Communication: Area III

Area III: Communication and The Human Condition
(at least 15 credits)

Communication and the Human Condition involves the critical examination of the role of communication in creating, sustaining, and transforming the human condition - past, present and future. Students who choose this emphasis may be interested in professions such as education, international relations, social advocacy, the clergy, counseling, or human services, or in graduate study in areas such as communication, education, psychology. social work, or law.

Required Courses:

Communication majors who concentrate their studies in Communication and the Human Condition must complete a minimum of five (3-credit) courses including at least two of the following courses (at least one should be at the 300 level):

CO 201: Persuasion (prerequisite: CO 101)
CO 246: Family Communication (CO 200)
CO 248: Health Communication (CO 220 or 230)
CO 240: Intercultural Communication (CO 100 or IL 10)
CO 349: Topics in Constructing Social Identities

Elective Courses:

In addition to two required courses from the list above, students in this area must select a minimum of three other (3-credit) courses, at least one of which must be a CO course (beginning with the class of '07). These courses can be selected from departmental lists of appropriate electives, or students may propose a set of courses that meet their particular intellectual interests and career aspirations, as long as these courses relate to communication. Examples of relevant theoretical and applied courses include, but are not limited to:

CO 341: International Communication (prerequisite: CO 230)
CO 342: Technoculture and Information Society (CO 230)
CO 346: Communication & Spirituality
PY 248: Social Psychology
SO 162: Race, Gender, and Ethnic Relations

Related Minors:

Communication majors who concentrate their coursework in Communication and the Human Condition are encouraged to complete an academic minor such as Environmental Studies, Legal Studies, International Studies, Peace & Justice Studies, Psychology, Sociology/Anthropology, or Women's Studies (see Undergraduate Course Catalog for details on these programs). Those students who plan to complete a minor should choose their elective courses for their major wisely, realizing that courses selected for the major may "double-count" for some minor. Again, however, students must recognize that (a) the Department of Communication cannot control the course offerings of any other academic department/program within the University, and (b) an academic minor need not be completed to graduate. It is suggested that students who do not complete a related minor take all 10 of their major courses in the Communication Department.