Nov 08, 2024

2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog

2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog This is not the most recent catalog version; be sure you are viewing the appropriate catalog year.

Communication [BA] - MiTransfer Pathway

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This major is built to facilitate the transferral of courses to Eastern Michigan University, from participating community colleges in Michigan. Faculty from across the state identified courses a student may take in the first and second year of the bachelor’s degree programs at all participating universities.

The MiTransfer Pathways courses in communication are:

Public Speaking (COMM 124 ) Approved Courses	Small Group Communication (COMM 359 ) Approved Courses
Interpersonal Communication (COMM 227 ) Approved Courses

Faculty also identified Remaining Degree Requirements, which include courses that students can transfer from the community college. These courses are noted below.

Unless otherwise noted, only courses deemed equivalent by EMU faculty may satisfy major requirements. For a list of applicable courses, see “Approved Courses” links or Transfer Equivalencies. Please see “Critical Graduation Information” below for additional policies governing transfer credit. For other options, please see Communication [BA] .

The undergraduate program in Communication, leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree, is one of the largest programs in the College of Arts and Sciences. As a student in Communication, you’ll explore the impact and influence of communication in personal, professional, and public contexts and learn the fundamentals and techniques that give effective communication the power to inform and to persuade.

Learn

The Communication Major engages students in lifelong learning that addresses socially and globally pressing communication challenges through scholarly, creative, critical, and practical curriculum and instruction. It prepares undergraduate students for careers as ethical communicators with a broad understanding of contemporary communication issues and with skills that are adaptable to a variety of contexts. The following are the Programmatic Student Learning Outcomes for the Communication Major:

Students will be able to conduct a critical analysis of various communication messages.
Students will be able to apply communication theory and concepts to various situational forms of message production.
Students will be able to apply ethical principles to various communicative acts.
Using communication strategies, students will be responsive to the needs of the community.
Students’ communication choices will demonstrate respect and dignity for all human experiences.

Opportunities

Communication majors have the opportunity to further develop and refine their communication skills through participating in our internship program, the Undergraduate Research Symposium, academic service-learning courses, and our nationally ranked forensics team. Many of our Communication graduates have gone on to challenging careers in advertising, business administration, government, health services, human resources, management, marketing, politics, public relations, and social services. Others have found a degree in communication to be excellent preparation for advanced studies in law or pursuing communication-related graduate programs.

School Information

Communication, Media & Theatre Arts 124 Judy Sturgis Hill, 734.487.6846

Lee Stille, PhD., Director

Advisor Information

Francine Parker Advising Center (College of Arts & Sciences)

120 Student Center, 734.487.4599

Make an appointment

Student Eligibility

A student’s eligibility to graduate from this major is determined by the following.

Apply and granted admission to Eastern Michigan University (emich.edu/admissions).
A completed associate degree, certificate, or adequate coursework. Students eligible to follow an articulation agreement typically transfer 60 credit hours to EMU. Eligible students who transferred in less than 60 credit hours had unique circumstances and were granted permission to follow the articulation agreement by the Director of Community College Relations (emich.edu/ccr).

Interested students should meet with their community college advisor for information on following the articulation agreement before transferring to EMU. After transferring to EMU, a student must consult with the Community College Relations Office to confirm eligibility.

General Education Requirements

The MiTransfer Pathways builds on the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA). The MTA allows transfer students to select designated courses to complete a minimum of 30 credit hours fulfilling MTA distribution requirements. Students following MiTransfer Pathway agreements should complete the MTA in accordance with the sending institutions’ course designations and consider whether or not any recommended MiTransfer Pathways major-specific courses will “double count” to fulfill MTA distribution requirements in planning their transfer. Be aware that “double count” policies differ from institution to institution. More information about the MTA is available at www.mitransfer.org.

The MTA Mathematics distribution area allows students to complete one of three math pathways. The Communication MiTransfer Pathways faculty recommended that students complete a course in either the Quantitative Reasoning (QR) or Statistics pathways.

Students who do not have “MTA Satisfied” on their community college transcript, will be required to satisfy EMU’s general education requirements as applied to transfer students. For specific General Education requirements, click here or print a General Education Worksheet .

Major Requirements: 36 hours

Foundation Courses: 15 hours

COMM 124 Foundations of Speech Communication [GEEC] 3 hrs
or satisfied by these approved courses
Cultural Communication | One course from the following
COMM 260 Gender Communication [GEUS] 3 hrs
or satisfied by these approved courses
COMM 274 Intercultural Communication [GEGA] 3 hrs
or satisfied by these approved courses
COMM 275 Interracial/Interethnic Communication [GEUS] 3 hrs
Public Communication | One course from the following
COMM 224 Advanced Public Speaking 3 hrs
COMM 340 Communication Ethics 3 hrs
COMM 350 Persuasion 3 hrs
COMM 356 Argumentation and Debate 3 hrs
Relational Communication | One course from the following
COMM 225 Listening Behavior [GEKS] 3 hrs
or satisfied by these approved courses
COMM 226 Nonverbal Communication [GEKS] 3 hrs
or satisfied by these approved courses
COMM 227 Interpersonal Communication [GEKS] 3 hrs
or satisfied by these approved courses
Organizational Communication | One course from the following
COMM 354 Organizational Communication 3 hrs
COMM 359 Small Group Communication 3 hrs
or satisfied by these approved courses
COMM 370 Nonprofit Organizational Communication 3 hrs

Advanced Theory and Research: 6 hours

Two courses from the following
COMM 440W Analyzing Communication in Civic Life [GEWI] 3 hrs
COMM 460W Rhetorical Criticism [GEWI] 3 hrs
COMM 475W Introduction to Communication Research [GEWI] 3 hrs
COMM 485W Communication Theory [GEWI] 3 hrs

Capstone Experience: 3 hours

COMM 495L2 Communication Capstone [GELB] 3 hrs This course is restricted to Communication Majors

Restricted Elective Courses: 12 hours

Twelve hours from the following (courses taken above may not also count towards this requirement)
COMM 224 Advanced Public Speaking 3 hrs
COMM 225 Listening Behavior [GEKS] 3 hrs
or satisfied by these approved courses
COMM 226 Nonverbal Communication [GEKS] 3 hrs
or satisfied by these approved courses
COMM 227 Interpersonal Communication [GEKS] 3 hrs
COMM 260 Gender Communication [GEUS] 3 hrs
or satisfied by these approved courses
COMM 274 Intercultural Communication [GEGA] 3 hrs
or satisfied by these approved courses
COMM 275 Interracial/Interethnic Communication [GEUS] 3 hrs
COMM 310 Health Communication 3 hrs
COMM 330 Relational Communication 3 hrs
COMM 340 Communication Ethics 3 hrs
COMM 350 Persuasion 3 hrs
COMM 352 Communication in Negotiation 3 hrs
COMM 354 Organizational Communication 3 hrs
COMM 356 Argumentation and Debate 3 hrs
COMM 357 Interviewing as Communication 3 hrs
COMM 359 Small Group Communication 3 hrs
COMM 370 Nonprofit Organizational Communication 3 hrs
COMM 371 Professional Networking 3 hrs
COMM 372 Assertive Communication 3 hrs
COMM 373 Family Communication 3 hrs
COMM 376 Conflict Management 3 hrs
COMM 379 Special Topics 3 hrs
COMM 440W Analyzing Communication in Civic Life [GEWI] 3 hrs
COMM 460W Rhetorical Criticism [GEWI] 3 hrs
COMM 475W Introduction to Communication Research [GEWI] 3 hrs
COMM 485W Communication Theory [GEWI] 3 hrs
No more than six credit hours from the following courses:
COMM 387L4 Cooperative Education in Communication [GELB] 1 hr
COMM 388L4 Cooperative Education in Communication [GELB] 2 hrs
COMM 389L4 Cooperative Education in Communication [GELB] 3 hrs
COMM 407 Directing the Secondary Communication and Theatre Co-Curriculum 3 hrs
COMM 487L4 Internship in Communication [GELB] 1 hr
COMM 488L4 Internship in Communication [GELB] 2 hrs
COMM 489L4 Internship in Communication [GELB] 3 hrs
COMM 497 Independent Study 1 hr
COMM 498 Independent Study 2 hrs
COMM 499 Independent Study 3 hrs
CTAA 166 Forensics 1 hr
CTAA 266 Forensics 1 hr
CTAA 366 Forensics 1 hr
CTAA 466 Forensics 1 hr
Alternate department courses. No more than three credit hours substituted for a restricted elective:
CTAO 205 Voice and Articulation 3 hrs
CTAO 210 Interpretative Reading [GEKH] 3 hrs
CTAT 238 Mobile Technologies in the Global South 3 hrs
CTAT 241 Broadcasting Announcing 3 hrs

Minor Requirement:

This major requires a minor. Please see Programs for a list of available minors or contact your major advisor.

Program Total:

Students must earn a minimum total of 120 credits at the 100-level or above. If sufficient credits hours are not transferred in, additional EMU credits must be completed to reach the minimum of 120 credit hours required to graduate.

Critical Graduation Information

Each undergraduate student will be responsible for fulfilling the requirements (or their equivalents) of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration at a college or university or a subsequent catalog, including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

In the event an undergraduate student does not complete the degree requirements within seven years of the date of their original registration at a college or university, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their major/minor in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

Minimum requirements for all bachelor’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University

Some majors and minors require more than the minimum in one or more of the areas below; students are urged to consult this catalog for the requirements of their particular programs.

Earn a minimum total of 120 credit hours at the 100-level and above.
- Courses numbered below 100 are not counted toward this degree requirement.
- At most, eight credit hours of physical education (PEGN) activity courses are counted toward this requirement.
Meet the requirements of the General Education program (see information below), including completing a Writing Intensive (GEWI) course in the student’s major.
Earn a minimum of 60 credits from a four-year college or university; courses taken at community colleges cannot be used to meet this requirement (Some formal program-to-program articulation agreements modify this requirement. See specific agreements for details).
Earn a minimum of 30 credits from courses taken at EMU.
Complete 10 of the last 30 hours for the degree from courses taken at EMU.
Have a minimum of 30 unique credit hours in their major and 20 unique credit hours in their minor for a total of at least 50 unique credit hours between them. Some majors that require 50 or more hours themselves do not require a minor. A double major automatically satisfies the need for a minor unless one of the two majors requires a specific minor. Students should check the requirements of the selected major in the undergraduate catalog to see if a minor is required.
Earn no more than 60 credit hours in one subject area (prefix). Credits over the 60 maximum will not be counted toward the minimum of 120 credits required for a bachelor’s degree.
Earn the minimum number of credits in 300-level and above courses in each major and minor as specified below - these credits must be earned in distinct courses; that is, no course can be used to fulfill this requirement in more than one major or minor.
- Earn a minimum of 6 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each minor
- Earn a minimum of 9 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that requires a minor.
- Earn a minimum of 15 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that does not require a minor
Transfer credit will be awarded for courses taken at colleges and universities that are accredited by one of the recognized regional accrediting bodies only if the courses are college-level (equated to 100-level or above at EMU) and the student earned a “C” (or 2.0 on a 4 point scale) or better. Transfer credit may be awarded on a case-by-case basis for college-level courses in which a “C” (2.0) or better was earned at institutions outside the U.S. or at non-accredited U.S. institutions; individual departments/schools conduct the internal review of such courses within EMU, and additional documentation may be required. Please note: EMU awards only credit for transferred courses; grades are not used to calculate an EMU GPA.
Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken at EMU to graduate. In addition, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be reached in each major and minor. Only courses a student takes at EMU and those applied to their major or minor are used to calculate their major and minor cumulative GPAs. (Note: some programs may require a higher GPA - check with your program advisor.)

General Education Requirements - EMU’s General Education Program requires students to choose from a menu of approved courses in several different areas; do not assume that other courses in the same department or similar names will fulfill these requirements. A detailed description of General Education requirements is available in the General Education section of the catalog.

Students who transferred to EMU may have modified general education requirements based on Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) or articulation agreements; consult your academic advisor for additional information.