Program Overview

Introduction to the IU School of Liberal Arts

The IU School of Liberal Arts offers a comprehensive education in the liberal arts, with a focus on critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication. The school provides a foundation for students to pursue careers in a variety of fields, including public relations, sales, marketing, video or film production, corporate media production, training and development, human resources, public affairs, consulting, and special events planning.

Bachelor's Degree Programs

The IU School of Liberal Arts offers a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Communication Studies. The Communication Studies curriculum provides a foundation for students interested in pursuing careers that apply communication principles.

Communication Studies Major

The Communication Studies major assists students in enhancing competencies such as critical inquiry, problem-solving, media and message design, oral performance, relational interaction, and cultural communication. The curriculum prepares students for graduate work in various areas, including communication, informatics, humanities, or social sciences, or in professional programs such as law, business, health, and social work.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students graduating with a BA in Communication Studies will be able to:

• Describe the Communication discipline and its central questions
• Employ communication theories, perspectives, principles, and concepts
• Engage in communication inquiry
• Create messages appropriate to the audience, purpose, and context
• Critically analyze messages
• Demonstrate the ability to accomplish communicative goals (self-efficacy)
• Apply ethical communication principles and practices
• Utilize communication to embrace difference
• Influence public discourse
• Apply skills and knowledge needed to collaborate with others

Degree Requirements

The Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Communication Studies requires:

• A minimum of 120 credit hours
• A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C)
• A minimum of 30 credit hours must be completed after formal admission to IU Indianapolis
• A minimum of 21 credit hours of major coursework must be completed in residence in the IU School of Liberal Arts at IU Indianapolis
• No more than 12 credits may be transferred into the major
• A minimum grade of C (2.0) is required in each major course

IU Indianapolis General Education Core

The IU Indianapolis General Education Core requires:

• Core Communication (6 credits)
  • ENG-W 131: Reading, Writing, and Inquiry I (3 credits) or ENG-W 140: Reading, Writing, and Inquiry: Honors (3 credits)
  • COMM-R 110: Fundamentals of Speech Communication (3 credits)
• Analytical Reasoning (6 credits)
  • College math from List A (3 credits)
  • List A or List B (3 credits)
• Cultural Understanding (3 credits)
  • A world language course is recommended
• Life and Physical Sciences (6 credits)
  • A laboratory science component is required
• Arts/Humanities and Social Sciences (9 credits)
  • Arts & Humanities (3 credits)
  • Social Science (3 credits)
  • Additional Arts & Humanities or Social Science (3 credits)

Liberal Arts Baccalaureate Competencies

The Liberal Arts Baccalaureate Competencies require:

• First-Year Experience (1-3 credits)
  • SLA-S 100: First Year Success Seminar
• Writing Proficiency (3 credits)
  • ENG-W 230: Writing in the Sciences
  • ENG-W 231: Professional Writing Skills
  • ENG-W 270: Argumentative Writing
• Analytical Proficiency (3 credits)
  • ECON-E 270: Introduction to Statistical Theory in Economics and Business
  • PHIL-P 262: Practical Logic
  • PHIL-P 208: Causality and Evidence
• Life and Physical Sciences Laboratory
  • One laboratory science course is required

Major Requirements

The Communication Studies major requires:

• Core Courses (9 credits)
  • COMM-G 100: Introduction to Communication Studies (3 credits)
  • COMM-G 201: Introduction to Communication Theory (3 credits)
  • COMM-G 310: Introduction to Communication Research (3 credits)
• Capstone Experience (3 credits)
  • COMM-G 480: Senior Capstone in Communication Studies (3 credits)
• Major Elective courses (21 credits)
  • The remaining 21 credits may be selected from any of the courses offered in Communication Studies

Communication Studies BA/MA

The 5-year Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies/Master of Arts in Applied Communication allows students to complete a BA and an MA in five years instead of six. The program consists of three years of undergraduate coursework, a fourth year of combined undergraduate and graduate coursework, and a fifth year of exclusively graduate coursework.

Admission Requirements

Qualified Communication Studies majors may apply for the program in the second semester of their junior year. To be eligible to apply, students should have completed at least 60 credit hours overall and 12 hours in the major, including the 9-hour core.

Degree Requirements

The BA/MA program requires:

• Completion of 120 credit hours as required for a B.A. degree from the IU School of Liberal Arts
• Completion of 30 credit hours of graduate-level courses
• 15 credit hours of core requirements
• 15 additional hours of elective courses

Student Learning Outcomes

Students completing the Applied Communication M.A. curriculum will:

• Communicate both orally and in writing for professional and academic audiences
• Synthesize, critique, and apply theoretical constructs in communication studies
• Select and evaluate appropriate methodologies for conducting communication research
• Propose and justify solutions to real-world communication problems
• Design and conduct guided communication research