Program Overview

Communication Major (B.A.)

The purpose of the communication major is to prepare students to engage more knowingly with the communicative patterns, problems, and practices that they will encounter in their personal, professional, and civic lives. This purpose requires that students learn to move beyond commonplace and conventional understandings of "communication" and acquire sophisticated perspectives — workable orientations — for describing, analyzing, reflecting upon, and engaging with those patterns, problems, and practices.

Degree Requirements

• Minimum Credit Requirement: 128 credits
• Minimum Residency Requirement: 32 credits must be taken at UNH
• Minimum GPA: 2.0 required for conferral
• Core Curriculum Required: Discovery & Writing Program Requirements
• Foreign Language Requirement: Yes

Major Requirements

Majors must complete ten courses (40 credits) with a 2.0 overall average in the major. The distribution of required courses for the major is as follows:

Course List

• Select two introductory courses from the following:
  • CMN 455: Introduction to Media Studies
  • CMN 456: Propaganda and Persuasion
  • CMN 457: Introduction to Language and Social Interaction
• Select three 500-level communication analysis courses
• Select four upper-division courses
• Select one elective course at any level

Requirements for Courses

1. Majors must earn a grade of C or better in each introductory course.
2. Students must complete at least one 400-level course before taking their first 500-level course. They must complete a second 400-level course before taking their second and third 500-level course.
3. Students must take at least two of their 500-level courses in different thematic areas corresponding to the 400-level courses.
4. Majors must earn a grade of C- or better in all three analysis courses.
5. CMN 500 Public Speaking and CMN 599 Internship cannot be used to fulfill an analysis course requirement.

Sample Degree Plan

This sample degree plan serves as a general guide; students collaborate with their academic advisor to develop a personalized degree plan to meet their academic goals and program requirements.

Plan of Study Grid

First Year

• Fall:
  • ENGL 401: First-Year Writing (4 credits)
  • CMN 455: Introduction to Media Studies (4 credits)
  • Language Course (4 credits)
  • Discovery Course (4 credits)
  • First Year Seminar (1 credit)
• Spring:
  • Language Course (4 credits)
  • CMN 456: Propaganda and Persuasion (4 credits)
  • Discovery & Inquiry Course (4 credits)
  • Discovery Course (4 credits)

Second Year

• Fall:
  • CMN 457: Introduction to Language and Social Interaction (4 credits)
  • Discovery Course (4 credits)
  • Discovery Course (4 credits)
  • Discovery Course (4 credits)
• Spring:
  • CMN 500-level Course (4 credits)
  • Discovery Course (4 credits)
  • Discovery Course (4 credits)
  • Discovery Course (4 credits)

Third Year

• Fall:
  • CMN 500-level Course (4 credits)
  • Minor/Elective Course (4 credits)
  • Minor/Elective Course (4 credits)
  • Minor/Elective Course (4 credits)
• Spring:
  • CMN 500-level Course (4 credits)
  • Minor/Elective Course (4 credits)
  • Minor/Elective Course (4 credits)
  • Minor/Elective Course (4 credits)

Fourth Year

• Fall:
  • CMN 600-level Course (4 credits)
  • CMN 600-level Course (4 credits)
  • Minor/Elective Course (4 credits)
  • Minor/Elective Course (4 credits)
• Spring:
  • CMN 700-level/Capstone Course (4 credits)
  • CMN 600-level Course (4 credits)
  • Minor/Elective Course (4 credits)
  • Minor/Elective Course (4 credits)

Program Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to describe the Communication discipline and its central questions.

• Explain and synthesize the history of Communication theory.
• Articulate the differences between approaches within the discipline.
• Identify contemporary debates within the field.
• Distinguish Communication scholarship from other areas of study.
• Understand the role of Communication scholarship in society.
• Articulate the relevance of communication in civic life.

Students will be able to think critically about communication processes by applying communication theories and concepts.

• Identify theories, perspectives, principles, and concepts relevant to the discipline.
• Recognize academic writing, identify the work's thesis, explain its method, assess the evidence used, and determine its significance.
• Engage with communicative patterns, processes, problems, and practices.
• Acquire effective frameworks for describing, analyzing, reflecting upon, and engaging with those patterns, processes, problems, and practices.

Prepare students to become thoughtful and proficient communicators.

• Become critical consumers of messages.
• Understand how meanings are constructed by speakers and audiences.
• Evaluate claims and arguments, and to be able to explain how they are grounded.
• Recognize the collaborative construction of meaning and its relation to social change.
• Explore the ways in which various forms of communication constitute, maintain, and transform social life.
• Formulate coherent arguments/theses, provide support for their perspectives, and communicate them clearly and logically.
• Select creative and appropriate modalities and technologies to accomplish communicative goals.
• Adapt messages and coordinate communication with others recognizing the diverse needs.