass all core courses with a grade of C or higher, including prerequisites that are required for any given course.
• 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 all required 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 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 who transfers 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. 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 core courses must be completed either by taking the appropriate course, or through substitution of 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 consent of the faculty of the Communication Studies Department. The student may be required to produce 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 semester in which they re-enroll.   Core courses completed more than five year prior to re-enrollment will be accepted for credit on a case by case basis 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 G.P.A. of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) and must have a minimum G.P.A. of 2.5 in the Communication Studies area.
  • The student must have taken at least three, 3-credit core courses at the 200- level or above, in SPCH, CMCL, or TEL prefixed courses in their track within the major.
  • Students with Communication Studies majors will have priority over other students when selecting internships with advisors from the Communication Studies faculty.
  • It is recommended that a student will 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 electives in any of the 3 tracks. 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 electives in a specific track.
  • Internship 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 5-6 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 Studies Student

Degree Program Admission Requirements

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

Major Specific General Education Requirements
The following courses not only satisfy a General Education Requirement (indicated in parentheses) but are also specific requirements for the Strategic Communication Track.

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

Major Specific Requirements - All Strategic Communication students complete all courses below.