THE COMMUNICATION STUDIES MAJOR & MINOR
Revised for the 2006-2008 Undergraduate Bulletin

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the revised major differ from the existing one?

Students who declare the Comm. Studies major for the 2006-2008 Bulletin complete three, not five, upper-division core courses.  They will choose one of four areas of concentration, not a speech or media emphasis, for upper-division study.  Completing a minor program of study is optional, not required.

What is the formal process for declaring the revised major?

One should complete the Declaration of Major form, Department questionnaire, and College questionnaire, indicating the 2006-2008 Bulletin year on the declaration form.  These forms are available in the main Comm. Studies Department office in Camino 126.

Who should declare the revised major?

Anyone declaring a major in Fall, 2006, for the first time will be listed under the 2006-2008 Bulletin.  Students who have not taken any upper-division courses in the major will most likely be best served declaring under the new guidelines.  Students entering their sophomore year of study in Fall, 2006, most likely will benefit from re-declaring the major.  Those beginning their junior year of study in Fall, 2006, may be able to re-declare and graduate on time in May, 2008.  Because such cases will vary greatly on an individual basis, students beginning their junior year of study in Fall, 2006, are strongly encouraged to meet with their faculty advisor and/or the Dept. Chair for further guidance.

Who should not declare the revised major?

Most students who declared the major in Spring, 2005, or earlier, will not benefit from re-declaring the major for the 2006-2008 Bulletin; students who have completed much of their upper-division course work in the major, especially those entering their senior year of study, are not likely to benefit from re-declaring the major.

I transferred into USD in 2005-2006:  How might the new major guidelines affect me?

Many new transfer students will benefit from re-declaring the major for the 2006-2008 Bulletin; transfer students from four-year colleges and universities with some upper-division units in the CS major, however, may do best to stick with the 2004-2006 Bulletin.  Either way, these cases vary greatly on an individual basis; all recent transfer students are strongly encouraged to meet with their faculty advisor and/or the Dept. Chair for further guidance.

Does the revised major mean I have to take more units to graduate?

No, the total number of units required for the major hasn’t changed.  All Comm. Studies majors in all Bulletin years of declaration must fulfill a minimum of 36 units:  12 units of required lower-division courses; 15 units of required upper-division course work; and 9 units of elective upper-division course work.

Could I complete the major with two concentrations?

The major requirements will not prevent a student from completing more than one concentration; doing so, however, would mean fulfilling the second concentration’s required  upper-division core courses and 9 units of elective units independent of those taken to fulfill the first concentration.

How will Comm. 491, 492, 494, 498, and 499 units count toward the major?

All practicum, special topics, internship, and independent study units may be counted toward the  9 upper-division elective units required in each concentration.  No more than 3 units of Comm. 498 and a maximum of 6 units combined of Comm. 491, 492, and 498 may be applied toward the major.

If I re-declare the major, how can I be sure that the Comm. Studies courses I’ve already completed are counted toward my chosen concentration?

Once a student re-declares the major, the Registrar will amend the student’s major requirements, and these changes will be reflected in the student’s Degree Audit Reporting System file.  The student should meet with her or his academic advisor and/or the Dept. Chair to review how upper-division units already completed will fit into the student’s desired concentration.  If some completed units do not clearly fit the concentration, the student should secure a Petition to Waiver Graduation Requirements form from the Registrar and meet with the Dept. Chair to have those units applied toward the desired concentration.  The Department will be liberal with such requests during the 2006-2007 academic year.

May courses taken outside of Communication Studies count toward the major?

Only courses offered by the Department, get transferred in as Comm. Studies courses, or are cross-listed in Comm. Studies (e.g., team-taught honors courses) may be counted toward the major.

May I complete a Communication Studies minor in one of the concentrations?

Non-Comm. Studies majors may minor in Comm. Studies by completing 12 units of upper-division elective course work; these units could be applied toward a concentration, but the student would then need to complete the concentration requirements to claim a minor in that concentration.  Comm. Studies majors cannot under any circumstances minor in Comm. Studies.  They may not, for example, complete a second concentration as a declared minor.