Learn More and ApplyCommunication and Technology (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:

  • Students will be able to explain how digital technology has affected communication practices across a range of subjects and disciplines.
  • Students will be able to compare new technological practices and evaluate changes in technological practices across a range of communication subjects.
  • Students will be able to demonstrate key competencies in video production, audio production, graphic design, and other technologies within digital media arts.
  • Students will be able to identify the underlying ethical issues that the advent of digital technology has brought to contemporary society.

College Core Requirements 

Modern Language Requirement 

Language for Liberal Studies 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.

Language For Liberal Studies Option

The Language for Liberal Studies 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. Language for Liberal Studies waivers cannot be applied to courses in the Math and Computing Domain or courses in the Scientific Inquiry domain. Modern Language courses with an E-designation are taught in English and may not be applied to the Language for Liberal Studies 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
Multiculturalism in the US
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. Students who complete MAT 120 and both a Computational Reasoning course and a Statistical Reasoning course in the Math and Computing Learning Domain take one less Learning Domain course. Students may not apply the course reduction to any Domain where only one course is required, and cannot be applied to the Scientific Inquiry Learning Domain.  The MAT 120 requirement may be waived by passing a dedicated proficiency exam or it may be fulfilled by credit for advanced math coursework earned  in-residence at DePaul (MAT 135MAT 136MAT 147MAT 148MAT 149MAT 150MAT 151MAT 152 MAT 155MAT 156MAT 160MAT 161MAT 162 MAT 170MAT 171MAT 172, or equivalent) or earned externally either as transfer credit from another college/university or as test credit through AP, CLEP, IB, or International A and A/S Level exams. Calculus course(s) may be used to fulfill 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

Four Required Courses (16 hours)

Course Title Quarter Hours
CMNS 280INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL MEDIA SKILLS4
CMNS 349DIGITAL MEDIA LAW AND ETHICS4
CMNS 366COMMUNICATION, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY4
or MPOP 366 COMMUNICATION, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
WRD 201DIGITAL WRITING4

Six Additional Courses (24 hours)

A minimum of three of these additional classes (12 hours) but no more than five classes (20 hours) must be from the Professional Skills category. A minimum of one class (4 hours) but no more than three classes (12 hours) must be from a focus area in either the Social Media, Cultural Impact of Technology, or Communication, Technology, and Ethics categories. No more than four of these courses (16 hours) can be taken outside of the College of Communication.

Professional Skills (at least 12 hours but no more than 20 hours)

Course Title Quarter Hours
ADOBE CREATIVE CLOUD WORKSHOP 2
ADOBE INDESIGN (2.0 quarter hours) 2
ADOBE AUDITION (2.0 quarter hours) 2
ADOBE PREMIERE VIDEO EDITING (2.0 quarter hours) 2
RESEARCH PRACTICUM 1
SOCIAL MEDIA RESEARCH METHODS
PHOTOJOURNALISM
NEWSCAST PRODUCING
ADVANCED MULTIMEDIA REPORTING
TOPICS IN JOURNALISM
SPECIAL TOPICS IN JOURNALISM (Data Journalism or Journalism by Numbers)
ADVANCED PHOTOJOURNALISM
TOPICS IN MEDIA PRODUCTION
DIGITAL ADVERTISING
SPECIAL TOPICS IN PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ADVERTISING (Department approval required contingent on topic)
DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION II
FOUNDATIONS OF CINEMA FOR MAJORS
FOUNDATIONS OF CINEMA FOR NON-MAJORS
DIGITAL CINEMA PRODUCTION I
GRAPHIC DESIGN: FORM
WEB DEVELOPMENT I
WEB DEVELOPMENT II
EDITING I
SOUND DESIGN I
INTRODUCTION TO USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN
PROTOTYPING METHODS I
TECHNICAL WRITING
WRITING WITH PHOTOGRAPHS
WRITER'S TOOLS WORKSHOP (Department approval required contingent on topic)
WRITING AND METADATA
DIGITAL STORYTELLING

Focus Area (at least 4 hours but no more than 12 hours)

Social Media
Course Title Quarter Hours
INDEPENDENT STUDY 1
TOPICS IN RELATIONAL COMMUNICATION
COMMUNICATION NETWORKS IN A DIGITAL AGE
SOCIAL MEDIA & THE NEWS
FROM FIREFLIES TO FACEBOOK: THE SCIENCE OF NETWORKS
VIRTUAL WORLDS AND ONLINE COMMUNITIES
Cultural Impact of Technology
Course Title Quarter Hours
INDEPENDENT STUDY 1
TOPICS IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES
TOPICS IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
LIVING ONLINE
TOPICS IN COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY
INTRODUCTION TO DOCUMENTARY STUDIES
TOPICS IN FILM STUDIES
TOPICS IN NEW MEDIA
HISTORY OF LITERACIES AND WRITING
DIGITAL CULTURE
SEMIOTICS
VISUAL RHETORIC
Communication, Technology, and Ethics 
Course Title Quarter Hours
INDEPENDENT STUDY 1
THE DARK WEB
JOURNALISM LAW AND ETHICS
MEDIA ETHICS
ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS ETHICS
ETHICS OF PUBLIC AND PROFESSIONAL WRITING
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.