Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies

Ashley CoxPictured | Ashley Cox | Communication Studies, Journalism / Minor in Graphic Design | Mooresville, Indiana (hometown)
Club Affiliations | Preface staff, IU South Bend Softball Team


Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies

The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Communication Studies prepares students for a wide variety of careers including advertising, business, sales, communication consulting, training and development, human resources, politics, government, health fields, and other careers that focus on problem-solving interactions, management, and human relations.

Concentrations Offered
  • Interpersonal Communication
  • Journalism
  • Media, Culture, and Society
  • Organizational Communication
  • Public Relations 

Academic Advising

The Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts policy on advising requires that students meet with their academic advisors each semester prior to registration. Advising holds are placed on all Communication Studies students prior to advance registration and are released following advising appointments. Additionally, students may have a secondary advisor if they have also declared a minor outside of the department. Students can verify their assigned advisor in the student center at One.IU.


Degree Requirements (120 cr.)

Degree Map >>

Students receiving the Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies degree must complete 120 total credit hours including:


  • A minimum of 30 credit hours at the 300– or 400–level.
  • Courses required for the major must be completed with a grade of C or higher.
  • A minimum CGPA of 2.0 is required.
  • All courses are 3 credit hours, unless otherwise noted.

Communication Core (18 cr.)
  • JOUR-C 200 Introduction to Mass Communication
  • JOUR-J 200 Reporting, Writing and Editing I
  • SPCH-C 393 Communication Research Methods
  • SPCH-S 205 Introduction to Speech Communication
  • SPCH-S 223 Business and Professional Communication
  • SPCH-S 405 Human Communication Theory

Capstone Experience (3 credits)

Each student will complete a capstone experience, either through a senior comprehensive class or an internship.

  • JOUR-J 492 Media Internship; OR
    SPCH-S 400 Senior Seminar in Speech; OR
    SPCH-S 490 Professional Practical Internship

Concentration Requirements >>

Academic Bulletins

PDF Version

2020-2021 Campus Bulletin
2019-2020 Campus Bulletin
2018-2019 Campus Bulletin
2017-2018 Campus Bulletin
2016-2017 Campus Bulletin
2015-2016 Campus Bulletin
2014-2015 Campus Bulletin

Please be aware that the PDF is formatted from the webpages; some pages may be out of order.