Catalog 2020–2021

B.A. in Communication Requirements

This is content from the Catalog 2020–2021 back issue. Please visit the current catalog for current information.

Group 1. General Education Foundation, Diversification, Structural, and Integrative Requirements in effect Fall 2018

Students may choose to graduate under the General Education Foundation, Diversification, Structural and Integrative requirements and graduation requirements in force at the time they entered the UH System, when they entered UH Hilo, or when they graduate, provided there is no break in enrollment.

Students should meet with their academic advisor to ensure that they enroll in courses that will enable them to meet these requirements as well as requirements for the major and for graduation. Some courses may meet both General Education requirements and major requirements.

The new GE foundations, diversification, structural and integrative requirements and lists of certified courses are posted on the General Education website.

Group 2. Major Requirements and Assigned Credits (33 credits)

1. Core Knowledge and Behaviors Courses (9)

  • COM 200 Interpersonal Comm (3)
  • COM 251 Public Speaking (3)
  • COM 270 Intro to Theories of Human Com (3)

2. Culture or Diversity Course (3)

Choose one of the following courses:

  • COM 241 Health, Culture and Diversity (3)
  • COM 260 Media and Culture (3)
  • COM 344 Sustainability, Com & Culture (3)
  • COM 359 Intercultural Communication (3)

3. COM Electives and Advanced Courses (18)

  • 18 credits, at least 9 of which must be 300- or 400-level COM courses (See Note 2)

4. Capstone Paper or Project (3)

Choose one course from the following courses (3)

  • COM 400 Seminar in Human Dialogue (3)
  • COM 441 Leadership & Communication (3)
  • COM 444 Public Relations (3)
  • COM 451 Communication and Ethnography (3)
  • COM 456 Asian Perspectives on Commun (3)
  • COM 460 Mass Media Analysis (3)
  • COM 494 Special Topics in Subject Matter (To Be Arranged) 1
  • COM 499 Directed Studies (To Be Arranged) 1 (See Note 6)

1 With advisor approval 6 semester hours of the total elective hours may be from a related discipline.

Total Semester Hours Required for the B.A. in Communication

120 credits required.

Notes

  1. Students must earn at least a 2.0 GPA in courses required for the major.
  2. A student may choose COM 494 Special Topics in Subject Matter (To Be Arranged) or COM 499 Directed Studies (To Be Arranged) to complete the capstone course requirement. However, it is strongly recommended that students complete COM 350 Intro Human Commun Research (3) before pursuing this option.
  3. A minimum of 12 credits out of the total 33 credits required for the major must be taken at the 300- or 400-level.
  4. At least 45 total credits must be earned at the 300- or 400-level for graduation.
  5. To earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication, students must fulfill the requirements for the major and meet all of the University’s other baccalaureate degree requirements. (Please see the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements in this Catalog.)
  6. Policies and Criteria for COM 499 Directed Studies (To Be Arranged) . In order to support students in meeting their personal and professional goals, the Communication Department offers majors opportunities to pursue their interested through the Directed Studies option.
    • A directed study must be in, or related to, the field of communication.
    • A directed study typically requires the submission of a paper (or papers) totaling a minimum of 16 typed, double-spaced pages.
    • A written 1–2 page proposal must (1) describe the nature of the directed study and the criteria for evaluation, (2) include a summary statement of the study and a list of at least five references to be used for the study, and (3) be approved by the directing faculty member and the department chair before the registration deadline.
    • Each hour of credit must entail at least four hours per week of intensive study and/or research.
    • In cases that do not explicitly meet the above criteria, the communication faculty will determine whether or not the proposal should be accepted, modified, or rejected.
  7. Students wishing to make timely progress toward graduation are urged to pay careful attention to all degree requirements.
  8. In addition, when planning a schedule of courses, it is imperative to be aware of course prerequisites and the frequency with which courses are offered. This information is available in the course listings in this Catalog.
  9. To ensure progress toward degree completion, students are urged to meet with an advisor each semester before registering.