Nov 21, 2024  
Undergraduate Catalog 2024-2025 
    
Undergraduate Catalog 2024-2025

Business Communication, BA


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For more information about the Communication and Media department, visit its website.


Business Communication courses focus on three core goals for students: to develop strong oral and written communication skills, to learn a range of strategies relating to interpersonal, intercultural, gender, and small group communication–all necessary for effective leadership within organizations–and most importantly, to understand the commanding role that integrated and aligned communication strategies play in the modern business environment in the digital age. Additionally, emphasis is placed on the development of both persuasive communication techniques and the use of graphics and visual presentations software to create highly professional presentations. Students receive a strong foundation of coursework in a broad range of communication strategies and theories to develop enhanced team building and leadership skills necessary in a modern professional environment. Courses explore the importance of effective intercultural communication, the development of interpersonal leadership skills, and the role of social media and technology in the modern marketplace.

Department Core Courses


A student wishing to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Communication must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 36 credits from the department’s course offerings.  Included among these 36 credits are five core courses required for all Department of Communication and Media majors:

Business Communication Requirements


To the department core courses, the following requirements are added for Business Communication majors:

In consultation with an advisor, Business Communication majors choose three (3) additional COMM courses for a total of nine (9) credits. 

Business Communication Curriculum


   Department and Number - Descriptive Course Title Fall Cr. Spr. Cr.

 First Year

   
 GE EP LEVEL I - GE EP LEVEL II/MAJOR  COMM 108 - (FYW) Essential Writing Skills 1COMM 205 - (EPW) Writing for Communication   3 3
 MAJOR - GE EP LEVEL I/MAJOR  COMM 101 - Communication and Society  —  COMM 112 - (FYOC, FYDT) Foundations of Public Speaking   3 3
 GE FREE ELECT  FREE ELECT - Free Elective 3  
 GE HUMN  (CH, CL, CA, CF, CI)  HUMN ELECT - Humanities Electives 3 3
 GE S/BH  S/BH ELECT - Social/Behavioral Elective   3
 GE PHIL - T/RS  PHIL 120 - Introduction to Philosophy  — T/RS 121 - (P) Theology I: Introduction to the Bible   3 3
 GE EP LEVEL I  First Year Seminar2    
                                  15 15

 Second Year

   
 MAJOR/ EP Level II - MAJOR  COMM 210 - (EPW) Logical and Rhetorical Analysis  —  COMM 215 - Introduction to Communication Theory   3 3
 MAJOR  COMM 230 - Principles of Business Communication   3  
 MAJOR ELECT  COMM ELECT - Communication Elective 3  
 MAJOR FREE ELECT  FREE ELECT - Free Electives   6
 GE HUMN  (CH, CL, CA, CF, CI) HUMN ELECT - Humanities Elective   3
 GE PHIL - T/RS  PHIL 210 - Ethics  — T/RS 122 - (P) Theology II: Introduction to Christian Theology   3 3
 GE S/BH  S/BH ELECT - Social Behavioral Elective 3  
    15 15

 Third Year

   
 MAJOR  COMM 315 - The Art of the Pitch  — COMM 228 - (D) Intercultural Communication   3 3
 MAJOR ELECT  MAJOR ELECT - Communication Elective   3
 GE FREE ELECT  FREE ELECT - Free Electives 6 6
 GE QUAN  COMM 240 - (Q) Communications Research Methods 3   3
 GE PHIL - T/RS  PHIL ELECT - Philosophy Elective or T/RS ELECT - T/RS elective 3  
 GE NSCI  NSCI ELECT - Natural Science Electives 3 3
    15 15

 Fourth Year

                               
 MAJOR ELECT - MAJOR  COMM ELECT - Communication Elective — COMM 430 - Advanced Business Communication Strategies   3 3
 FREE ELECT  FREE ELECT - Free Electives4 9 9
 GE HUMN  (CH, CL, CA, CF, CI) HUMN ELECT - Humanities Elective 3  
 GE NSCI  NSCI ELECT - Natural Science Elective   3
    15 15
 

Total: 120 Credits

1The Department of Communication & Media prefers students fulfill (FYW) requirements by completing COMM 108 . However WRTG 107  or WRTG 105  and WRTG 106  may be substituted.

2The selection of a First Year Seminar is likely to fulfill requirements both for the First Year Seminar and a General Education Requirement. Talk with your advisor if you have any questions.

3The Department of Communication & Media prefers students fulfill the (Q) requirement by completing COMM 240 . However, another (Q) course may be substituted.

4The Communication Department & Media strongly recommends complete 3-6 credits of a credit-satisfactory (CS) internship in the GE free elective area.

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