Program Overview

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Communication Arts, BA

The Communication Arts major offers a liberal arts approach to studying communication. The value of the liberal arts approach is that students not only learn specific skills, they also gain a deep understanding of communication theory, history, research, and criticism. Our students learn to apply communication principles in different contexts and with a variety of different media. As a result, the Communication Arts major prepares students for a wide range of jobs and careers, including those that dont exist yet.

Program Description

Courses in Communication Arts deal with a diverse range of communication-related topics and approach them from a variety of theoretical, practical, and aesthetic perspectives. The curriculum is designed to foster an understanding of communication processes, improve communication and digital literacy skills, and develop the capacity for critical appraisal and reflection.

Named Options

The Communication Arts major has two named options:

• Communication Science and Rhetorical Studies: explore the social, psychological, and practical aspects of communication and human behavior with a focus on public, mass, online, organizational, group, and interpersonal communication.
• RadioTelevisionFilm: explore the history, theory, criticism, cultural uses, and production practices of television, film, radio, and digital media.

Admission Requirements

No application is required. All students who meet the requirements listed below are eligible to declare. For information on how to declare, visit Advising & Careers.

• Courses required to get in: None
• GPA requirements to get in: None
• Credits required to get in: None
• Other: None

Degree Requirements

University General Education Requirements

All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world.

• BreadthHumanities/Literature/Arts: 6 credits
• BreadthNatural Science: 4 to 6 credits, consisting of one 4- or 5-credit course with a laboratory component; or two courses providing a total of 6 credits
• BreadthSocial Studies: 3 credits
• Communication Part A & Part B
• Ethnic Studies
• Quantitative Reasoning Part A & Part B

College of Letters & Science Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Students pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below.

• Mathematics: Complete the University General Education Requirements for Quantitative Reasoning A (QR-A) and Quantitative Reasoning B (QR-B) coursework.
• Language:
  • Complete the fourth unit of a language other than English; OR
  • Complete the third unit of a language and the second unit of an additional language other than English.
• L&S Breadth:
  • 12 credits of Humanities, which must include 6 credits of literature; and
  • 12 credits of Social Science; and
  • 12 credits of Natural Science, which must include one 3+ credit Biological Science course and one 3+ credit Physical Science course.
• Liberal Arts and Science Coursework: Complete at least 108 credits.
• Depth of Intermediate/Advanced work: Complete at least 60 credits at the intermediate or advanced level.
• Major: Declare and complete at least one major.
• Total Credits: Complete at least 120 credits.
• UW-Madison Experience:
  • 30 credits in residence, overall; and
  • 30 credits in residence after the 86th credit.
• Quality of Work:
  • 2.000 in all coursework at UWMadison
  • 2.000 in Intermediate/Advanced level coursework at UWMadison

Requirements for the Major

Communication Arts offers two options within the major:

• Communication Science and Rhetorical Studies
• RadioTelevisionFilm Students declare one of the two options and complete a minimum of 10 courses and at least 30 credits in the major.

Residence and Quality of Work

• Minimum 2.000 GPA in all COM ARTS and major courses
• Minimum 2.000 GPA on at least 15 credits of upper-level work in the COM ARTS major, in residence.
• 15 credits of COM ARTS major courses (200-699) taken on the UW-Madison campus.

Honors in the Major in Communication Arts

Students may apply to pursue Honors in the Communication Arts major in consultation with a Communication Arts undergraduate advisor. To be accepted, students must have:

• Completed the fundamentals course and the two core courses for their declared option and
• Earned a minimum 3.500 GPA in all COM ARTS courses

Honors in the Communication Arts Major Requirements

To earn Honors in the Major in Communication Arts, students must satisfy both the requirements for the major and the following additional requirements:

• Minimum 3.300 University GPA
• Minimum 3.500 GPA for all COM ARTS major courses
• Complete the requirements for the declared major option, to include:
  • All theory, history, criticism courses taken to meet the regular major requirements within the declared option must be numbered 400 or higher.
  • One additional theory, history, criticism course numbered 400 or higher.
  • Three theory, history and criticism courses must be completed on campus.
  • A two-semester senior honors thesis in COM ARTS 681 and COM ARTS 682, for a total of 6 credits.

Learning Outcomes

1. Explain core content in either of the two tracks: Communication Science and Rhetorical Studies or Radio-TV-Film.
2. Analyze communication from theoretical, historical, and critical perspectives.
3. Communicate effectively in writing, orally, or via the creation of media content.
4. Participate in communication practices that support diversity, equity, and inclusion for the historically marginalized.

Career Exploration and Preparation

The Department of Communication Arts encourages students to apply the knowledge and skills they attain through coursework to professional settings. Internships and part-time jobs at television networks, nonprofit organizations, talent agencies, magazines, radio stations, advertising agencies, production companies, government agencies, and other communication-related businesses help students gain work-related experience and explore career options.

Resources and Scholarships

The Department of Communication Arts offers several scholarships, including:

• Scott M. Broetzmann Scholarship in Communication Arts
• Christopher Neal Heinlein Memorial Scholarships
• S. Nelson and Carmella M. Nelson Scholarship
• Charline M. Wackman Awards for Summer Session
• Charline M. Wackman Awards (Fall Term)
• Keith Harris Wyche Memorial Scholarship

The Communication Arts Department and Alumni Summer Internship Fund helps Communication Arts majors participate in internships with businesses or non-profit organizations.