Department of Communication| Saint Xavier University

The Department of Communication offers a rewarding curriculum that focuses on the process and effects of communication, the Internet and personal media, in both mediated and face-to-face contexts. The department develops effective communicators who not only are skilled in using communication technologies, but also understand that socially responsible communication is an interaction among people that requires both skill and sensitivity. Building on a foundation in the liberal arts that provides a broad-based general education, the study of communication teaches students how to express their ideas and values in spoken, written and visual messages. Students also learn how to evaluate the effectiveness of messages produced by others. Students majoring in communication can select from eight concentrations of study: advertising and public relations, communication studies, corporate communication, electronic media production and writing, health communication, journalism, online communication and sport communication.

Career Opportunities

Each concentration is designed to prepare the student for advanced degree work and/or employment in communication-related and professional fields. Potential career areas include advertising, corporate relations, event planning, health communication, higher education, human resources, journalism, media production, media programming and management, the Internet and personal media, media research, organizational communication, public relations, speech writing, and training and consulting, among other possibilities.

Faculty

R. Robinson, Chair; R. Mark, E. McAvoy, J. McNellis, J. Sternberg, J. Walker.

Requirements for Admission to the Major in Communication

The application for admission to the major in communication must be completed using the appropriate admission form.
To be admitted as a major in communication, students with less than 15 credit hours of undergraduate course work must have a minimum ACT composite score of 21 (or SAT composite score of 1500).
To be admitted as a major in communication, students with existing credit hours must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 for all credit hours (including transfer hours), if the student has 15-29 credit hours of coursework, or a minimum GPA of 2.3 for all credit hours (including transfer hours), if the student has 30 or more credit hours of coursework.

Minimum Grade for Departmental Courses

Students must obtain a grade of C or better for any course to be applied to the communication major or minor.

Communication Major (36 Credit Hours)

To fulfill the requirements for a Communication major, students must complete 36 credit hours of course work as described below including 18 credit hours in a communication core and two concentrations of choice. In some instances, one course may apply to more than one concentration requirement; in such cases, students will take other courses from the approved curriculum to reach the 36 credit hours required for the major. Students may wish to consider completing additional concentration areas, beyond the two that are required, to support their particular interests or career plans.

Core Requirements (18 Credit Hours)

COMM 200	Perspectives on Human Communication	(3)
COMM 205	Mediated Message Production	(3)
COMM 211	Introduction to Mass Communication	(3)
COMM 324	Senior Seminar I: Communication Research	(3)
COMM 368	Communication Responsibilities with Community Based Learning	(3)
COMM 369*	Senior Seminar II: Research Applications	(3)

*Students completing the Undergraduate Honors Program are not required to complete COMM 369.

Advertising and Public Relations (minimum 9 credit hours)

Communication 202 or 244 is required to complete this concentration.

COMM 202	Introduction to Advertising OR	(3)
COMM 244	Introduction to Public Relations	(3)
	Two courses from the following:
COMM 202	Introduction to Advertising	(3)
COMM 244	Introduction to Public Relations	(3)
COMM 307	Advertising Copywriting	(3)
COMM 313	Persuasion	(3)
ART 322	Advertising in Marketing	(3)

Communication Studies (minimum 9 credit hours)

COMM 203	Intercultural Communication	(3)
COMM 206	Communicating with Social Media	(3)
COMM 209	Small Group Communication	(3)
COMM 210	Interpersonal Communication	(3)
COMM 313	Persuasion	(3)
COMM 325	Internet as Communication	(3)

Corporate Communication (minimum 9 credit hours)

Communication 335 is required to complete this concentration.

COMM 335	Organizational Communication	(3)
	Choose two from the following:
COMM 206	Communicating with Social Media	(3)
COMM 216	Introduction to Health Communication	(3)
COMM 244	Introduction to Public Relations	(3)
COMM 306	Organizational Assessment	(3)

Electronic Media Production & Writing (minimum 9 credit hours)

Communication 110 and Communication 220 OR 221 are required to complete this concentration.

COMM 110	Newswriting and Reporting	(3)
	Choose one from the following:
COMM 220	Digital Audio Production	(3)
COMM 221	Digital Video Production	(3)
	Choose one from the following:
ART 113	Photo 1: Digital	(3)
COMM 220	Digital Audio Production	(3)
COMM 221	Digital Video Production	(3)
COMM 305	Television and Film Scriptwriting	(3)

Health Communication (minimum 9 credit hours)

Communication 216 is required to complete this concentration.

COMM 216	Introduction to Health Communication	(3)
	Choose two from the following:
COMM 203	Intercultural Communication	(3)
COMM 210	Interpersonal Communication	(3)
COMM 335	Organizational Communication	(3)

Journalism (minimum 9 credit hours)

Communication 110 is required to complete this concentration.

COMM 110	Newswriting and Reporting	(3)
	Choose two from the following:
ART 113	Photo I: Digital	(3)
COMM 201	Copy Editing and Publication Design	(3)
COMM 206	Communicating with Social Media	(3)
COMM 207	Sport Communication	(3)
COMM 301	Law of Mass Communication	(3)
COMM 321	Electronic Journalism	(3)
ENGL 357	Topics in Writing	(3)

Online Communication (minimum 9 credit hours)

Communication 206 or 325 is required to complete this concentration.

COMM 206	Communicating with Social Media OR	(3)
COMM 325	Internet as Communication	(3)
	Choose two from the following:
ART 315	Website Art and Design	(3)
COMM 206	Communicating with Social Media	(3)
COMM 301	Law of Mass Communication	(3)
COMM 321	Electronic Journalism	(3)
COMM 325	Internet as Communication	(3)
COMM 375	Emerging Technologies	(3)
ENGL 357	Topics in Writing	(3)

Sport Communication (minimum 9 credit hours)

Communication 207 is required to complete this concentration.

COMM 207	Sport Communication	(3)
	Choose two from the following:
COMM 220	Digital Audio Production	(3)
COMM 221	Digital Video Production	(3)
COMM 244	Introduction to Public Relations	(3)
ENGL 235	Literature and Sports	(3)
SOC 140	Sociology of Sports	(3)

Requirements for the Minor in Communication

Communication minors must complete Communication 200 or 211, one concentration from below and two Communication electives.