Department of Communication

• Admission to the Major
• Degree Requirements
• Recommended Plan of Study

1140 Behavioral Sciences Building (BSB)
312–996–3187
comm@uic.edu
http://www.uic.edu/depts/comm
Administration: Head, Kevin G. Barnhurst
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Patricia Harkin
Academic Advisor: Dace Kezbers, dkezbers@uic.edu

The Department of Communication highlights the processes, effects, and role of communication for creating relationships in human societies. Courses are organized to facilitate the student learning process. The core courses introduce students to fundamental concepts, theories, issues, and research methods in communication, and prepare the student for material to be encountered in advanced-level course work. Core courses address underlying principles that govern communication in a variety of settings, introduce students to general definitions, theory, and applications of communication, and expose students to skills in library research, critical thinking, and argumentative writing and speaking. Subsequent courses are divided into two categories: analysis and research. The analysis courses provide students with an understanding of a variety of frameworks, theories and processes by which to practice and analyze communication. Analysis courses emphasize observation, production and consumption as critical processes with which students continually engage. Research courses emphasize systematic inquiry, which fosters a critical understanding of the ways in which communication creates meaning about the world, and engage students in the research process.

B.A. with a Major in Communication

Admission to the Major

Prior to declaring a major in Communication, students must have the following:

• A minimum of 24 semester hours of courses in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• A cumulative grade point average of 2.50/4.00
• A grade of C or higher in COMM 101—Introduction to Communication

Degree Requirements

To earn a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences degree from UIC, students must complete University, college, and department degree requirements. The Department of Communication degree requirements are outlined below. Students should consult the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for additional degree requirements and college academic policies.

LAS Course Requirements

See Course Requirements in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for a list of courses to meet this requirement.

Major Requirements

^a COMM 201 also fulfills the LAS quantitative reasoning requirement.
^b COMM 301 also fulfills the Writing-in-the-Discipline requirement.
^c No more than 3 hours of COMM 474 and 3 hours of COMM 498 may be applied toward the degree.
^d COMM 494 may fit either category, depending on the offering in a given semester. COMM 454—Psychology of Language does not count toward the major or minor in Communication.

All course work taken to satisfy the communication major must have a grade of C or better. In addition, a minimum GPA of 2.00/4.00 is required in all courses in the major field taken at UIC. This is the LAS policy that applies to all majors.

Electives

Recommended Plan of Study

To view a recommended plan of study for the major in Communication, please visit the LAS Web site http://www.uic.edu/las/college/info/fygp.

Minor in Communication

Students from other disciplines who want to minor in Communication must complete 18 credit hours as outlined below. A grade of C or better must be earned in all courses counting toward the minor.

^a With approval, other social science quantitative reasoning courses may be substituted for the COMM 201 prerequisite.

Distinction

For distinction, the requirements are a cumulative GPA of 3.25/4.00 and a departmental GPA of 3.50/4.00. For high distinction, the requirements are a cumulative GPA of 3.25/4.00, a departmental grade point average of 3.50/4.00, and satisfactory completion of an advanced original research paper under the supervision of a faculty member of the student’s choosing. Refer to the department handbook for procedures and deadlines.