Communication (B.A.)

This undergraduate program is offered by the College of Arts and Sciences.

Faculty

Dr. Jamey Piland, Associate Professor of Communication (program chair)
Ms. Sherron Washington, Visiting Instructor of Communication

Description

The Communication Program at Trinity offers valuable insight into how people mutually understand one another and work together through interaction, while providing skills and knowledge necessary to enter and become part of a strong and desirable workforce.

The Program is committed to providing quality instruction in the theoretical bases of human communication and the application of theory within a number of specific contexts. The emphasis of the Program is on interpersonal interaction and human relationships, organizational and institutional communication, public discourse and mass communication. Students choose areas of specialization and specific courses that can lead to professional or pre-professional competence in such fields as journalism, training and development, human resources, foreign service, law, politics and government, human services, social change agencies, labor-management relations, personnel, campaign and press administration, and public health. Undergraduate study in Communication can assist the student in pursuing advanced studies for a variety of careers including law, crisis communication, public policy, sustainability, dispute resolution, applied community development, the ministry, and higher education. Undergraduate students majoring in the Communication Program are encouraged to take course work in other fields and programs; typical areas for minors and double majors in recent years have included: political science, sociology, women’s studies, business, international relation, information technology, and economics.

Students in the Communication Program take advantage of the many internship and field-based opportunities available in Washington, D.C. Recent internships include prestigious organizations such as Voice of America, CBS, ABC, CNN, C-SPAN, Kennedy Center, Strathmore, Washington Nationals, Washington Mystics, as well as local television stations, public relations firms, law firms, lobbying groups, political action committees, and state and federal government.

The Communication Program offers a major and minor to students in the College of Arts and Sciences. The major consists of six required courses, six elective courses, and five courses to be taken as co-requisites. All communication majors are encouraged to minor in programs related to their personal and career interests. The minor in communication consists of six courses.  The Communication Program also offers a comprehensive concentration in Journalism.

Journalism Concentration

The journalism concentration in the Communication Program at Trinity offers students an opportunity to learn and practice the skills necessary to prepare for internships and careers in the field of journalism. Students who choose the journalism concentration will be prepared to work for newspapers and magazines (both print and electronic versions), public relations firms, and book publishing companies.

Students who choose the journalism concentration must take all of the courses necessary to fulfill the requirements for a communication degree as well as take and successfully complete courses in journalism, such as COM 383 Journalism, the introductory journalism course, and COM 395 Advanced Journalism. In addition, students must take the introductory communication class, COM 265 Introduction to Mass Communication, COM 380 The Role of the Media in Society and COM 420 Mass Media Law. Because the field of journalism is today an electronic-based as well as a print-based medium, students in the journalism concentration must also take COM 355 Communication, Technology and Design.

Students interested in graduate study in the field of communication should consult with program faculty and are encouraged to pursue graduate work at Trinity in Strategic Communication and Public Relations.

Major Requirements

Required Courses (27 credits)

ALL of the following courses:
COM 150 Critical Reasoning and Oral Argumentation or PHIL 150 Critical Reasoning and Oral Argumentation
COM 201 Interpersonal Communication
COM 265 Introduction to Mass Communication
COM 290 Public Speaking
COM 383 Journalism
COM 391 Applied Communication: Directed Internship
COM 488 Senior Seminar: Communication

ONE additional course in Statistics
MATH 110 Introduction to Statistics
SSC 255 Statistics for the Social Sciences

ONE course in Research Methods
SSC 350 Interdisciplinary Research Methods

Elective Courses (18 credits)

TWO of the following courses:
COM 250 Public Relations I
COM 305 Minority Images in American Media
COM 306 Visual Communication
COM 370 Publicity and Media Relations
COM 392 Speechwriting
COM 395 Advanced Journalism

TWO of the following courses:
COM 225 Intercultural Communication
COM 360 Small Group Communication
COM 375 Conflict and Communication
COM 388 Gender and Communication

TWO of the following courses:
COM 315 Management Communication
COM 355 Communication, Technology and Design
COM 380 The Role of the Media in Society
COM 385 Organizational Communication
COM 420 Mass Media Law
COM 450 Women In Organizations
COM 465 Integrated Marketing Communication
COM 482 Leadership and Communication

Minor Requirements

Required Courses (18 credits)

BOTH of the following courses:
COM 201 Interpersonal Communication Interpersonal Communication
COM 265 Introduction to Mass Communication Introduction to Mass Communication

FOUR additional communications courses, excluding COM 391 Applied Communication: Directed Internship and COM 488 Senior Seminar: Communication

Program Policies

Advanced Placement:
Credits earned through AP examinations do not fulfill requirements of the communication major or minor.

CLEP Policy:
Credits earned through CLEP examinations do not fulfill requirements of the communication major or minor.

Grades in Major Courses:
Students are required to earn a grade of “C” (2.0) or better in all courses counted to fulfill requirements for the major.

Pass/No Pass:
No course fulfilling major requirements in the communication program may be taken Pass/No Pass, with the exception of COM 391 which is graded Pass/No Pass.

Senior Assessment:
Students will complete a comprehensive assessment in the Senior Seminar. The comprehensive assessment will include the preparation of a communication research project on a topic approved by the professor. Students must earn a grade of “C” or better on this project.

Study Abroad:
Students should take advantage of the many communication related study abroad programs.

TELL Policy:
Students may apply a maximum of 12 credits to major requirements earned through TELL.

Transfer Credits:
Transfer credit will be awarded after appropriate program review and approval.