BA in Communication Arts
Selinsgrove, USA
BA
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* November 1 — Early Action 1. November 15 — Early Decision. December 1 — Early Action 2. February 1 — Regular Decision admission application deadline; late applications welcome as space permits. March 1 — International Students
Key Summary
About: As a BA in Communication Arts you’ll build a flexible major that fits your interests. Faculty mentor you with personalized attention and intensive coursework so you’ll be job- and graduate-school ready. You’ll study audio and video production, advertising, public relations, fiction and nonfiction writing, sports media, research, and critical theory, gaining written and oral communication, multimedia production, editing, and storytelling skills. Clubs and outlets include WQSU-FM, The Lanthorn, Flagship, Lambda Pi Eta, Marketing Club, PRSSA, and The Quill.
Career Outcomes: Graduates can enter advertising, public relations, broadcasting, journalism, multimedia production, content strategy, social media management, copywriting, and communications.
For the comm major that wants it all
As a communication arts major, you’ll have the freedom to assemble your own degree track that aligns with your interests and talents. You’ll choose from an array of courses to follow your interests, develop your abilities and build your own experience. The range of communication skills you’ll learn will prepare you for a career in an infinite number of industries and roles.
Channel your creativity
You’ll take courses from different mass communication fields, including audio and video production, advertising and public relations, fiction and nonfiction writing, sports media, as well as research, and critical theory. With this holistic approach to cultivating your skills, you’ll develop strategies to communicate effectively in your future workplace.
Great for transfer students or double majors
Employers are hungry for employees with strong written and oral communication skills. Our communication arts major pairs well as a double major in a variety of fields — from business and creative writing to political science and psychology.
The flexibility built into this major program will allow you to stay on track to graduate while you explore your interests in the communication arts major.
Campus Opportunities
During your time at Susquehanna, you can practice your communication skills with our many clubs and publications.
- Association of Women in Sports Media
- Flagship—publication for creative work and photography
- The Lanthorn—Susquehanna’s yearbook
- Lambda Pi Eta—official honor society of the National Communication Association (NCA)
- Marketing Club
- Public Relations Student Society of America
- The Quill—student newspaper
- WQSU-FM—on-campus radio station
Requirements for Communications Arts Track
When you enroll at Susquehanna, you’ll be paired with an advisor and application tool to guide you in your course planning and scheduling. The following is an excerpt from the complete course catalog. Enrolled students follow the requirements of the course catalog for the academic year in which they declare each major and/or minor, consult with their advisor(s) and the Academic Planning Tool.
Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Communications
Susquehanna offers five degrees in Communications: Advertising and Public Relations; Broadcasting; Communication Studies; Journalism and Digital Content; and Sports Media. Majors complete university Central Curriculum requirements, plus 48 to 50 semester hours of courses in a selected degree plan. These include introductory courses, practica for learning skills, and specific emphasis requirements. A grade of C- or better is required for any course to apply to the major or minor. Courses may count toward only one degree or minor.
The department also expects communications majors and minors to participate each semester in related co-curricular activities. Options include WQSU-FM radio; The Quill student newspaper; The Lanthorn student yearbook; studio and remote video production with Lens Flare; the Paul Dannelley Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA); the Association for Women in Sports Media (AWSM), and other activities supervised by department faculty.
Communication Arts Track
Students fulfill the university Central Curriculum requirements, participate fully in departmental activities appropriate to their interests and successfully complete the following courses.
24 Department requirements
- 4 COMM-101 Essentials of Digital Media
- 2 COMM-102 Methods of Adobe Creative Suite
- 4 COMM-190 Intro Communication/Media Theory
- 4 COMM-192 Public Speaking
- 4 COMM-201 Ethics and Leadership
- 4 COMM-202 Digital Media Analytics
- 4 COMM-481 Media Law
2 Communication Arts Requirements
- 1 COMM-501 Practicum
- 1 COMM 501 Practicum
20 Department electives
- Chosen from communications courses
4 Capstone requirement
Chosen from the following courses (provided prerequisites have been met)
- 4 COMM-391 Team Communication
- 4 COMM-411 Public Relations Management
- 4 COMM 418 Advertising Campaigns
- 4 COMM-435 Feature Writing
- 4 COMM-482 Professional Digital Multimedia Production
- 4 COMM-499 Communication Studies Research Seminar
Honors
The departmental honors program encourages and recognizes outstanding performance in communications. To graduate with department honors, candidates must do the following:
- Complete major requirements under the guidance of a Communications Department faculty adviser, who agrees to serve as a sponsor at the student’s request,
- Petition the honors coordinator with a written honors proposal no later than the second to last week of the end of the junior year. The submission must be approved as honors quality by departmental faculty,
- Maintain a 3.70 cumulative GPA in department courses,
- Produce an acceptable written or production thesis based on one year of senior research/production work (COMM-503 Honors Study) beyond the required major track semester hours,
- Submit the thesis at least two weeks before graduation, and
- Successfully complete an oral defense of the honors thesis.
Honors work not meeting the required standards will be applied as a university elective course. Departmental honors may be taken separately from or in conjunction with the University Honors Program.
Honor Societies
Students who meet the requisite national and local standards are eligible to join the national honorary society Lamda Pi Eta (communications).
Communications Minors
Courses selected require a grade of C- or higher.
Double-counting restriction
Courses may count toward only one Communications degree or minor.
Courses Options
- COMM 101 Essentials of Digital Media, Credits: 4
- COMM 102 Methods of Adobe Creative Suite, Credits: 2
- COMM 131 Introduction to Journalism, Credits: 4
- COMM 141 Sports Reporting, Credits: 2
- COMM 142 Sports Statistics, Credits: 2
- COMM 190 Intro to Communication/Media Theory, Credits: 2
- COMM 191 Interpersonal Communication, Credits: 4
- COMM 192 Public Speaking, Credits: 4
- COMM 194 Intercultural Communication, Credits: 4
- COMM 201 Ethics and Leadership, Credits: 4
- COMM 202 Digital Media Analytics, Credits: 4
- COMM 211 Intro to Advertising & Public Relations, Credits: 4
- COMM 215 Professional Selling, Credits: 4
- COMM 231 News Content and Creation, Credits: 4
- COMM 241 Sports Media Relations & Promotion, Credits: 2
- COMM 242 Sports Announcing, Credits: 2
- COMM 277 Audio Production & Media Performance, Credits: 4
- COMM 282 Fundamentals of Digital Video Production, Credits: 4
- COMM 291 Qualitative Research Methods, Credits: 4
- COMM 311 Research Methods in Advertising, Credits: 4
- COMM 314 Public Relations Writing and Campaigns, Credits: 4
- COMM 315 Advanced Professional Selling, Credits: 4
- COMM 317 Advertising Creative Strategies, Credits: 4
- COMM 321 Crisis Management, Credits: 4
- COMM 322 Strategic Event Management, Credits: 4
- COMM 331 Editing, Credits: 4
- COMM 379 Critical Approaches to Gaming, Credits: 4
- COMM 382 Intermediate Digital Multimedia Product, Credits: 4
- COMM 384 Writing and Planning for Screen, Credits: 4
- COMM 386 Motion Graphics and Animation, Credits: 2
- COMM 391 Team Communication, Credits: 4
- COMM 411 Public Relations Management, Credits: 4
- COMM 418 Advertising Campaigns, Credits: 4
- COMM 435 Feature Writing, Credits: 4
- COMM 481 Media Law, Credits: 4
- COMM 482 Professional Digital Multimedia Production, Credits: 4
- COMM 499 Communication Studies Research, Credits: 4
- COMM 500 Topics in Communications, Credits: 2–4
- COMM 501 Practicum, Credits: 1
- COMM 502 Individual Investigation, Credits: 1–4
- COMM 503 Honors Study, Credits: 4
- COMM 504 Internship, Credits: 1–8
Learning Goals
- Students will be able to identify, explain and apply theory.
- Students will demonstrate communication skills (oral, visual, written, and research).
- Students will recognize ethical implications and relate them to various contexts.
- Students will develop and practice critical thinking.
