Learn More and ApplyCommunication Studies (BA)

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CMN2
Program Requirements Quarter Hours
College Core Requirements 16
Liberal Studies Requirements 84
Major Requirements 40
Open Electives 52
Total hours required 192

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  • Articulate the importance of communication in public, professional, and personal contexts.
  • Explain cultural similarities and differences across communication contexts.
  • Critically analyze messages employing relevant communication theories, ethics, principles, and research.
  • Create messages that are effective and appropriate for the audience, purpose, and context.

College Core Requirements 

Modern Language Requirement 

Modern Language Option

All majors in the College of Communication consist of a four-course common core plus an additional combination of program requirements and electives.

College Core Requirements

Four core courses are required of all College of Communication students:

Course Title Quarter Hours
CMN 101INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN COMMUNICATION4
CMN 102INTRODUCTION TO MASS COMMUNICATION4
CMN 103INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION4
CMN 104PUBLIC SPEAKING4

Students are encouraged to complete all four prior to taking additional coursework in the major.

Modern Language Requirement

Students who intend to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Communication will be required to demonstrate a measure of competence in a modern language, as defined by the college. Such competence may be demonstrated in one of several ways:

  • completing the last course in a second year high school course work in a modern language or Latin
  • completing the last course in the first-year college sequence of any language
  • completing a college course beyond the first-year level in any language
  • achieving a satisfactory score on any of the Modern Language placement examinations administered at DePaul
  • achieving a satisfactory rating in a proficiency examination accepted by DePaul
  • achieving a score of 3 or higher on the Advance Placement (AP) test for any language (must be completed during high school)
  • achieving a score of 5 or higher in the Language B assessment from a Standard or Higher Level International Baccalaureate (IB) program
  • achieving a satisfactory score on the CLEP examination. 

Modern Languages courses with an E-designation are taught in English and may not be applied to the Modern Language Requirement. Students with some modern language training should consult with the Modern Language Department about the course with which they should begin. Students with little or no previous work in the language will be required to complete the entire three-course introductory sequence.

Modern Language Option

The Modern Language Option is available to all BA students who wish to study a modern language beyond the level necessary to meet the College’s modern language requirement. Students selecting the option may substitute a three-course language sequence for three learning domain courses, or two upper-level courses in the same language for two learning domain requirements. Modern language option  waivers cannot be applied to courses in the Math and Computing Domain or courses in the Scientific Inquiry domain. Modern Languages courses with an E-designation are taught in English and may not be applied to the Modern Language Option.

Any substitutions must be consistent with the principle that students complete at least one course in each learning domain. ​​​​​​

Liberal Studies Requirements

Honors program requirements can be found in the individual Colleges & Schools section of the University Catalog. Select the appropriate college or school, followed by Undergraduate Academics and scroll down.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year ProgramHours
Chicago Quarter
LSP 110
DISCOVER CHICAGO
or EXPLORE CHICAGO
4
Focal Point
LSP 112 FOCAL POINT SEMINAR 4
Writing
WRD 103 COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I 1 4
WRD 104 COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC II 1 4
Quantitative Reasoning
MAT 120 QUANTITATIVE REASONING 2 4
Sophomore Year
Race, Power, and Resistance
LSP 200 SEMINAR ON RACE, POWER, AND RESISTANCE 4
Junior Year
Experiential Learning
Required 4
Senior Year
Capstone
CMN 396 CAPSTONE IN COMMUNICATION 1 4
1

Students must earn a C- or better in this course.

2

Readiness for MAT 120 is determined by the math placement test taken online after admission. Students may need to take developmental coursework prior to MAT 120. The MAT 120 requirement may be waived by passing a dedicated proficiency exam, or by credit earned for advanced math coursework at DePaul (MAT 135MAT 136MAT 147MAT 148MAT 149MAT 150MAT 151MAT 152MAT 155MAT 156MAT 160MAT 161MAT 162MAT 170MAT 171MAT 172, or equivalent) or any transfer, CLEP, IB, or AP Calculus credit. Calculus course(s) may be used to fulfil any of the three QR/MCD requirements.

Learning Domains

Arts and Literature (AL)

  • 2 Courses Required

Historical Inquiry (HI)

  • 2 Courses Required

Math and Computing (MC)

  • 2 Courses Required
    [1 CR Course and 1 SR Course]

Philosophical Inquiry (PI)

  • 2 Courses Required

Religious Dimensions (RD)

  • 2 Courses Required

Scientific Inquiry (SI)

  • 2 Courses Required
    [1 Lab Course and 1 SWK Course]​

Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry (SCBI)

  • 2 Courses Required

Note

Courses offered in the student's primary major cannot be taken to fulfill LSP Domain requirements. If students double major, LSP Domain courses may double count for both LSP credit and the second major. Students who choose to take an experiential learning course offered by the major may count it either as a major requirement or the Experiential Learning requirement.

In meeting learning domain requirements, no more than one course that is outside the student’s major and is cross-listed with a course within the student’s major, can be applied to count for LSP domain credit. This policy does not apply to those who are pursuing a double major or earning BFA or BM degrees.

Major Requirements

Course Requirements

Course Title Quarter Hours
Communication Methods
Select one of the following:4
STATISTICS IN HUMAN COMMUNICATION
RESEARCH METHODS
AUDIO DOCUMENTARY
CULTURAL AND SYMBOLIC CRITICISM
RESEARCHING RELATIONSHIPS
COMMUNICATION FIELDWORK
CULTURES IN CONVERSATION
SOCIAL MEDIA RESEARCH METHODS
SOUND AND VISION
SOUND AND VISION
APPLIED RESEARCH METHODS IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES
Presentation Skills
Select one of the following:4
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION
PERFORMANCE: COMMUNICATION, CREATIVITY AND THE BODY
TOPICS IN PERFORMANCE
STORYTELLING: COMMUNICATION AS NARRATIVE
PERFORMANCE OF GENDER & SEXUALITY
EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEWING
ARGUMENTATION, ADVOCACY, AND DELIBERATION
PERFORMANCE FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
PERFORMANCE OF HUMOR
PERFORMANCE OF RITUAL
Communication Studies Electives
Select five of the following:20
ADOBE CREATIVE CLOUD WORKSHOP (2.0 quarter hours) 2
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR COMMUNICATION INTERNSHIP
COMMUNICATION INTERNSHIP SPECIAL TOPICS
RESEARCH PRACTICUM 1
INDEPENDENT STUDY 1
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION
COMMUNICATION, CULTURE AND COMMUNITY
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN TEAMS AND SMALL GROUPS
HOW LANGUAGE WORKS: INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS
PERFORMANCE: COMMUNICATION, CREATIVITY AND THE BODY
ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION
INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL MEDIA SKILLS
STATISTICS IN HUMAN COMMUNICATION
COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP (VARIABLE TOPICS) (2.0 quarter hours)
RESEARCH METHODS
MUSIC INDUSTRIES AND CULTURE
AUDIO DOCUMENTARY
TOPICS IN ORGANIZATIONAL AND GROUP COMMUNICATION
COMMUNICATION, CODING & ENTREPRENEURSHIP
TOPICS IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES
TOPICS IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
INTERNATIONAL/GLOBAL COMMUNICATION
TOPICS IN RELATIONAL COMMUNICATION
EVOLUTION AND COMMUNICATION
NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
FAMILY COMMUNICATION
HEALTH COMMUNICATION
COMMUNICATION AND DECISION-MAKING IN GROUPS AND TEAMS
CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS
THE DARK SIDE OF PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
DECEPTIVE COMMUNICATION
CULTURAL AND SYMBOLIC CRITICISM
SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
CULTURE OF CONSUMPTION
PROMOTING SUSTAINABILITY
ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND RHETORIC
RESEARCHING RELATIONSHIPS
HISTORY OF RHETORIC AND COMMUNICATION
PERSUASION
TOPICS IN PERFORMANCE
COMMUNICATION FIELDWORK
CULTURES IN CONVERSATION
URBAN COMMUNICATION
LATINX COMMUNICATION, ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY BUILDING
STORYTELLING: COMMUNICATION AS NARRATIVE
ASIAN-AMERICAN MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS
ASIAN CULTURE AND COMMUNICATION
PERFORMANCE OF GENDER & SEXUALITY
COMMUNICATING & DATING
COMMUNICATION NETWORKS IN A DIGITAL AGE
LIVING ONLINE
WORK/FAMILY COMMUNICATION
MINDFULNESS
THE DARK WEB
SOCIAL MEDIA RESEARCH METHODS
THE POLITICS OF HIP HOP CULTURE
COMMUNICATING HEALTH, RACE AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
DIGITAL MEDIA LAW AND ETHICS
TOPICS IN COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION FOR THE HUMAN RESOURCES PROFESSIONAL
COMMUNICATION AND THE CORPORATE CULTURE
COMMUNICATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEWING
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
COMMUNICATION CONSULTING
DARK SIDE OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION
DIVERSITY, LEADERSHIP, & TEAM BUILDING
THE FUTURE OF REMOTE AND VIRTUAL TEAMS
RELATIONAL, GROUP, AND ORGANIZATIONAL THEORY
GENDER AND COMMUNICATION
SOUND AND VISION
CLIMATE CHANGE COMMUNICATION
ARGUMENTATION, ADVOCACY, AND DELIBERATION
COMMUNICATION, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
PERFORMANCE FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
PERFORMANCE OF HUMOR
PERFORMANCE OF RITUAL
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION, POWER, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
APPLIED RESEARCH METHODS IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES
COMMUNICATION STUDIES PRACTICUM (2.0 quarter hours)
Electives
Select three electives (12 credits) from any College of Communication offering12
1

Students may take up to 4 hours of credit in this course toward graduation requirements. 

2

A maximum of 8 credits from two credit College of Communication courses may be applied to major requirements. 

​Internship Credit

Students in the major may take CMN 394 and/or CMN 395 (when work relates to the major). In order to take CMN 394 or CMN 395, students must have completed two of the four communication core classes (CMN 101CMN 102, CMN 103, CMN 104), two courses in the chosen major and have fulfilled internship program eligibility requirements.

Open Electives

Open elective credit also is required to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 hours.