2025-2026 Academic Catalog

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Bachelor of Arts in Communication

Advertising Major

Program Curriculum

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Degree Core Requirements
COMM 1004	First-Semester Experience in Communication	1
COMM 1014	Introduction to Communication	3
COMM 2024	Media Writing	3
COMM 2084	Media and Society	3
COMM 2094	Communication and Issues of Diversity	3
COMM 2124	Introduction to Communication Research	3
COMM 4024	Communication Law	3
Subtotal		19
Major Requirements
ADV 2034	Visual Communication Strategies	3
ADV 3004	Advertising Copywriting and Brand Storytelling	3
ADV 3014	Account Planning and Media Buying	3
ADV 3024	Ethics and Social Responsibility in Advertising	3
MKTG 3104	Marketing Management	3
MKTG 3504	Advertising	3
MKTG 4204	Consumer Behavior	3
ADV 4304	Advertising Campaigns	3
or MKTG 4304	Marketing Communications
COMM 3900	Bridge Experience	0
Restricted Electives
Select three restricted electives from the applicable table below.		9
Subtotal		33
Minor and Electives
Complete 23 credits of minor, cognate, or double major and electives ²		23
Subtotal		23
Pathways to General Education
Pathways Concept 1 - Discourse
COMM 1015	Communication Skills ¹	3
COMM 1016	Communication Skills ¹	3
Select three credits in Pathway 1a		3
Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities
Select six credits in Pathway 2		6
Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences
Select six credits in Pathway 3		6
Pathways Concept 4 - Reasoning in the Natural Sciences
Select six credits in Pathway 4		6
Pathways Concept 5 - Quantitative and Computational Thinking
Select six credits in Pathway 5f		6
Select three credits in Pathway 5a		3
Pathways Concept 6 - Critique and Practice in Design and the Arts
Select three credits in Pathway 6a		3
Select three credits in Pathway 6d		3
Pathways Concept 7 - Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States
Select three credits in Pathway 7		3
Subtotal		45
Total Credits		120

¹

Students who transfer into the major after their freshman year may substitute ENGL 1105 First-Year Writing and ENGL 1106 First-Year Writing for COMM 1015 Communication Skills and COMM 1016 Communication Skills. Those transfer students should take COMM 2004 Public Speaking for Pathways Concept 1A and COMM 2014 Communication Principles of Teamwork for 3 of the required credits hours toward Pathways Concept 3. Students may need to take a different number of credit hours in certain categories due to substitutions or transferring from other majors. Please consult with your academic advisor.

²

In addition to the requirements shown, students must complete the following to reach 120 credits for graduation:

Minor, cognate, or double major—Beyond studies in Advertising and other mass communication disciplines, students must build content knowledge in another area of focus by completing a minor or cognate (minimum 18 credits) or double major (credits vary by major).
Electives—Once students complete a minor or cognate, they may still need hours for graduation. Students might consider education abroad, an internship, a field study, undergraduate research, independent study, or other non-required Pathways or foreign language courses. Students should not include ADV, COMM, JMC, or PR courses among these electives.

Major Restricted Electives

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
ADV 2134	Introduction to Health Communication (PATHWAY-3)	3
ADV 3034	Topics in Public Relations and Advertising	3
ADV 4324	Health Communication Campaigns	3
ART 1234	Topics in Visual Communication Design for Non-Majors	3
ART 3574	Topics In Graphic Design	3
ART 4504	Topics in Multimedia Studio	3
COMM 4204	Communication Internship	1-6
COMM 4994	Undergraduate Research	1-19
JMC 4064	Social Media Analytics	3
JMC 4264	Social Media Theory and Practice	3
MGT 3304	Management Theory and Leadership Practice	3
MKTG 3164	Introduction to Digital Marketing Strategy	3
PR 2044	Principles of Public Relations (PATHWAY-3)	3
PR 3014	Public Relations Cases	3
PR 3084	Advanced Public Relations Research Methods	3
PR 3144	Writing and Editing for Public Relations (PATHWAY-1A)	3
PR 3324	Corporate Communication	3
PR 3334	Public Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility	3

Progress Toward Degree

A student will be certified as making satisfactory progress toward a degree by meeting these requirements:

Completion of COMM 1004 First-Semester Experience in Communication within the first 3 classes (9 credits) in the major.
Completion of COMM 1014 Introduction to Communication within the first 6 classes (18 credits) in the major. Minimum grade of C- required.
Completion of COMM 2124 Introduction to Communication Research within the first 8 classes (24 credits) in the major.
Overall GPA—Students who fall below 2.0 will follow university policies for probation and subsequent suspension if the GPA is not raised during the probation period.
Major GPA—Students who fall below 2.0 in their major coursework will have one semester to regain the required GPA standards. All ADV, COMM, JMC and PR courses are included in this calculation. A student who fails to make satisfactory progress toward degree after that semester will be blocked from continuing in ADV or another School of Communication major.

Graduation Requirements

Minimum of 120 semester credit hours from the following categories: Degree Core Requirements (19), Major Requirements (24), Major Restricted Electives (9), Pathways to General Education (45), and Minor and Electives (23).
Minimum of 40 credits in ADV, COMM, JMC or PR; minimum of 72 credits outside ADV, COMM, JMC or PR. Note: Accreditation standards require Advertising Majors to complete at least 72 hours outside ADV, COMM, JMC or PR.
Overall GPA of 2.0; major GPA 2.0, based on all ADV, COMM, JMC and PR courses the student has completed.
Courses taken in major to fulfill graduation requirements must be graded A-F (not pass/fail).
ADV, COMM, JMC and PR courses taken for a minor may NOT be counted toward major requirements.

Foreign Language Requirement

Foreign Language—Requirement can be met in one of three ways:

2 years of single foreign or classical language or American Sign Language in middle or high school, OR
Credit by examination for a foreign or classical language or American Sign Language (This option is available only to students who learned a foreign language without the benefit of formal training.), OR
6 college-level semester credits in a single foreign or classical language or American Sign Language. These credits are in addition to the 120 required for graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Fall Semester		Credits
COMM 1004	First-Semester Experience in Communication	1
COMM 1015	Communication Skills	3
Pathway 2		3
Pathway 3		3
Pathway 4		3
Pathway 5f		3
	Credits	16
Spring Semester
COMM 1014	Introduction to Communication	3
COMM 1016	Communication Skills	3
Pathway 4		3
Pathway 5f		3
Pathway 6a		3
	Credits	15
Second Year
Fall Semester
COMM 2024	Media Writing	3
COMM 2124	Introduction to Communication Research	3
COMM 2084	Media and Society	3
Pathway 5a		3
Pathway 1a		3
	Credits	15
Spring Semester
ADV 2034	Visual Communication Strategies	3
COMM 2094	Communication and Issues of Diversity	3
Pathway 2		3
Pathway 3		3
Pathway 6d		3
	Credits	15
Third Year
Fall Semester
MKTG 3104	Marketing Management	3
Restricted Electives		3
Pathway 7		3
Free Electives		3
Free Electives		3
	Credits	15
Spring Semester
MKTG 3504	Advertising	3
Restricted Electives		3
Restricted Electives		3
Free Electives		3
Free Electives		3
COMM 3900	Bridge Experience	0
	Credits	15
Fourth Year
Fall Semester
COMM 4024	Communication Law	3
ADV 3004	Advertising Copywriting and Brand Storytelling	3
ADV 3014	Account Planning and Media Buying	3
MKTG 4204	Consumer Behavior	3
Free Electives		3
	Credits	15
Spring Semester
ADV 3024	Ethics and Social Responsibility in Advertising	3
ADV 4304 or MKTG 4304	Advertising Campaigns or Marketing Communications	3
Free Electives		3
Free Electives		3
Free Electives		2
	Credits	14
	Total Credits	120

Major Restricted Electives

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
ADV 2134	Introduction to Health Communication	3
ADV 3034	Topics in Public Relations and Advertising	3
ADV 4324	Health Communication Campaigns	3
ART 1234	Topics in Visual Communication Design for Non-Majors	3
ART 3574	Topics In Graphic Design	3
ART 4504	Topics in Multimedia Studio	3
COMM 4204	Communication Internship	1-6
COMM 4994	Undergraduate Research	1-19
JMC 4064	Social Media Analytics	3
JMC 4264	Social Media Theory and Practice	3
MGT 3304	Management Theory and Leadership Practice	3
MKTG 3164	Introduction to Digital Marketing Strategy	3
PR 2044	Principles of Public Relations	3
PR 3014	Public Relations Cases	3
PR 3084	Advanced Public Relations Research Methods	3
PR 3144	Writing and Editing for Public Relations	3
PR 3324	Corporate Communication	3
PR 3334	Public Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility	3