Communication Studies Major, B.A./B.S., JUMP option with Master of Arts in Communication

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College of Liberal Arts >> Communication and Media

39 hours; C or better required in all major courses; 2.25 major GPA required

Communication Studies connects two important aspects of a USI education: the liberal arts and the professional preparation. By incorporating writing, speaking, and computer-mediated communications across the curriculum, the Communication Studies program explores communication in various contexts and forms.

Communication Studies faculty work with students so they can meet the current needs of business and industry leaders who demand that college graduates demonstrate effective communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and leadership experience in addition to the ability to think critically and conceptually. Students emerge from the major in communication studies as proficient, critical consumers and producers of messages and interactions at the personal, social, civic, and professional levels.

Graduates pursue various careers. Many work in corporate communication, mass media, sales, retail management, non-profit organizations, human resources, corporate training programs, government agencies, and the healthcare industry, while others own businesses or attend graduate school.

JUMP (Joint Undergraduate-Master’s Path)

Select programs also offer a Joint Undergraduate-Master’s Path (JUMP) option. JUMP programs are geared toward outstanding undergraduate students who plan to continue their education by enrolling in a related USI master’s degree program. Approved JUMP programs offer students an alternative pathway to degree completion by providing the opportunity to complete both an undergraduate and graduate degree in approximately five years.

This innovative pathway accelerates the time it takes to complete the graduate degree by allowing students in a JUMP program to complete 12 hours of graduate-level coursework during the final semesters of their undergraduate program. After completing the 12 hours of graduate coursework, special credit will be awarded at the undergraduate level and will apply toward the undergraduate program requirements. Students pay undergraduate tuition and fees for undergraduate coursework and pay graduate tuition and fees for graduate coursework (including the 12 credit hours completed while still an undergraduate).

Admission Requirements (Communication Studies, JUMP option)

To be eligible for the Communication Studies JUMP option with the Master of Arts in Communication, students must:

Be seeking the Communication Studies major;
Have completed between 75 and 96 credit hours of undergraduate coursework;
Have completed CMST 101 , CMST 107 , CMST 201 , CMST 203 , CMST 204 , and CMST 301 ;
Have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 and a Communication Studies major GPA of 3.50;
Complete a JUMP application that includes a statement about their academic preparation and their understanding of JUMP policies and procedures, as well as three references.

Program Structure (Communication Studies, JUMP option)

The Communication Studies major requires 39 credit hours. The Master of Arts in Communications degree requires 36 credit hours. Students in the JUMP option complete 27 hours of undergraduate-level CMST coursework and 36 hours of graduate-level COMM coursework. After completing 12 hours of COMM electives, special credit will be awarded at the undergraduate level and will apply toward the undergraduate program requirements.

Typical JUMP schedule

UG = Undergraduate, GR = Graduate

	Fall	Spring	Summer
UG, Year 3		Complete JUMP application; Apply to Graduate Studies (conditional admission)
UG, Year 4	15 hours UG credit	3 hours UG credit 6 hours GR credit	6 hours GR credit

Upon successful completion of all UG requirements and 12 hours of GR credit, the BA/BS degree will be awarded and full admission to Graduate Studies (Master of Arts in Communication degree) will be granted.

GR, Year 1

9 hours GR credit

6 hours GR credit

Required Courses (18 hours)

CMST 101 - Introduction to Public Speaking Credits: 3
CMST 107 - Introduction to Interpersonal Communication Credits: 3
CMST 201 - Introduction to Communication Studies Credits: 3
CMST 203 - Introduction to Performance Studies Credits: 3
CMST 204 - Business and Professional Communication Credits: 3
CMST 301 - Communication Criticism and Analysis Credits: 3

Directed Electives (21 hours)

Select 9 hours of CMST coursework and 12 hours of 600-level COMM coursework. Refer to the Graduate Bulletin for course descriptions of approved COMM courses.

Students in the JUMP program cannot complete a CMST elective and a COMM elective with the same focus (ex: students can complete either CMST 302 or COMM 605, but not both).

CMST 302 - Gender, Communication, and Culture Credits: 3 or
COMM 605 - Gender, Communication, and Culture Credits: 3
CMST 303 - Introduction to Persuasion Credits: 3
CMST 308 - Rhetoric and Diversity Credits: 3
CMST 313 - Advanced Performance Studies Credits: 3
CMST 314 - Organizational Communication Credits: 3
CMST 315 - Readers Theatre Credits: 3
CMST 317 - Intercultural Communication Credits: 3
CMST 318 - Conflict Resolution Credits: 3
CMST 321 - Communication and Workplace Relationships Credits: 3 or
COMM 614 - Problematic Workplace Communication Credits: 3
CMST 323 - Communicating to Manage and Lead Credits: 3
CMST 327 - Communication and Healthcare Credits: 3 or
COMM 612 - Health Communication Credits: 3
CMST 331 - Contemporary Public Address Credits: 3 or
COMM 604 - Contemporary Rhetorical Criticism Credits: 3
CMST 386 - American Cinema and Culture Credits: 3
CMST 400 - Independent Study in Communication Studies Credits: 1-3
CMST 410 - Seminar in Interpersonal Communication Credits: 3 or
approved topics of COMM 610 - Special Topics in Interpersonal Communication Credits: 3
CMST 414 - Oral Traditions Credits: 3
CMST 420 - Seminar in Organizational Communication Credits: 3
CMST 427 - Family Communication Credits: 3
CMST 430 - Seminar in Rhetoric Credits: 3
CMST 433 - Philosophy of Communication Credits: 3
CMST 440 - Seminar in Performance Studies Credits: 3
CMST 489 - Internship in Communication Studies Credits: 1-3
CMST 499 - Special Topics in Communication Studies Credits: 3
COMM 615 - Communication and Popular Culture Credits: 3
COMM 616 - Seminar in Personal and Cultural Identity Credits: 3
COMM 620 - Special Topics in Organizational Communication Credits: 3
COMM 624 - Nonprofit and Association Communication Credits: 3
COMM 631 - Organizational Advocacy Credits: 3
COMM 651 - Storytelling Credits: 3

Additional Graduate Coursework

After the BA/BS degree is awarded and full admission to the Master of Arts in Communication program is granted, students will complete an additional 24 credit hours of graduate-level COMM coursework to complete the master’s degree:

9 hours of required coursework
9 hours of directed electives
6 hours of either a Thesis/Capstone or a Non-Thesis option with comprehensive examination

Refer to the Graduate Bulletin for a complete description of the Master of Arts in Communication program or contact the graduate program director with questions.