East Tennessee State University
Office of Registrar

Department of Communication

(COMM)

Box 70677                        Phone: (423) 439-4491

web address: www.etsu.edu/cas/comm

Accreditation by: Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications

The Department of Communication has the following objectives: to provide professional preparation for persons seeking careers in communication, to provide leadership for professionals now engaged in the practice of communication, to provide preprofessional programs and supporting coursework for students completing programs in other fields, and to increase public understanding of the value of freedom of communication in a democratic society.

The Department of Communication offers a B.A./B.S. with a major in four mass communications concentrations — advertising, broadcasting (sequences in management, news and production/performance), journalism, and public relations.

In addition, the department offers a B.A./B.S. with a major in two speech concentrations — speech communication and theatre. A sequence in teaching is offered for both division concentrations.

A minor is required of all students.

For the baccalaureate degree, 120 credit hours of credit must be earned. In addition to meeting all department requirements, majors must meet the College of Arts and Sciences requirements for B.A. and B.S. degrees. Students earning the B.S. may select the social and behavioral sciences concentration.

Speech Communication — The speech communication degree program offers a traditional major as a base for preprofessional study as a supporting program for career preparations in fields such as business, church operation, government service, health administration, the ministry, paralegal services, social service, and other professions involving public contact. It also provides pre-law preparation.

The speech communication concentration major requires 36-38 credit hours of coursework; the minor, 21 credits hours. A teacher education major in speech communication requires 29 credit hours; the minor, 24 credit hours.

The Division of Theatre produces at least four productions per school year as well as producing plays and a Renaissance Faire in Rogersville during the summer. Within the Department of Communication, students have the option to select one of the following: a 36-hour Theatre Concentration; a 21-hour Theatre Minor; or a 36-hour Theatre Concentration in Teacher Education.

Mass Communications — The concentrations in advertising and broadcasting consist of prescribed sequences of 33 credit hours of coursework. The journalism and public relations concentrations require 36 credit hours in mass communications, and public relations also requires nine credit hours in speech.

In the mass communications major, 80 credit hours must be completed outside of mass communications courses, and at least 65 of those 80 credit hours must be in traditional liberal arts subjects.

No more than 12 credit hours of transfer credit may be applied to the requirements in mass communications concentrations.

Specialized minors of 21 credit hours may be designed for individual students in advertising and broadcasting with the prior approval of the department. The journalism minor consists of 24 credit hours of prescribed coursework. No minor is available in public relations.

Students must consult regularly with a departmental advisor to avoid problems in scheduling. For other problems, see one of the career advisors listed below.

 Communication Major

(MCOM)