University of Colorado DenverCollege of Liberal Arts and SciencesUniversity of Colorado Denver

Major in Communication

Communication is a discipline concerned with the study of messages in the context of human relationships. Courses in communication examine the nature, use, and role of messages among individuals and within small groups, organizations, and society in whatever form they assume--oral, written, visual, mediated, and technological.

College graduates are expected to change careers approximately seven times over the course of their lives. A major in Communication develops knowledge and skills that are required for many different fields, including advertising, business, international relations, education, government and politics, and public relations.

The Communication major at the University of Colorado Denver has as its focus and mission the development of the skills, knowledge, and abilities necessary to use communication to create a more civil and humane world. The curriculum was developed to counter the pervasive atmosphere of unrelenting contention and uncivil communication that characterizes the contemporary world.

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Communication Major Course Requirements

Students need 39 hours of Communication courses to complete the major in Communication. At least 21 of the 39 hours must be upper division. Students must complete the four core courses shown below. The Department advises students to take CMMU 1011 as early as scheduling permits. Students interested in doing an internship (internships are not required) must complete all four core courses before applying for an internship.

CORE COURSES FOR COMMUNICATION MAJORS -- 12 credit hours

  • CMMU1011 Fundamentals of Communication
  • CMMU1021 Fundamentals of Mass Communication
  • CMMU2041 Interpersonal Communication
  • CMMU2101 Presentational Speaking or CMMU2050 Business and Professional Speaking

SKILL AREA COURSES -- 24 credit hours

In addition to the four core courses (12 hours), students must take two courses from each of the following four skill areas (24 hours) related to the Department's mission. Students may select any two courses from each of the four skill areas but are encouraged to seek advice from the undergraduate advisor when selecting their courses. (See Skill Areas section below for details.)

ELECTIVE COURSE -- 3 credit hours

Students must take one additional upper division elective course (3 hours) from any one of the skill areas to bring the total number of completed hours to 39.

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Courses in the Four Skill Areas

Creation of Community

The ability to create community in widely differing social contexts and professional situations

Communication Within Systems

The ability to understand, evaluate, and communicate effectively within social, public, and professional systems that enable change to occur in ways that are civil and respectful of all perspectives

Analysis of Communicationn

The ability to analyze and assess messages of various kinds--oral, written, visual, mediated, and technological--to consider the consequences of messages for individuals and communities

Production of Communication

The ability to produce effective oral, written, virtual, and mediated communication that contributes to the creation of a more civil and humane world

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Key Academic Policies for the Communication Major

Procedures for Becoming a Communication Major

To declare the intent to become a major, a student must complete the "Major/Minor Change/Declaration" form. The form may be downloaded here or is available from the Advising Office of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in room 2024 of the North Classroom. The completed form should be returned to the Advising Office of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Undergraduates must declare their intention to major in communication by the time they have completed 60 semester hours.

The undergraduate advisor in the Communication Department is Wanda Lakota (303-556-3373) or Wanda.Lakota@ucdenver.edu).

Applying Courses to the Skill Area Requirements

Although some courses are listed in more than one skill area, the same course may not count toward requirements in more than one area. Some courses that are not regular offerings in the curriculum may count toward the major if approved by the undergraduate advisor, Wanda Lakota. A maximum of 9 credit hours is allowed for internship credit (CMMU 3939)--6 hours in the "Production of Communication" skill area and 3 hours as the upper division elective. (Intership coordinator is Suzanne Stromberg, Plaza Bldg. 102N, 303-556-6662, Suzanne.Stromberg@ucdenver.edu)

Maximum of 48 hours in Communication

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences allows students to take up to 48 hours from a single department. Therefore, after completion of the required 39 hours, students may take an additional 3 Communication courses (9 hours) and still fall within the 48-hour limit. If they take more than 48 hours from the Communication Department, those hours will not count toward the120 needed for the B. A. degree. At least 18 hours of the 39 hours required for the major must be taken from the Department of Communication at the University of Colorado Denver.

Grade Requirements

To complete a Communication degree, students must earn a grade of C- (1.7) or higher in each Communication course and have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher across all of their Communication courses.

Communication majors cannot take courses for a pass/fail grade unless the courses are above the 39 hours required for the major. Up to 6 hours of coursework completed in a study abroad program, however, may be counted toward the major (study abroad credits earned at a university other than the University of Colorado Denver are recorded as pass/fail grades).

Transfer Credits

Only 21 credit hours may be transferred toward the Communication major from other colleges and universities. To submit a request for transfer of credits, students should complete the "Faculty Approval Form for Course Equivalency," which may be downloaded here or is available from the Advising Office of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in room 2024 of the North Classroom. Transferred communication classes must be approved by the undergraduate advisor, Wanda Lakota Wanda.Lakota@ucdenver.edu, and a college level advisor.

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Additional Information

Additional information about the major in Communication may be obtained from the undergraduate advisor in the Communication Department:

Wanda Lakota
Department of Communication
Plaza Building, room 102-N
303-556-3373
Wanda.Lakota@ucdenver.edu

 

 

 

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