Pictured | Reagan Ayala | Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, Public Relations and Strategic Communication | South Bend, Indiana (hometown)
Campus Involvement | First Year Seminar Peer Mentor; Admissions Tour Guide; Gateway; Titan Success Center
Club Affiliation | Queer Straight Alliance (president); Team Titan Go!
Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies
A degree in Communication Studies is inherently valuable. Communication permeates all aspects of society and understanding its function across and within a variety of contexts plays a fundamental role in the creation and transference of meaning. According to the website of the National Communication Association, communication majors add value to professional contexts, secure jobs by bringing desired skills into the marketplace, and drive positive change through applied ethics and a dedication to civic engagement.
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Communication Studies will prepare 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
- Journalism and Digital Media
- Public Relations and Strategic Communication
- Relational Communication and Social Interaction
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:
- IU South Bend Campuswide General Education Curriculum to include Visual Literacy (33 cr.)
- Diversity Requirement (6 cr.)
- Communication Core (27 cr.)
- Concentration (21 cr.)
- Capstone Experience (3 cr.)
- Required Minor (15 cr.)
- Free Electives (balance of credits needed to equal 120 cr. requirement)
- 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 GPA of 2.0 is required.
- All courses are 3 credit hours, unless otherwise noted.
Communication Core (27 cr.)
- COMM-C 200 Introduction to Mass Communications
- JOUR-J 200 Reporting, Writing and Editing I
- JOUR-J 410 Media as Social Institutions
- SPCH-C 393 Communication Research Methods
- SPCH-S 122 Interpersonal Communication
- SPCH-S 205 Introduction to Speech Communication
- SPCH-S 223 Business and Professional Communication
- SPCH-S 334 Computer-Mediated Communication
- SPCH-S 405 Human Communication Theory
Diversity Requirement (6 cr.)
Select two from the following:
- JOUR-J 475 Race, Gender, and the Media
- SPCH-S 427 Cross-Cultural Communication
- SPCH-S 450 Gender and Communication
- TEL-T 313 Comparative Media Systems
- Study abroad opportunity (in consultation with an advisor)
- World Language course (in consultation with an advisor)
Capstone Experience (3 cr.)
Each student will complete a capstone experience, either through a senior comprehensive class or an internship.
Select one from the following
- JOUR-J 492 Media Internship; OR
SPCH-S 400 Senior Seminar in Speech; OR
SPCH-S 490 Senior Seminar in Speech