College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Communication and Performance
Communication Studies Major Information
Department of Communication and Performance
ETSU Box 70667
Johnson City, TN 37614
(423) 439-7676
http://www.etsu.edu/cas/comm_perform/communication_studies/default.php
The communication studies major prepares students for work in a broad range of fields that require the ability to work with diverse populations and lead others, articulate ideas and arguments effectively, and critically analyze messages. The skills garnered from the speech major easily translate into careers in law, government, health administration, patient educator, family/patient advocate, social service, the ministry, public relations, sales, training and development, management, human resources, community liaison, customer relations, and the business world at large. Communication Studies majors are natural candidates for work in social justice, civic engagement, and diversity/equality efforts. Students will develop their skills as rhetorical critics and social scientists in the study and understanding of human communication. The department also provides a teacher education major in communication studies that requires 36 credit hours and a teaching minor that requires 24 credit hours.
Advising
Students with 0-59 earned credit hours:
Contact the Center for Advisement and Student Excellence (CASE) to schedule an appointment with your advisor. Visit the CASE website (http://www.etsu.edu/cas/case/) or call (423) 439-5602.
Students with 60 or more earned credit hours:
Contact Dr. Wesley Buerkle [buerkle@etsu.edu; (423) 439-7579] or Dr. Amber Kinser [kinsera@etsu.edu; (423) 439-7577] for advising.
Transfer Students
Transfer students majoring in communication studies should contact the chair of the department for advising as soon as possible. This will ensure that the student’s previous work will be coordinated efficiently with ETSU requirements.
For general information about the department or courses, contact Dr. Amber Kinser, Chair [kinsera@etsu.edu; (423) 439-7676].
General Program Information
To earn a degree from ETSU, there are specific course requirements established by ETSU, by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), by each college, and by each department. All students must meet the degree requirements at each of these levels outlined in the following list:
University-level Degree and Graduation Requirements
College of Arts and Sciences B.A. Degree Requirements
Students majoring in the College of Arts and Sciences must meet the following requirements for the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree. Some requirements must be taken in addition to the General Education Core, whereas others specify which courses from the General Education Core must be taken.
| Foreign Languages |
Completion of a foreign language course numbered 2020 or above with a grade of C- or better * ** |
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| Mathematics |
Specified General Education Core: MATH 1530 or MATH 1910 |
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| Non-U.S. History |
3 credit hours |
| * |
International Students whose native language is not English, and whose admission to ETSU requires them to take a standardized test of English as a foreign language (e.g., TOEFL), may substitute scores that meet the admission requirements for the foreign language requirement. |
| ** |
Consult the Literature and Language Department’s placement policy listed at www.etsu.edu/cas/litlang/documents/foreignlanguagerequirement.pdf and in the listing for Foreign Languages in this catalog. |
TBR General Education Requirements: 41 - 42 Credit Hours
Listed below are the categories and courses specified under TBR General Education Requirements. Note that certain courses are required for this degree, specific to this major. Thus, these courses will satisfy both a TBR General Education requirement AND a requirement of this major. (Other majors may require different General Education courses.) Where specific courses are required for this major, only those courses are listed under the category. If there are no specific major requirements for a category, all course options appear.
Communication
9 credits, consisting of 6 credits of written composition and 3 credits of oral communication.
Written Composition
Complete both of the following:
Oral Communication
Complete one of the following:
Humanities and Fine Arts
9 credits, consisting of 3 credits of literature, 3 credits of fine arts, and 3 credits of humanities electives.
Literature
Complete one of the following:
Fine Arts
Complete one of the following:
Humanities Electives
Complete one of the following:
Social and Behavioral Sciences
6 credits, consisting of two of the following:
History
6 credits, consisting of both of the following:
Natural Sciences
8 credits, consisting of two of the following (some require labs which are listed directly after the lecture):
(Note: Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in the College of Arts and Sciences must select 8 credit hours in a SINGLE laboratory science. Please see listing in College of Arts and Sciences B.S. Degree Requirements for options.)
Mathematics
Students will enroll in the appropriate general education math course during their first calendar year of enrollment at ETSU. Students required to complete learning support in mathematics must enroll in a learning support-designated section (L01-L99) of MATH 1530 during their first 15 hours at ETSU (not including summer) unless they are also required to complete learning support in reading or writing. Students needing learning support in reading or writing in addition to learning support in math should enroll in MATH 1530-Lxx immediately upon completing their other learning support requirements. Additional information may be found on the University Advisement Center website www.etsu.edu/uac/learningsupport/
Complete one of the following:
Communication Studies Major Course Requirements: 36 Credit Hours
Take the following:
One of the following research courses:
One of the following advanced presentation courses:
One of the following diversity courses:
Note:
SPCH 3346 may be used for advanced presentation or diversity but not both.The remaining 24 credit hours must come from SPCH courses of the student’s choosing, at least 18 of which must be at the 3000 or 4000 level. Please note, SPCH 1300 does not count toward the Communication Studies major requirements.
Minor: 18 - 24 Credit Hours
Electives: 0-16 Credit Hours
B.A. Foreign Language Requirements
The Bachelor of Arts degree requires completion of at least one foreign language course with a number of 2020 or higher with a grade of at least C-. Students may need prerequisites that could include courses numbered 1010, 1020, and/or 2010 to prepare for success in 2020.
Graduation Requirements
Graduation in this major/concentration requires a minimum of 120 credits, including General Education requirements, CSCI 1100 , college degree requirements, major requirements, and minor requirements.
Passing the CSCI 1100 proficiency test produces no credit, but satisfies the graduation requirement (see http://www.etsu.edu/cbat/computing/uit/). If the total credits from these areas are less than 120 credits, students may use free electives to complete the requirement.
Teacher Education
Students interested in pursuing a teacher education program for certification as a teacher will major in the subject they wish to teach and minor in Secondary Education. They should see their major advisor AND an advisor in the College of Education Office of Student Services, 321 Warf-Pickel Hall. The Teacher Education program has separate admission requirements, and teaching certification has these additional requirements:
- Professional Education requirements met through the Secondary Education Minor
- Fulfillment of Teaching Content Area requirements
- Successful completion of CUAI 4580 “Residency II”
- Praxis II for content area
- PLT Praxis
- Recommendation for Licensure
All students desiring to complete a teacher education or other public school licensure program (for initial licensure, add-on endorsement, or advanced study in education) must file a Declaration of Intent in the College of Education Office of Student Services, 321 Warf-Pickel Hall. The Declaration of Intent should be filed before 30 credit hours of coursework has been completed or, in the case of transfer and post-baccalaureate students, in the first semester at ETSU. Delay or failure to file the Declaration of Intent may result in incomplete advisement. Students who have not filed the Declaration of Intent will not be considered for admission to teacher education and may be ineligible to enroll in many professional education courses.
Total Credit Hours for Degree: 120
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