Majoring in Communication Studies

Majors in the Department of Communication Studies must take a total of thirty credit hours in the department, including three of the four courses identified as core courses and at least three courses numbered 400 or higher (400-600 are considered upper-level undergraduate courses and 700 and above are graduate level courses). The core courses are COMM 120, 140, 160, and 270. Students must successfully complete these core requirements with a C or better. The core courses also serve as prerequisites for further work within each concentration.

Additionally, each major must have a coherent program of study, defined as at least four courses in an area of study/concentration identified by the department, or at least four courses selected and justified by the student and approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Option A: Pre-Selected Concentrations in Communication Studies

Students should select one of the following concentrations and take a minimum of four courses within that concentration. Note: core courses do not count as one of the four required courses within the selected concentration.

Interpersonal and Organizational Communication (Note: COMM 120 is a prerequisite for most of the IOC courses; consult course descriptions.)

COMM 223 (MNGT 223) Small Group Communication

COMM 224 (WMST 224) Gender and Communication

COMM 312 Persuasion

COMM 325 (MNGT 325) Introduction to Organizational Communication

COMM 410 Introduction to Quantitative Research

COMM 411 Introduction to Critical Perspectives

COMM 521 Communication and Social Memory

COMM 525 Organizational Communication

COMM 522 Family Communication

COMM 523 Communication and Leadership

COMM 526 Nonverbal Communication

COMM 620 Theory of Interpersonal Communication

COMM 629 Topics in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication

Media Studies and Production (Note: COMM 140 is a prerequisite for most of the Media courses; consult course descriptions.)

COMM 130 Introduction to Media Production

COMM 142 Popular Music

COMM 230 Audio/Film/Video Production and Writing

COMM 330 Introduction to Writing for Film and Television

COMM 411 Introduction to Critical Perspectives

COMM 431 Advanced Audio Production

COMM 432 Directing for Media

COMM 434 Minorities and the Media

COMM 440 Mass Media Criticism and Theory

COMM 441 Audio Theory and Criticism

COMM 450 Popular Culture

COMM 532 Media Acting and Performance

COMM 534 Narrative Production

COMM 543 History of National Media in the West

COMM 544 Communication and Information Technologies

COMM 546 History of Film I (1895-1945)

COMM 547 History of Film II (1945 - present)

COMM 553 Community and Media

COMM 635 Documentary Production

COMM 636 (ART 406) Interactive Media

COMM 639 Special Topics in Media Production

COMM 645 The Documentary Idea

COMM 649 Third World Media

COMM 651 Contemporary International Film/Television

COMM 656 Women and Film

COMM 658 Latin American Cinema

COMM 659 Special Topics in Media Studies

Performance Studies (Note: COMM 160 is a prerequisite for most of the Performance courses; consult course descriptions.)

COMM 162 Oral Traditions

COMM 260 Introduction to Group Performance

COMM 261 Performance of African/African-American Literature

COMM 364 Production Practices

COMM 411 Introduction to Critical Perspectives

COMM 464 Poetry in Performance

COMM 466 Narrative Fiction in Performance

COMM 561 (WMST 561) Performance of Literature by Women of Color

COMM 562 (WMST 562, HIST 562) Oral History and Performance

COMM 563 Performance of Children’s Literature

COMM 565 (FOLK 565) Ritual, Theatre, and Performance in Everyday Life

COMM 566 Narrative in Fiction and Film

COMM 660 Group Performance

COMM 667 The Politics of Performance

COMM 669 Special Topics in Performance Studies

Rhetorical Studies (Note: COMM 270 is a suggested first course for all Rhetorical COMM courses; consult course descriptions.)

COMM 171 Argumentation and Debate

COMM 312 Persuasion

COMM 372 The Rhetoric of Social Movements

COMM 374 The Southern Experience in Rhetoric

COMM 375 (ENST 375) Environmental Advocacy

COMM 376 (PWAD 376) The Rhetoric of War and Peace

COMM 411 Introduction to Critical Perspectives

COMM 470 Political Communication

COMM 571 Rhetorical Theory and Practice

COMM 572 Public Policy Argumentation

COMM 573 The American Experience in Rhetoric

COMM 574 (PWAD 574) War and Culture

COMM 675 (ENST 675) Environmental Communication and the Public Sphere

COMM 679 Special Topics in Rhetoric and Cultural Studies

Option B: Specialized Concentration in Communication Studies

A student may create her or his own concentration by selecting at least four courses that constitute a coherent program of study. The courses selected in this option must be justified by the student and must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies.

Option C: Concentration in Speech and Hearing Sciences

Students majoring in Communication Studies with a concentration in speech and hearing sciences shall take the following sequence for their concentration:

COMM 530 (SPHS 530) recommended spring of junior year

COMM 540 (SPHS 540) recommended fall of senior year

COMM 570 (SPHS 570) recommended fall of junior year

COMM 582 (SPHS 582) recommended spring of junior year

Three COMM electives

Also, the following courses are strongly recommended in accordance with the pre-professional standards for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (www.med.unc.edu/ahs/sphs/):

Fall Junior Year

LING 101 or PSYC 432 (Prerequisites of PSYC 230 or LING 101 or LING 400)

Fall Senior Year

LING 523

Spring Senior Year

STOR 151 or PSYC 210

Minoring in Communication Studies

The only minor currently offered in the department of Communication Studies is the Writing for the Screen and Stage Minor. Strong skills in creative writing and English are required,  and there is an application process for interested students.