BA in Communication
Degree Program Description
Communication students navigate rich environments using communication theories and models, critically evaluate messages and arguments, and effectively advocate their values, beliefs, and opinions using communication principles. Graduates are able to create persuasive messages for a variety of contexts using verbal and nonverbal, written, and mediated communication. The curriculum for the degree covers four main areas: interpersonal, mediated, organizational, and political communication. Students are asked to specialize in one area but are required to explore two additional areas. Interpersonal and family communication focuses on communication processes in family and personal relationships. The mediated area studies theory and research related to media content and use, media effects, and audience reception. Students in this area have the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience in digital production. Organizational communication focuses on the various ways in which we produce, enact, and generally conduct our lives in various organizational contexts. Political communication studies the communicative activity of citizens, political figures and campaigns, government institutions, and social movements. Professional internships and two undergraduate organizations are offered and student participation is strongly encouraged. A degree in Communication is not intended to provide specific vocational training, but to prepare students for professional opportunities requiring active communication skills. Recent graduates have found careers in sales, public relations, marketing, advertising, promotions, political consulting, corporate communications, event planning, social media, media production, law, education, and public policy.
Major Program Requirements
The major in communication includes a minimum of 30 hours and a maximum of 52 hours in communication courses. Each course is 3 credits unless otherwise noted. Students must also complete College of Arts and Sciences and University requirements, including University general education requirements.
| Major core requirements | ||
| COMMUN 1200 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| COMMUN 2500 | Introduction to Communication | 3 |
| COMMUN 3575W | Business and Professional Communication - Writing Intensive | 3 |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
Areas of Focus
In addition to required courses, a student must select one of four areas of focus. Students must complete 12 hours in one area of focus including one of the core courses in that area (*). The student must take one course in two of the three other areas of focus. One final course is also required, but it can be any Communication course listed below. A course may only count once toward meeting these requirements. Students must have at least one 4000+ level course in the major. (Areas of Focus will not appear on transcripts or diplomas.)
| Interpersonal Focus: | ||
| COMMUN 3422 | Communication Research Methods | 3 |
| COMMUN 3441 | Nonverbal Communication | 3 |
| COMMUN 3470 | Culture as Communication | 3 |
| COMMUN 3561 | Relational Communication * | 3 |
| COMMUN 3571 | Group Decision Making Processes | 3 |
| COMMUN 4412 | Gender, Language, and Communication | 3 |
| COMMUN 4440 | Ethical Issues in Communication | 3 |
| COMMUN 4474 | Theory and Research in Persuasion | 3 |
| COMMUN 4478 | Communication Competencies for a Diverse Workplace | 3 |
| COMMUN 4510 | Children's Communication | 3 |
| COMMUN 4520 | Family Communication * | 3 |
| COMMUN 4530 | Health Communication | 3 |
| Organizational Communication Focus: | ||
| COMMUN 3422 | Communication Research Methods | 3 |
| COMMUN 3460 | Organizational Advocacy * | 3 |
| COMMUN 3470 | Culture as Communication | 3 |
| COMMUN 3571 | Group Decision Making Processes | 3 |
| COMMUN 3580 | Crisis Communication | 3 |
| COMMUN 4412 | Gender, Language, and Communication | 3 |
| COMMUN 4440 | Ethical Issues in Communication | 3 |
| COMMUN 4474 | Theory and Research in Persuasion | 3 |
| COMMUN 4476 | Organizational Communication * | 3 |
| COMMUN 4478 | Communication Competencies for a Diverse Workplace | 3 |
| COMMUN 4530 | Health Communication | 3 |
| Mediated Communication Focus: | ||
| COMMUN 2100 | Media Communication in Society * | 3 |
| COMMUN 3422 | Communication Research Methods | 3 |
| COMMUN 3470 | Culture as Communication | 3 |
| COMMUN 3490 | Media Effects | 3 |
| COMMUN 3580 | Crisis Communication | 3 |
| COMMUN 4412 | Gender, Language, and Communication | 3 |
| COMMUN 4440 | Ethical Issues in Communication | 3 |
| COMMUN 4474 | Theory and Research in Persuasion | 3 |
| COMMUN 4478 | Communication Competencies for a Diverse Workplace | 3 |
| COMMUN 4530 | Health Communication | 3 |
| COMMUN 4628 | Children, Adolescents and the Media | 3 |
| COMMUN 4638 | New Technologies and Communication | 3 |
| COMMUN 4648 | Race, Ethnicity, and the Media | 3 |
| or COMMUN 4648H | Race, Ethnicity, and the Media - Honors | |
| COMMUN 1880 | Introduction to Digital Media Production | 3 |
| COMMUN 2200 | Video Workshop: Sports Broadcast Production | 3 |
| COMMUN 2530 | Screenwriting I | 3 |
| COMMUN 2810 | Story Development | 3 |
| COMMUN 2880 | Digital Storytelling Production I | 3 |
| COMMUN 4880 | Digital Storytelling Production II | 3 |
| Political Communication Focus: | ||
| COMMUN 3422 | Communication Research Methods | 3 |
| COMMUN 3460 | Organizational Advocacy | 3 |
| COMMUN 3470 | Culture as Communication | 3 |
| COMMUN 3572 | Argument and Advocacy | 3 |
| COMMUN 3580 | Crisis Communication | 3 |
| COMMUN 4412 | Gender, Language, and Communication | 3 |
| COMMUN 4440 | Ethical Issues in Communication | 3 |
| COMMUN 4473 | Political Communication * | 3 |
| COMMUN 4474 | Theory and Research in Persuasion | 3 |
| COMMUN 4478 | Communication Competencies for a Diverse Workplace | 3 |
| COMMUN 4491 | Political Public Address | 3 |
| COMMUN 4638 | New Technologies and Communication | 3 |
| Potential Options for Focus Area Courses (with Departmental Approval): | ||
| COMMUN 2701 | Topics in Communication - General | 3 |
| COMMUN 2703 | Topics in Communication - Behavioral Science | 3 |
| or COMMUN 2703W | Topics in Communication - Behavioral Science - Writing Intensive | |
| COMMUN 2705 | Topics in Communication - Humanities/Fine Arts | 3 |
| COMMUN 3701 | Topics in Communication-General | 5-9 |
| or COMMUN 3701W | Topics in Communication - General - Writing Intensive | |
| COMMUN 3703 | Topics in Communication-Behavioral Sciences | 1-99 |
| COMMUN 3705 | Topics in Communication-Humanities | 1-99 |
| COMMUN 4420W | Communicating Research and Scholarship - Writing Intensive | 3 |
| COMMUN 4701 | Topics in Communication-General | 3-9 |
| COMMUN 4705 | Topics in Communication-Humanities | 1-99 |
| COMMUN 4950 | Research Project | 1-3 |
| COMMUN 4960 | Directed Reading | 1-3 |
| Electives in Major (Cannot be Used in Focus Areas but Can Count in Major) | ||
| COMMUN 3570 | Performance of Literature | 3 |
| COMMUN 4940 | Internship | 1-6 |
Semester Plan
Below is a sample plan of study, semester by semester. A student's actual plan may vary based on course choices where options are available.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ENGLSH 1000 | 3 | Biological/Physical/Mathematical Science with Lab* | 3-5 |
| Humanities Course* | 3 | Humanities Course* | 3 |
| Behavioral Science Course* | 3 | Elective or Minor Course | 3 |
| American Government Requirement (Social Science Course) | 3 | COMMUN 1200 | 3 |
| Elective Course | 3 | MATH 1050, 1100, or STAT 1200 | 3 |
| 15 | 15-17 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Second Language or Elective | 3-5 | COMMUN 2500 | 3 |
| Communication Course** | 3 | Second Language or Elective | 3-5 |
| Behavioral Science Course (1000+)* | 3 | Social Science Course* | 3 |
| Biological/Physical/Mathematical Science Course* | 3 | Humanities Course (1000+)* | 3 |
| Humanities Course (Writing Intensive)* | 3 | Biological/Physical/Mathematical Science Course* | 3 |
| 15-17 | 15-17 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| COMMUN 3575W | 3 | Communication Course** | 3 |
| Communication Course** | 3 | Elective Course | 3 |
| Elective or Minor Course | 3 | Elective Course | 3 |
| Second Language or Elective | 3 | Elective or Minor Course | 3 |
| Social Science Course (1000+)* | 3 | Communication Course** | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Communication Course** | 3 | Communication Course (4000+)** | 3 |
| Elective or Minor Course Course | 3 | Elective or Minor Course | 3 |
| Communication Course** | 3 | Elective or Minor Course | 3 |
| Elective Course | 3 | Elective Course | 3 |
| Elective Course | 3 | Additional Elective Hours to Reach 120 credits (If Necessary) | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits: 120-126 | |||
- *
From A&S list available from A&S Advising or academic Exploration Web Page.
- **
From list of Communication courses within the four emphasis areas.
Degree Audit
The degree audit is an automated report reflecting a student’s academic progress toward the completion of a degree.
MU students can request a degree audit by logging in to myDegreePlanner. Students may also access myDegreePlanner via myZou, in the Student Center, click on the Academic Progress Tile, then select Request Degree Audit. The audit automatically pulls in the student’s MU course work, transfer courses and courses in progress. This is available to current students, admitted students, and those who last attended less than three terms ago.
Past MU students can request a degree audit by contacting the Academic Advising Unit of the division in which they were last enrolled at MU. For contact information, go to https://advising.missouri.edu/contact/.
Prospective students, can access a preliminary MU degree audit via https://www.transferology.com. Information on the college credits already earned will have to be manually entered before it can be evaluated against current degree requirements.
For additional details on degree audits, go to https://registrar.missouri.edu/degrees-audits/degree-audits/.
Major and Career Exploration
The University of Missouri has many resources to assist you in exploring majors and career possibilities. For guidance, visit the Majors and Careers website or view specific resources below.
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If you are considering a change of major or are exploring multiple majors, schedule an appointment with an advisor in the Discovery Center by calling (573)884-9700 or through MU Connect Discovery Center service in you success network.
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If you have decided on a major, visit an academic advisor in the School or College that you are interested in to discuss the process of declaring the major.
- If you would like to learn more about your career interests, abilities, values and talents, visit the MU Career Center. No Appointment is necessary to explore career options with one of our staff members.
- If you would like information about MU majors and degree programs, visit:
- the Degrees, Majors (Degree Programs), Emphasis Areas, Minors and Certificates page in the catalog,
- the MU Majors website.
For additional major and career exploration resources, visit Major & Career Exploration in the catalog.