The Communication Major with a Rhetoric and Culture concentration prepares students to construct strategic messages intended to influence specific audiences and cultures. It also enables students to engage culture critically, charitably, and redemptively.

Requirements for the major are 32 hours: 14 hours in the Communication Core, 16 hours in a Concentration, and 2 elective hours of any Communication course. The Core consists of 4 courses in performance, theory, research, and a senior capstone (in which each student submits a portfolio and has a senior assessment interview). These four core courses should be completed in sequence.

To complement core courses, students select a concentration in Interpersonal Communication, Media Studies, Rhetoric and Culture, or Theater. Within each concentration, there are requirements and electives with course work progressing from introductory to advanced levels of study.

General Education Requirement. The following courses fulfill the oral communication competency requirement:

COMM 101Public Speaking2
COMM 201Fundamentals of Oral Communication (Communication majors and minors only)4
COMM 252Argumentation and Debate4

This requirement should be completed by the end of the sophomore year.

Along with specific requirements for any major, all students in the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degree programs must meet all general education and graduation requirements under a single catalog.

Communication Core14
COMM 201Fundamentals of Oral Communication4
COMM 302Rhetorical Theory4
COMM 312Communication Criticism4
COMM 494Senior Seminar2
Concentration Courses (Required and Elecive)16
Required Concentration Courses
COMM 253Messages, Influence, and Culture4
COMM 454Special Topics in Rhetoric & Culture4
Elective Concentration Courses8
Select 8 credits of the following:
Argumentation and Debate
Strategic Communication
Visual Symbolism: Icons, Brands, Logos
Advanced Persuasive Speaking
Persuasion
Intercollegiate Debate (Practicum)
Special Topics in Media and Culture
Independent Study
Internship
Communication Elective2
Select two or more credits of any offered COMM course
Total Credits32