Degree Requirements 2023-2024
Communication Studies Major, Bachelor of Arts
For transfer students, at least six of these courses must be taken at Augsburg.
Required of all Communication Studies majors:
- One of COM 111, COM 115, or COM 117
- COM 111 – Public Speaking
- COM 115 – Scientific and Technical Public Speaking
- COM 117 – Business and Professional Speaking
- COM 254 – Interpersonal Communication
- COM 301 – Research Methods in Communication Studies
- COM 329 – Intercultural Communication
- COM 351 – Argumentation
- COM 490 – Keystone: Critical Conversations about Vocation
- Complete one of the following concentrations
- Strategic Communication
- COM 290 – Writing for Strategic Communication
- COM 328 – Multimedia Communication
- COM 330 – Crisis Communication
- COM 380 – Strategic Communication Campaigns
- Applied Communication
- COM 305 – Interviewing
- COM 345 – Organizational Communication
- COM 352 – Persuasion
- COM 355 – Small Group Communication
- Complete two additional electives, including at least one numbered 300 or above, chosen from:
- COM 120 – Mass Media and Popular Culture
- COM 180 – Introduction to Communication Studies
- COM 260 – Environmental Communication
- COM 295 – Topics
- COM 299 – Directed Study
- COM 310 – Family Communication
- COM 333 – Nonverbal Communication
- COM 399 – Internship
- COM 415 – Diversity and Representation in the Media
- COM 495 – Communication Topics
- COM 499 – Independent Study
- NMS 230 – Social Media
Strategic Communication Concentration
Strategic communication focuses on the creation and evaluation of messages in the fields of journalism, public relations, advertising and marketing. Professionals in strategic communication have an understanding in how research drives both message creation and the assessment of the effectiveness of those messages. The impact of messages on various audiences is an integral part of this concentration. Strategic communication emphasizes strong written, oral, and visual communication skills.
Applied Communication Concentration
Applied communication is a versatile concentration that prepares communication professionals for a wide range of careers and practices. Courses in this concentration will prepare students for careers in business and management, human relations, nonprofit programming and operations, and community organizing. Students will develop skills that make them more effective and ethical practitioners of communication in one-on-one situations, in working groups and teams, and in organizational contexts. The applied communication concentration emphasizes relationship building as a key component of effective communication.
Communication Arts/Literature Teacher Licensure Major
This major, which includes secondary education coursework and student teaching requirements in the Education Department, offers students the preparation necessary to become teachers of communication arts and literature in public schools and allows them to become licensed to teach at the middle school through the secondary level. Recommendation for teacher licensure is granted only to students who complete the requirements for this program with a minimum grade of C- in major courses and with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 in the major. All requirements in the major must be completed prior to student teaching. The course requirements for this program are listed in the English Department section of the catalog.
Departmental Honors
Departmental Honors is designed to encourage overall excellence as well as outstanding achievement on a specific project of special interest to the student. Departmental Honors students must maintain a 3.50 GPA in the major and a 3.00 GPA overall, and, as part of their major program, complete a substantial independent project of honors quality (COM 499 registration). Honors candidates should meet with their faculty mentor prior to their senior year to develop a proposal for the honors project.
Communication Studies Minor
For transfer students, at least three of these six courses must be courses completed at Augsburg.
Six courses including:
- COM 111 – Public Speaking
- COM 180- Introduction to Communication Studies
- COM 329 – Intercultural Communication
- COM 351 – Argumentation
- Two elective courses chosen from the following 4-credit courses:
- COM 120 – Mass Media and Popular Culture
- COM 243 – Studio Production
- COM 247 – Documentary History and Theory
- COM 254 – Interpersonal Communication
- COM 260 – Environmental Communication
- COM 301 – Research Methods in Communication Studies
- COM 299 – Directed Study
- COM 333 – Nonverbal Communication
- COM 345 – Organizational Communication
- COM 352 – Persuasion
- COM 355 – Small Group Communication
- COM 380 – Strategic Communication Campaigns
- COM 399 – Internship
- COM 415 – Diversity and Representation in the Media
- COM 490 – Keystone: Critical Conversations about Vocation
- COM 495 – Communication Topics
- COM 499 – Independent Study