last modified:2009-08-21 13:18:05
Undergraduate Studies
| Mass Communication Sequences | Speech Communication Sequences | Courses | Undergraduate Resources | PRSSA | SPJ |
Undergraduate Degrees: B.A., B.S.
The Department of Communication offers undergraduate majors in Mass Communication and Speech Communication that lead to Bachelors degrees. Students select a sequence within one of the two major degree programs. Sequences are designed so that graduates have a core emphasis in a particular field of study within communication. There are ten sequences in our undergraduate majors.
There are four sequences in Mass Communication and six sequences in Speech Communication from which students can choose, depending upon their interests and career or graduate school goals.
If you declared a major in Speech or Mass Communication prior to August 1st, 2008, your original major sequence still applies.
Applying to the Undergraduate Program
A student may apply to become a Communication major after first attending an orientation session. After that, a student must formally apply to become a major by filling out the Application for Major Status form and filing that with the Academic Advisor or Receptionist. To be admitted into either of the degree programs, a student must fulfill three requirements:
- A 2.75 GPA in at least 9 credit hours at the University of Utah in either the most recent semester OR cumulatively.
- A grade of C or better in COMM 1270, COMM 1500, or ANY 2000-level or above COMM course, which must be taken at the University of Utah.
- Students new to the Department of Communication (entering freshmen, transfer students, or students who have been at the U of U but are contemplating a major in Communication) must attend a departmental information session.
Check out the Undergraduate Resources page for more information on information sessions, undergraduate advising, coursework, and honors program, as well as helpful downloadable forms.
Transfer Students
Transfer students interested in communication should consult the department's Undergraduate Advising Office. Certain courses may automatically "articulate" if they have been taken at an institution of higher learning in Utah.
"Articulation" means the course contents have been previously reviewed by department faculty and are equivalent to department courses. Courses taken at institutions outside of Utah still may be equivalent, but students wishing to determine equivalence must submit a Petition for Acceptance of Transfer Credit form. Students can substitute articulated or equivalent courses for required courses in the major; however, a student can only apply four courses into the major from other institutions.
Planning Coursework
To graduate with a Bachelors Degree in Communication from the U, you will need to take courses that fulfill 2 sets of requirements:
- General Education Requirements
- Your remaining Gen Ed requirements are listed in your personalized DARS (Degree Audit Report System).
- Find current courses that fulfill your Gen Ed and Bachelor degree requirements. Click on the current semester, then click on Gen Ed & Bachelor Degree Courses. This will give you a listing of all university requirements. Clicking on each requirement will bring up all courses for the semester that fulfill that requirement.
- Communication Major Requirements
- There are two separate sheets of requirements for the Communication major; one for the four Mass Communication sequences, and one for the six Speech Communication sequences.
- A grade of C or better is required in any course counted toward filling a major requirement. Students may repeat a course only once.
- The Communication Course Curriculum Guide provides a listing of ALL courses offered by the Department of Communication, the semester(s) offered, prerequisites, and Gen Ed fulfillment status for future course planning.
Related Links
Undergraduate FAQs - Everything you need to know in a tidy, sortable page.
Advising - Meet with advisors, attend information sessions, and find out what you need to be a Communication major.
Forms - Sequence requirements, course information, graduation checklists, and many other useful downloadable forms.
Internships- There are many exciting hands-on opportunities for Communication majors; find them here!
Scholarships - Apply for scholarships and have the Department help pay your tuition.
Graduation - Learn what you need to do to graduate with a degree in Speech or Mass Communication.
Still have questions? Email an advisor.