Communication Studies, BA

The Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies is designed to equip students in Silicon Valley with a vast knowledge of communication rooted in theoretical frameworks, research methods, and practical application.

Program Learning Outcomes

Program Roadmaps

The 4-Year Roadmap is available online. Roadmaps should be used in consultation with the catalog and your advisor to identify additional requirements for completing the major (for example, course grade minimums). Associate Degrees (ADT) Pathways are also available online.

Major-Specific Graduation Requirements

COMM 101C is a prerequisite for COMM 198 and COMM 199C .

1. Complete the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Students must satisfy the specific degree requirements for their undergraduate major and fulfill the following University degree requirements:

Academic (program total units with an average 2.0 GPA - “C” or better)
General Education (GE) (34 Lower Division + 9 Upper Division)
American Institutions (AI) (0-6 units) (may be satisfied in GE Areas 3A, 3B, 4, UD 3, or UD 4)
Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) 3 units (see Writing in the Disciplines)
Physical Education (PE) (0-2 units)
Units in Residence (30 units, including 24 upper division and 12 in major)
Upper Division Units (40 units, including 12 upper div in major for BA, 18 upper div in major for BS)
Undergraduate Policies & Procedures

Apply for Graduation
Information about the Commencement Ceremony and Conferral of the Degree

Summary of Degree Units

Core Lower Division General Education: 28

American Institutions/ US123 Requirements: 6 (Note: may be satisfied by GE coursework)

Upper Division General Education: 3 (6 units may be satisfied by major coursework)

Physical Education: 2

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR): 3

Major Requirements: 42

University Electives: 36

Total: 120

2. Major Requirements (42 units)

For the BA in Communication Studies only 6 units of CR/NC coursework will be accepted. COMM 198, a required course, counts as 2 units of CR/NC coursework.

Core Courses (10 units)

COMM 101C - Junior Seminar: Theorizing Communication 4 unit(s)
COMM 198 - Applied Activity in Communication 1-2 unit(s)
COMM 199C - Senior Seminar: Synthesis & Application 4 unit(s)

Major Courses (32 units)

Foundations Courses (8 units)

Complete eight units from:

COMM 110F - Interpersonal Communication 4 unit(s)
COMM 117F - Understanding Play & Games 4 unit(s)
COMM 122F - Performance Studies 4 unit(s)
COMM 126F - Race and Performance 4 unit(s)
COMM 130F - Activism, Action, and Resistance 4 unit(s)
COMM 132F - Dis/Ability Communication 4 unit(s)
COMM 133F - Ethical Problems in Communication 4 unit(s)
COMM 144F - Organizational Communication 4 unit(s)
COMM 146F - Communication and the Environment 4 unit(s)
COMM 149F - Rhetoric and Public Life 4 unit(s)
COMM 160F - Language, Meaning, and Culture 4 unit(s)
COMM 161F - Communication and Culture 4 unit(s)
COMM 164F - Communication and Global Organizations 4 unit(s)
COMM 170F - Persuasion 4 unit(s)
COMM 172F - Multicultural Communication in the United States 4 unit(s)
COMM 173F - Intercultural Communication and Global Understanding 4 unit(s)
COMM 175F - Nonverbal Communication 4 unit(s)
COMM 178F - Critical Intercultural Communication Studies 4 unit(s)
COMM 181F - New Media/New World 4 unit(s)
COMM 185F - Health Communication 4 unit(s)

Inquiry Courses (8 units)

Complete eight units from:

COMM 119I - Researching Games 4 unit(s)
COMM 123I - Performance of Ethnodrama 4 unit(s)
COMM 145I - Rhetorical and Cultural Criticism 4 unit(s)
COMM 150I - Inquiry in Organizational Communication 4 unit(s)
COMM 151I - New Media/New Methods 4 unit(s)
COMM 152I - Communication in World Cultures 4 unit(s)
COMM 153I - Discourse Analysis 4 unit(s)
COMM 154I - Ethnography for Communication Studies 4 unit(s)
COMM 155I - Quantitative Communication Inquiry 4 unit(s)
COMM 156I - Observation and Interviewing Methods 4 unit(s)
COMM 169I - The Media: Response and Criticism 4 unit(s)
COMM 186I - Research Methods in Health Communication 4 unit(s)

Practice Courses (8 units)

Complete eight units from:

COMM 105P - Communication, Self, and Society 4 unit(s)
COMM 111P - Interviewing 4 unit(s)
COMM 113P - Games in Everyday Life 4 unit(s)
COMM 114P - Business and Professional Speaking 4 unit(s)
COMM 115P - Communication and Conflict 4 unit(s)
COMM 116P - Mediation: Theory and Practice 4 unit(s)
COMM 120P - Persuasive & Presentation Skills 4 unit(s)
COMM 121P - Performance as Practice 4 unit(s)
COMM 124P - Communication Training and Development 4 unit(s)
COMM 125P - Ensemble Performance 4 unit(s)
COMM 131P - New Media/You Media 4 unit(s)
COMM 140P - Argumentation and Debate 4 unit(s)
COMM 141P - Small Group Communication 4 unit(s)
COMM 147P - Argumentation and Persuasion in Courts of Law 4 unit(s)
COMM 165P - Communication and Organizational Philanthropy 4 unit(s)
COMM 176P - Communication and Gender 4 unit(s)
COMM 182P - Communication in the Classroom 4 unit(s) (strongly recommended for students who plan to pursue a teaching credential)
COMM 187P - Communication and Community Wellness 4 unit(s)

Additional Major Courses (8 units)

Complete eight units of Foundations (F), Inquiry (I), or Practice (P) courses or lower division COMM courses.

8 additional units in Communication Studies may be lower division Core GE Courses and may be completed at SJSU or another college.

COMM 10 - Communication and Human Relationships 3 unit(s) (GE Area 4 / Formerly Area D)
COMM 20 - Public Speaking 3 unit(s) (GE Area 1C / Formerly Area A1)
COMM 20EL - Public Speaking for English Language Learners 3 unit(s) (GE Area 1C / Formerly Area A1)
COMM 21 - Performing Culture and Society 3 unit(s) (GE Area 4 / Formerly Area D)
COMM 40 - Argumentation and Advocacy 3 unit(s) (GE Area 1C / Formerly Area A1)
COMM 41 - Critical Decision Making 3 unit(s) (GE Area 1B / Formerly Area A3)
COMM 45 - Media and Culture 3 unit(s) (GE Area 1B / Formerly Area A3)
COMM 74 - Intercultural Communication and Critical Thinking 3 unit(s)
COMM 74Q - Fundamentals of Intercultural Communication 3 unit(s)
Up to 6 units of SJSU Studies COMM Courses may count toward the major. Must take both COMM 168A and COMM 168B to satisfy the SJSU Studies requirement.
COMM 100W - Writing Workshop: Writing for Influence 3 unit(s) (WID)
COMM 157SL - Community Action/Community Service 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)
COMM 168A - Climate Action and Leadership I 6 unit(s)
COMM 168B - Climate Action and Leadership II 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 2/5 / Formerly Area R)
COMM 174 - Intercultural Comm and Structural Inequalities 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)
COMM 179 - Global Media and Resistance 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
Up to 4 units of variable unit courses may count toward the major. No more than 1 unit of COMM 80 and COMM 91J may count toward the major. No more than 3 units of Individual Studies, Directed Reading, or Forensics may count toward the major.
COMM 80 - Communication Workshop 1 unit(s)
COMM 91J - Judge Training 1 unit(s)
COMM 180 - Individual Studies 1-3 unit(s)
COMM 184 - Directed Reading 1-2 unit(s)
COMM 191A - Activity Projects in Forensics 1-3 unit(s)
COMM 191B - Activity Projects in Forensics 1-3 unit(s)
COMM 191C - Activity Projects in Forensics 1-3 unit(s)
COMM 191J - Activity Projects in Forensics 1 unit(s)
COMM 191M - Activity Projects in Forensics 1 unit(s)
COMM 193 - Activity Projects in Intercultural/International Communication 1-3 unit(s)
COMM 195 - Special Topics in Communication Studies 1-3 unit(s)

3. University Electives (36 units)

A minor is encouraged but not required.

About

Communication Studies, BA

1. Complete the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Summary of Degree Units

2. Major Requirements (42 units)

Core Courses (10 units)

Major Courses (32 units)

Foundations Courses (8 units)

Inquiry Courses (8 units)

Practice Courses (8 units)

Additional Major Courses (8 units)

3. University Electives (36 units)

Total Units Required (120 units)