Communication Studies: Required Courses

Required Courses
Options
General Requirements
Suggested Sequence
Intercultural Requirements
Enrich Your Degree
Additional options in journalism and media that can be taken at Mount Royal University

 

Required Courses

COMS 201: Introduction to Communications Studies
COMS 369: Rhetorical Communication
COMS 371: Critical Media Studies
COMS 381: Communications History
COMS 591: Senior Seminar in Communication
General Studies 300: Heritage I - Perspective
General Studies 313: Interdisciplinary Research Methodologies
General Studies 500: Heritage II - Integration

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Options

Two full-course equivalents from List A:

COMS 401: Special Topics in Communications Studies
COMS 407: Experiential Learning in Communications Studies
COMS 435: Mass Communications and Canadian Society
COMS 463: Advanced Professional and Technical Communication
COMS 469: Rhetorical History and Criticism
COMS 471: Audience and Reception
COMS 473:  Popular Culture
COMS 475: Media and Cultural Industries
COMS 481: Advanced Topics in New Media and Society
COMS 501: Directed Studies
COMS 503: Special Topics in Communications Studies
COMS 505: Advanced Topics in Communications Research
STAS 341: New Media, Technology and Society
STAS 421: Publics and Science

For more information on the specific courses visit the University Calendar. 

One full-course equivalent from List B:

Any additional course from the Option A list
Anthropology 303, 367, 383, 465
Art History 419, 423
Canadian Studies 331, 339, 341, 457
Communications Studies 363, 383
Development Studies 485
Film - all courses titled FILM
History 449, 495
Human Resources and Organizational Dynamics 321
Marketing 341
Museum and Heritage Studies 303
Philosophy 249, 333, 363
Science, Technology and Society - all courses titled STAS
Sociology 345
Urban Studies 313
Women's Studies 339

General Requirements for the Communications Studies Major

1. At least eight full-course equivalents taken from the lists of courses constituting the Major Field (first page of this handout)

2. Intercultural Requirement: the Intercultural Requirement can be satisfied in one of the following ways:

(a) Certificate of fluency in another language. Please consult with the Assistant Dean (Student Affairs).
or
(b) Term abroad program or international study either through approved individual study or a field school program. This option requires approval of the Assistant Dean (Student Affairs).
or
(c) Completion of a Minor program in African Studies, East Asian Studies, Indigenous Studies, Latin American Studies, South Asian Studies, or in any second language
or
(d) Two full-course equivalents from the courses listed below under the section Intercultural Requirement.

3. Breadth Requirement: four full-course equivalents from courses offered by the Faculties of Fine Arts, Humanities, Science, and Social Sciences. Of the required four full-course equivalents, students must take at least one full-course equivalent in at least two Faculties. Courses counted toward other requirements may also be counted toward the Breadth Requirement.

4. A maximum of eight full-course equivalents may be at the junior level.

5. Not more than ten of the required 20 full courses may be transferred from other institutions. A maximum of four full-course equivalents of the required courses in the program may be transferred from other institutions.

6. A maximum of one full-course equivalent physical activity course (Dance Education Activity/Theory and Physical Education Activity/Theory) may be credited towards degree program requirements.

7. All prerequisites must be met with a "C-" or better.

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Suggested Sequence (many variations are possible)

Note: Considerable flexibility is possible.  Ideally, you should take 300-level courses in your second year and 400-level courses in your third year.  However, this structure is not rigid.  If a course you want or need is not available in the year suggested, you can take it in a different year as long as it is not a prerequisite for a later course.  Check the Calendar carefully for prerequisites.

All programs:  In addition to the specific courses recommended below, take core and option courses toward your major in each year, and fill other slots with courses toward the Breadth and Intercultural requirements.  Take additional open option courses in areas of interest (or as part of building a Minor Program) to bring the total number of courses to 20 full-course equivalents by the time you graduate.

Undecided: In your first year, take as broad a selection of courses as possible in areas that you think might interest you.

First Year:
COMS 201, GNST 201 (recommended)
Options toward Breadth Requirement, Intercultural Requirement, Open Options

Second Year:
GNST 300,313
COMS 369, 371, 381
Options toward Breadth Requirement, Intercultural Requirement, COMS Options, Open Options

Third Year:
GNST 500
Options toward Breadth Requirement, Intercultural Requirement, COMS Options, Open Options

Fourth Year:
COMS 591
Options toward Breadth Requirement, Intercultural Requirement, COMS Options, Open Options

Any remaining courses required to bring the total to 20 full-course equivalents.

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Intercultural Requirements

 

Africa African Studies 301, 400, 501 Anthropology 317, 319, 505.40 Archaeology 395, 399 Art History 319, 321 English 387.41 Geography 377 History 309, 401 Political Science 371, 471 Religious Studies 339 Central and Eastern Europe Central and East European Studies 313 Geography 397.02 History 333, 411.01, 411.02 , 467.01, 467.02, 513 Political Science 361, 375, 461 East Asia Anthropology 323, 327 427 Art History 325, 365 Chinese 317, 355, 431, 461 East Asia 300 East Asian Studies 317, 319, 321 History 209, 315, 317, 385, 389, 405, 407, 503 Japanese 309, 311, 313, 317, 341, 461 Political Science 365, 465, 467, 475 Religious Studies 203, 359, 379, 491 Language and Culture All courses labelled: Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Italian, Latin, Japanese, Native Languages, Russian, Slavic, Spanish Latin America Anthropology 321, 405, 421 Archaeology 341, 343, 345, 347, 351, 353, 355, 357, 511, 553 Geography 371 History 207, 365, 367, 391, 467, 469, 471, 487, 499, 553, 565, 569 Latin American Studies 201, 203, 301, 303, 401, 501 Political Science 391, 473, 579

Middle East Archaeology 325 Political Science 369, 469, 479, 569 Religious Studies 201, 277, 279, 315, 353, 369, 401, 403, 469, 473, 477 Native North America Anthropology 213, 335, 337, 355, 419 Archaeology 419, 423 Art History 367, 369, 469 Canadian Studies 309, 311, 313, 315, 351, 417 , 419 Development Studies 403, History 211, 345, 439.01, 439.02, 447, 529 Indigenous Studies 201, 303, 305, 312, 315, 317, 343, 397 Sociology 307 South Asia Art History 323 History 311, 403 Religious Studies 451 South Asian Studies 315 World Culture Anthropology 399, 473 Archaeology 531 Economics 491 English 513 Film 301 General Studies 359, 401 Indigenous Studies 341, 399, 407 Political Science 279, 283, 363, 579 Religious Studies 349 Sociology 375

 

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Enrich your Degree

In your final year, you may wish to take an Honours program.  Honours in Communications Studies is excellent preparation for graduate school, but you may also be interested in Honours for the opportunity to explore a topic in depth for eight months in close consultation with a supervisor.  For details see http://www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/honours.

In later years you may choose to enrich your educational experience through a number of other opportunities such as courses that integrate learning with a community-based service project (GNST 407) or deepen your learning by acting as a peer mentor for junior students while you learn the theoretical background of knowledge building (GNST 507 and 509).  See http://www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/special for a wide variety of ways to enrich your experience in the Faculty of Communication and Culture.