All
incoming students initially begin as Communication Interest (COMI) majors. This
includes first-year students, students already enrolled at UD who either had
different majors or were undeclared, and students transferring from other
universities. (Students entering the COMI major as sophomores or juniors, or from another university, should also review the FAQ's entitled "Transfer Students.")
The Communication Interest major consists of four 3-credit courses: COMM245, COMM256, COMM330, and COMM301. Please note that COMM256 and COMM330 are only offered in fall semesters, and COMM245 and COMM301 are only offered in spring semesters. One or more of these four courses may also be offered in winter or summer sessions, but it is not guaranteed.
At the end of
the academic year (May) in which a student completes the four courses,
the Department of Communication will determine whether the student continues on to
the Communication major. This determination is based solely on the grades
received in the COMI courses taken at UD by all of the Communication Interest majors who
have completed these courses during that academic year. Students will be ranked
by their GPA earned in COMI courses taken at UD, and the top 125 of those students, based on that
ranking, will be allowed to enter the Communication major. THERE ARE NO
EXCEPTIONS TO THE TOP 125 RULE.
First year students should plan to
take COMM256 and COMM350 during their first semester, COMM245 during their
second semester, COMM330 during their third semester, and COMM301 during their
fourth semester, completing the Communication Interest major at the end of
their second year. Students can also consider taking one or more of
these courses during winter or summer session, if the courses are offered. It is
a very bad idea for Freshmen to try to complete all of these courses in the first year;
students who have tried have tended to be unsuccessful. Also, either COMM245, COMM256, or COMM330 must be completed BEFORE taking COMM301. COMM301 should be the last of the COMI courses taken at UD if at all possible.
Transfer students should consult the
FAQ's for "Transfer Students External." Students already enrolled at UD, but interested in entering our program as sophomores or juniors, should consult the FAQ's for "Transfer Student Internal."
For admission into the major, all COMI students who have completed the COMI sequence are ranked based on the total number of quality points earned in the COMI classes (COMM256, COMM245, COMM330, and COMM301).
Please use the information below to convert your grade in each COMI class to quality points:
Letter Grade= Quality Points (QPs)
A = 12
A- = 11
B+ = 10
B = 9
B- = 8
C+ = 7
C = 6
C- = 5
D+ = 4
D = 3
D- = 2
F = 0
*We only use the first grades earned in COMM245, COMM256, COMM301, and COMM330 when calculating your quality points for admittance.
*If you have transferred any of the COMI courses or received approval for a course substitution, you can compute your quality points by computing (the average of quality points for classes taken at UD * 4). For example, if you only needed to take 3 of the COMI courses, you would multiple the average of the quality points you earned times 4.
The University requires that all students take:
- ENGL110
- A multicultural course from a list of approved multicultural courses
- A First Year Experience required for all students entering UD as freshmen
- A set of University breadth requirements totaling 12 credits from a list of approved university breadth requirements
The College of Arts and Sciences, of which the Communication Department is part, requires students to complete:
- A set of breadth requirements totaling 37 credits from a list of approved college breadth requirements (careful planning will allow students to fulfill university breadth requirements with courses that also fulfill college breadth requirements - see your advisor for guidance)
- An intermediate level of a foreign language (students with past foreign language experience may test out of some or all of the language requirement)
- One 3 credit math course from a list of approved mathematics courses
Any COMI student who receives either a D or F in any
of the four required COMI courses would be advised
to transfer out of the Communication Interest major. Any student who receives two
C’s would also be advised to transfer out of the Communication Interest major.
Sometimes students feel that they can “make up,” for example, two C’s in
COMM256 and COMM245 with two A’s in COMM330 and COMM301; this is a very
bad idea because it almost never happens. Students who have received
one C may or may not take the risk of continuing the Communication
Interest major, but are well advised to make concrete contingency plans
for transfer to another major that they can quickly implement in case they are unsuccessful.
When determining a student’s GPA in the
four Communication Interest courses, the Department only includes the
student’s first grade in that course. Therefore, a student can re-take a
Communication Interest course, but that will not help the student’s
chances of becoming a Communication major.
Students often have a particular interest within
the Communication discipline, and sometimes there is another major that can
satisfy that interest as well. Students with intrinsic interests in other areas or who
have done well in courses in other departments would be smart to follow
those interests. Some students may consider transferring to
other universities to earn a degree in Communication. Students in either of these situations should feel free to
consult with a departmental or university advisor for help in thinking
through their options.
Although there is never a guarantee that they
will be in the Top 125, students who are averaging a 'B' or better in their
Communication Interest courses should begin planning their future as if
they will become Communication majors.
First, students must decide on a
concentration:
Interpersonal OR Media.
Second, for the fall semester of their first year as a
Communication major, students should enroll in a 300 level course in their chosen
concentration (Interpersonal Communication, COMM341; Mass Communication,
COMM370).
Third, if interested, students can begin one of the elective sequences, or just take a COMM elective.
Students may choose to complete one of the elective
sequences in the department (Broadcast Journalism, Public Relations, Political Communication, Broadcasting & Production), BUT, elective sequences are taken along with a
concentration and cannot replace a concentration - a
student cannot concentrate in Production or Public Relations.
The number of courses a student completes in a sequence is optional. Also, the completion of all courses listed in a sequence will never be included as part of the title of a Communication major's official degree.
No matter how well they do, students can only enter the Communication major at the end of the spring semester of the academic year in which they have completed their four Communication Interest courses; therefore, students will not be able to become full-fledged Communication majors until June of each year.
Assuming you have received B's or better in your Communication Interest courses, you may consider taking 300-level Communication courses relevant to your chosen concentration (Mass Communication, COMM345 or COMM370; Interpersonal Communication, COMM341) or begin taking elective COMM courses. However, you must recognize that there is some risk in this, and that no matter how many courses you have taken in COMM, you will not become a major unless you are included as part of the Top 125 COMI GPAs.
No. Even if you are taking a minor that requires a 400 level Communication course, you cannot take any 400 level Communication courses as a Communication Interest major.
The
following Communication courses help fulfill the College of Arts & Sciences Group C (Social and Behavioral
Sciences) requirement: COMM200, COMM204, COMM206, COMM227, COMM245, COMM256, COMM305, COMM330,
COMM341, and COMM370. Note that three of the
required courses students take as COMI majors count as Group C’s; however, a maximum of two courses from any area of study can count towards a single group requirement, so students will need to take a
relevant course from another area of study to complete the College Group C requirement.
(Careful planning will allow
students to concurrently fulfill university breadth requirements with courses that
also fulfill college breadth requirements - see your advisor for guidance)
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