Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies
Program Overview
Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies
The Communication Studies program provides a flexible degree aimed at helping graduates become skilled communicators who are experts in achieving individual, group, and societal goals across varied contexts. Our degree program focuses on equipping students with in-demand skills such as problem-solving, leadership and collaboration, critical thinking, and communicating with diverse audiences.
About
Because of the broad range of skills students develop, a degree in communication equips students to succeed in many different careers. Communication graduates are often employed in fields such as business and human resources, social media and emerging technology, government, non-profits, and advocacy, training and development, relationship coaching and mediation, and advanced educational opportunities in law, counseling, education, among others.
Learning Outcomes
All courses offered in the Department will focus on helping students attain the following learning outcomes, knowledge, skills, and competencies. After attaining a B.A. in Communication Studies at UNLV, students will be able to:
- Describe the Communication discipline and its central questions.
- Engage in Communication inquiry, research, analysis, and evaluation.
- Utilize Communication skills and principles to interact with others and their messages effectively and ethically.
- Apply research-based arguments and advocacy skills to influence real-world problems.
- Prepare and deliver messages that are appropriate to the audience, purpose, and context, in order to accomplish communicative goals such as sharing information, completing tasks, and solving problems.
- Use communication to embrace difference, understand multiple perspectives, and function effectively in diverse groups.
Career Possibilities
Students with Communication Studies degrees are prepared to follow a wide range of career paths. Careers include, but are not limited to:
- Advertising
- Communication Education
- Health Communication
- Marketing
- Organizational Communication
- Political Communication
- Public Relations
- Risk and Crisis Communication
Advertising
Positions include advertising or marketing specialist, copy writer, account executive, sales manager, media planner, media buyer, creative director, media sales representative, and public opinion researcher.
Communication Education
Specific employment opportunities include language arts coordinator, forensic/debate coach, high school speech teacher, college or university instructor.
Health Communication
Undergraduate degree recipients nationally are employed as health educators, school health care administrators, medical grants writers, hospital directors of communication, clinic public relations directors, health communication and research analysts, communication managers for federal health care agencies, health personnel educators, medical center publications editors, hospice managers, health care counselors, marketing directors, and health facilities fundraisers.
Marketing
Positions include business and marketing specialist, public relations and advertising manager, sales and marketing manager, media manager, and public opinion researcher.
Organizational Communication
Graduates may work in human resources, training and development, internal communication, meeting management, organizational development, corporate consulting, labor-management negotiation, technical writing, community affairs, or government and public affairs.
Political Communication
Positions include press secretary, speech writer, campaign consultant, elected official, political reporter, diplomat, lobbyist, lawyer, legislative assistant, or communication director.
Public Relations
Graduates have worked in public relations offices of nonprofit organizations, corporations and businesses, and communication agencies. They have served in media planning and analysis, corporate communication, publicity offices, marketing departments, fundraising, membership departments, sales, community relations, internal communication, and public opinion research.
Risk and Crisis Communication
Positions include corporate trainer, corporate spokesperson, public relations officer, communication consultant, or spokesperson for federal government agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or Food and Drug Administration.
Requirements
The Communication Studies (BA) equips students with the essential skills to harness the power of communication for developing and maintaining interpersonal relationships, facilitating effective communication in corporations and businesses, and advocating for societal issues. Throughout their degree program, students will participate in hands-on courses focused on real-world challenges, gaining skills that are directly applicable to their personal and professional lives.
Communication Studies (BA) Degree Requirements - Total Credits: 120
General Education Requirements - Credits: 36-47
Students are encouraged, but not required, to complete General Education requirements with courses offered by the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs.
First-Year Seminar - Credits: 2-3
English Composition - Credits: 6
- ENG 101 - Composition I
- ENG 102 - Composition II
Second-Year Seminar - Credits: 3
- GSC 300 - Second-Year Seminar: Civic Engagement in Urban Communities
Constitutions - Credits: 3-6
Mathematics - Credits: 3
- MATH 120 - Fundamentals of College Mathematics or higher
Distribution Requirements - Credits: 19-20
- Humanities and Fine Arts - Credits: 0 (Automatically satisfied with the major)
- Social Sciences - Credits: 9 (Complete 3 courses in 3 different areas of study)
- Life and Physical Sciences and Analytical Thinking - Credits: 10-11 (Complete all of the following: one science course with lab, one science course with or without lab, one analytical thinking course)
Multicultural and International: Credits: 0-6
These courses may overlap with general education and major requirements. A single course may not meet the multicultural and international requirements simultaneously.
Multicultural
- COM 133 - Culture and Communication (This course is encouraged, as it will satisfy both Multicultural and major requirements)
International
- COM 412 - Intercultural Communication (This course is encouraged, as it will satisfy both International and major requirements)
Major Degree Requirements - BA in Communication Studies - Credits: 39-42
Must earn a C- in all communication courses.
Core Course Requirements
- Choose one from the following two courses:
- COM 101 - Public Speaking
- HON 101 - Honors Public Speaking
- and
- COM 102 - Introduction to Interpersonal Communication
- Choose one:
- COM 104 - Critical Thinking in Public Argument
- COM 217 - Argumentation and Debate
- Choose one:
- COM 133 - Culture and Communication (Also satisfies Multicultural General Education requirement)
- COM 412 - Intercultural Communication
- Choose one:
- COM 211 - Introduction to Rhetorical Research
- COM 212 - Introduction to Communication Research
- COM 216 - Survey of Communication Studies (Satisfies Milestone Experience)
- Choose one:
- COM 400 - Human Communication Theory
- COM 409 - The Rhetorical Tradition
- Choose one (See Note 3):
- COM 494 - Communication Studies Capstone
- COM 499 - Internship
Communication Studies Electives - Credits: 18
At least 12 credits must be upper-division (300 or 400-level) COM courses. May include HON seminars taught by COM faculty.
General Electives - Credits: 31-45
Students are required to earn a total of 120 credits to complete their degree. Of those credits, 42 must be from upper-division courses (300 - 400 level). In addition, 30 upper-division credits must be completed at UNLV to be eligible for graduation. Consult with your advisor to ensure all degree requirements are met.
Total Credits: 120
Notes
- GSC 300 is a required course for all GCUA students and can also satisfy SYS.
- Must complete 42 upper division (300-400) level credits.
- Must complete 30 upper division (300-400) level credits at UNLV in residence.
- A maximum of four (4) credits of PEX activity courses may apply to the Communication Studies B.A. degree.
- COM 216 is a Milestone Experience course for Communication Studies B.A.
- COM 496, COM 497, and COM 498 are Culminating Experience courses for Communication Studies B.A.