Program Contact: Nancy Worthington 203-582-8059
The BA in Communications program aims to equip students with an adaptable approach to the rapidly evolving nature of media-related careers. The breadth and flexibility of the major enables a strategic integration of courses in which students learn professional practices, analytical techniques and expertise on the media’s wider social, cultural and economic relationships.
Communications students obtain positions in diverse professional environments, including streaming services, social media, sports media, music companies, public relations and marketing firms, advertising agencies and media research organizations. The program also prepares students to enter graduate training in business, law, journalism, public relations and education.
BA in Communications Curriculum (Media Studies)
Students majoring in Communications/Media Studies must meet the following requirements for graduation:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| University Curriculum 1 | 46 | |
| Required School of Communications core courses 2 | ||
| COM 120 | Media Industries and Trends | 3 |
| COM 130 | Visual Design | 3 |
| COM 140 | Storytelling | 3 |
| School of Communications Requirements | ||
| Global Issues and Cultures: select two courses | 6 | |
| Additional courses outside the major or minor, at the 200 level or higher | 6 | |
| Seminars for Success | ||
| COM 101 | Communications First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| COM 201 | Media Career Development | 1 |
| Required Media Studies Courses | ||
| MSS 131 | Media Innovators | 3 |
| MSS 332 | Media Research Methods | 3 |
| MSS 340 | Communications Law and Policy | 3 |
| MSS 495 | Capstone: Media Forecasting and Strategy | 3 |
| COM 490 | Communications Career Internship | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select four of the following, one of which must be a 400-level MSS elective: | 12 | |
| Media, History and Memory 3 | ||
| Is AI Taking Over? Disruption, Disinformation, and the Future Of Communication | ||
| Diversity in the Media (WGS 311) | ||
| Communication Technologies: Evolution and Impact | ||
| Media Users and Audiences (WGS 345) | ||
| Global Communication | ||
| Political Communication (PO 349) | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Sports, Media and Society (SPS 420) | ||
| Celebrity Culture | ||
| Media Critics and Influencers | ||
| Crime, Media and Culture | ||
| Popular Music | ||
| TV and Society: From Sitcoms to Streaming | ||
| Media Studies Seminar | ||
And/or any ADPR, FTM, GID, or JRN courses | ||
Other non–School of Communications courses with chair’s approval | ||
| Open electives | ||
| Complete 6 credits | 6 | |
| Minor Courses | 18 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
- 1
All students must complete the 46 credits of the University Curriculum. Students majoring in Communications (Media Studies) will complete their Integrative Capstone Requirement within the major with MSS 495. In place of those credits, the student will select an additional unrestricted course in the University Curriculum.
- 2
Core must be completed by end of sophomore year.
- 3
MSS 220 can also be taken as a UC Humanities under Disciplinary Inquiry or under Part 1 or 2 of UC Personal Inquiry.
Minor Requirement
All students majoring in communications are required to take a minor (typically 18 credits) that will complement their career and/or personal interests. This minor can be from any program either within or outside the School of Communications. However, a student majoring in communications/media studies may not minor in media studies.
Student Learning Outcomes
The program’s required courses emphasize the skills and expertise sought by both demanding employers and competitive graduate programs, fostering students’ abilities to do the following:
- Apply knowledge gained from their coursework and creative problem-solving skills to real-world situations facing media organizations, producers and users, showing a capacity for innovation and imaginative thinking
- Plan, conduct, analyze and report original media research findings based on a survey, focus group, social media tracking or content analysis
- Interpret secondary media research for media professionals and media consumers/users
- Critically analyze current media issues, trends and events and convey in written and oral reports their observations on how media theory relates to industry practice and audience/user interpretation
- Demonstrate a professional level of written and oral communication skills and the ability to effectively communicate ideas to various audiences through a variety of traditional and new media message delivery formats
- Articulate the importance of media literacy and how understanding the media’s influence benefits media consumers and professionals in a democracy like the U.S. and in an information-based global economy
- Recognize the diversity of groups and perspectives in a global society in relation to the media’s influence on the construction of culture and identity
Admission Requirements: School of Communications
The requirements for admission into the undergraduate School of Communications programs are the same as those for admission to Quinnipiac University.
Admission to the university is competitive, and applicants are expected to present a strong college prep program in high school. Prospective first-year students are strongly encouraged to file an application as early in the senior year as possible, and arrange to have first quarter grades sent from their high school counselor as soon as they are available.
For detailed admission requirements, including required documents, please visit the Admissions page of this catalog.
Seamless Transfer Agreement with Gateway Community College (GCC), Housatonic Community College (HCC) and Norwalk Community College (NCC)
Under this Transfer Agreement, GCC, HCC and NCC graduates will be guaranteed admission into a bachelor’s degree program with third year (junior) status at Quinnipiac University on the condition that they:
- Graduate with an associate in arts, an associate in science in business, College of Technology engineering science, nursing or an allied health degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (this may be higher in specific programs).
- Satisfy all other Quinnipiac University transfer admission requirements and requirements for intended major.
Quinnipiac University agrees to accept the general education embedded in these associate degree programs in accordance with Quinnipiac preferred choices for general education as meeting all the requirements of its undergraduate general education where courses are encumbered by the major (e.g., General Chemistry for the Disciplinary Inquiry Natural Science requirement for a Biochemistry major).
Suggested Transfer Curriculum for BA in Communications
A minimum of 60 credits is required for transfer into the BA in Communications. Below is a sample plan of study for the first two years.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| Communications Core | 3 | |
| Introduction to Mass Communication | 3 | |
| English I | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Communications Core | 3 | |
| English II | 3 | |
| Math | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| Communications | 3 | |
| Public Speaking | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Communications | 3 | |
| Communications | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 60 | |