The Major

The Communication major at UMass follows the liberal arts tradition, emphasizing the skills that make for engaged citizenship. We concentrate on theory and methods of inquiry, as opposed to technical training, although we do offer some technical courses, among them Public Speaking, Film and Television Production Concepts, Program Process in Television, Screenwriting and many research courses. Students also gain applied training and skills through internships and extracurricular campus experiences.

Communication is a broad field, so our undergraduate courses are organized into clusters: 1) Interpersonal Communication and Culture, 2) Media and Popular Culture Studies, 3) Media, Technology, and Society, 4) Rhetoric, Performance, and Social Action, and 5) Film Studies.  Within these is an array of topics.  For example, you can study communication and cultural politics; film history and theory; technologies of communication and the nature of social institutions; communication and the constitution of social identities and relationships; mass media effects; and policies affecting communication technologies, infrastructure, and institutions.

Admission to the Major

The following admission standards apply to students entering the university as of the fall 2011 semester. Although many first-year and transfer students are admitted directly into the undergraduate major when they are admitted to the university, the major is restricted.  Students who are not directly admitted may apply to the major during the semester in which they complete any two of the following five courses (note that enrollment is limited).  We cannot review an application until we’ve received the student’s grades for two of these courses:

• COMM 118 Introduction to Interpersonal Communication and Culture
• COMM 121 Introduction to Media and Culture
• COMM 122 Introduction to Media Programming and Institutions
• COMM 125 Introduction to Rhetoric and Performance and Social Action
• COMM 140 Introduction to Film Studies

Anyone not directly admitted to the major must also complete and submit an application provided by the Department of Communication.

The application includes 1) an up-to-date, unofficial transcript that includes your grades in the two predictor courses, above, and 2) one to three written statements on your academic interests and record, career goals, and why you want to become a Communication major.

The evaluation of the application is based on:  1) performance in Communication courses, 2) overall academic record, and 3) the written statement(s).  

Major Requirements

Students majoring in Communication must complete at least 12 or 13 courses (36 or 37 credits) in Communication. The following  requirements apply to students entering the program in the fall of 2011 or later.

1.   *For freshmen admitted directly into the major, and optional for transfer students, COMM 101: Introduction to Communication (1 credit). This course bumps the 12-course/36-credit requirement to 13 courses/ 37 credits.

2.   Junior Year Writing requirement, COMM 375: Writing as Communication (3 credits)

3.   Three of the five courses that introduce Subject Areas (9 credits). Most COMM courses will have an “Introductory SUBJECT AREA” course as a prerequisite. The courses below are prerequisites for those at the 300 level and above in each Subject Area:

• COMM 118:  Introduction to Interpersonal Communication and Culture
• COMM 121:  Introduction to Media and Culture
• COMM 122:  Introduction to Media Programming and Institutions
• COMM 125:  Introduction to Rhetoric, Performance, and Social Action
• OOMM 140:  Introduction to Film Studies

4.  At least eight additional courses (24 credits).

• Two of these courses (6 credits) must be 300-level or above. 
• Two additional courses (6 credits) must be 400-level or above. 
• The remaining four courses (12 credits) can be 200-level or above.  

Note:  Each semester a number of special topics (COMM 297, 397, 497, or 597) and seminar courses (COMM 491, 492, 493, 494, 495, 591, 592, 593, 594, or 595) may also be used as electives.

Please note the following restrictions:

1. All major courses must be taken for a letter grade, not pass/fail.
2. Only 3 credits of COMM 396 Independent Study may be used toward the 36-credit department requirement.
3. General practicum (UMASS 298Y) credits may not be counted toward the major.
4. You must take a minimum of 21 credits (seven courses) within the Department of Communication to be eligible for graduation as a Communication major.  A maximum of 15 credits (five courses) taken at other schools or in other departments and programs at UMass may be counted toward the major. These courses must be directly related to the Communication major and must receive prior approval for major credit from the Director of Undergraduate Studies or the Chief Undergraduate Adviser.
5. A minimum GPA of 2.0 in the major is required for graduation.
6. Only 6 credits of production courses may be applied toward the 36-credit department requirement.

Internships and International Exchanges

Internships are optional, supervised apprenticeships that can introduce students to many kinds of organizations and professional work. Such hands-on experiences complement the theoretical and analytic orientation of the undergraduate curriculum, and many students find that they provide experiences and connections that help them land jobs after graduation.  Communication majors have interned in such diverse fields as media programming, public interest research, TV news, advertising, public relations, corporate management, sales, government, newspapers, magazines, and film production, and community cultural organizations.

Communication majors are encouraged to study abroad.  More than 40 Communication majors do so each year, and many of them report the experience to be life-changing.  In the last few years, Communication majors have studied in Australia, Germany, Israel, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, England, France, South Africa, and Ireland—and there are yet more options.