Program Overview

Communication, BA: Culture & Society

General Communication Degree Description

Communication is an interdisciplinary field that draws from the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. The undergraduate Communication program focuses on the theoretical, critical, and empirical examination of fundamental communication systems, institutions, processes, and effects. Communication majors gain deep insight into how communication shapes our individual and collective social, political, economic, and cultural lives; both historical and contemporary, local and global. Our majors learn and employ a range of theories and research methods, including quantitative approaches such as survey research, experiments, content analysis, and computational science; and qualitative approaches such as historical, textual and discourse analysis, focus groups, and ethnographic fieldwork. In doing so, they produce scholarship that is rigorous, relevant, and multi-modal.

The major in Communication is granted by the College of Arts and Sciences, but the 14-credit major curriculum is designed, administered, and taught by the Annenberg School for Communication.

Majors may complete an optional concentration. Effective Fall 2020, Communication concentrations are as follows: Advocacy & Activism; Audiences & Persuasion; Culture & Society; Data & Network Science; and Politics & Policy. Alternatively, students may also choose to enroll in the Communication and Public Service (ComPS) program. Students interested in pursuing one of these concentrations or ComPS should make an appointment to meet with a member of the Communication Undergraduate Advising Team.

Culture & Society

Courses in this concentration explore the complex relationships between communication and cultural practices. Through this concentration students will gain an understanding of the ways in which communication is central to the construction, maintenance, and transmission of culture, as well as to cultural resistance and change. Sample courses include: Social Media and the Self; Media, Culture, and Society in Contemporary China; Masculinity and Media; Critical Perspectives in Journalism; Ritual Communication; and Global Media Industries.

Requirements

• Completion of at least two of the following introductory core survey courses:
  • COMM 1230: Critical Approaches to Popular Culture
  • COMM 1250: Introduction to Communication Behavior
  • COMM 1300: Media Industries and Society
• Completion of a third Communication course.
• Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher in all University of Pennsylvania courses.

Course Requirements

• Foundational Approaches + Sectors + Free Electives: 20
• Major Requirements:
  • Introductory Core Survey Courses: Select two of the following:
    • COMM 1230: Critical Approaches to Popular Culture
    • COMM 1250: Introduction to Communication Behavior
    • COMM 1300: Media Industries and Society
  • Research Methods Course: Select one:
    • COMM 2100: Research Methods in Communication
    • Or, Research Methods course from an approved list.
  • Concentration - Culture & Society:
    • COMM concentration specific courses - Intermediate: 1
    • COMM concentration specific courses - Advanced: 2
    • COMM Electives - Intermediate: 3
    • COMM Electives - Advanced: 2
    • Approved Non-COMM Electives: 3
• Total Course Units: 34

Honors

A thesis project is completed over two semesters during the senior year. 1 CU is earned in each semester. Students who achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher and earn an A- or higher on their project will graduate with honors.

Notes

• The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2025 and later.
• Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.