Students majoring in communication get opportunities to work directly with professors on research projects. A recent major, for example, worked with a faculty member on a study of college students' television-viewing habits and preferences. The student presented a competitively selected paper at the annual conference of the Speech Communication Association. The department offers a Bachelor of Arts degree. Many students emphasize areas of interest by selecting courses related to specialties such as media criticism and analysis, organizational communication, or language and discourse studies.
All courses blend skill development with rigorous intellectual content.
A good example is Communication 336, Contemporary Issues in Telecommu-nications, which examines the impact on society of rapidly changing electronic technologies and messages. Admission to the department is by application, and students may apply during the fall or winter semester. Late applications are not accepted. Communication 75, Introduction to Speech Communication, is even required by many other departments because it gives students experience in public speaking, while teaching skills in listening and evaluating the messages of others. Other criteria for admission to the department are ACT or SAT scores and an essay on why the student wants to major in communication.