Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies Roadmap
120 Total Units Required
Minimum Number of Units in the Major: 40
This roadmap is a suggested plan of study and does not replace meeting with an advisor. Please note that students may need to adjust the actual sequence of courses based on course availability. Please consult an advisor in your major program for further guidance.
| First Semester | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 114 | Writing the First Year: Finding Your Voice (A2) 1 | 3 |
| GE Area A (COMM 150 Recommended) 2 | 3 | |
| GE Area B: Quantitative Reasoning (B4) 3 | 3 | |
| Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective - Take Two 4 | 6 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| GE Area A | 3 | |
| GE Area B: Physical Science (B1) and Laboratory Science (B3) 5 | 3-4 | |
| GE Area C | 3 | |
| GE Area E | 3 | |
| Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective 4 | 3 | |
| Units | 15-16 | |
| Third Semester | ||
| Introductory Course (6 units) – Select One 6 | 3 | |
| GE Area B: Life Science (B2) and Laboratory Science (B3) 5 | 3-4 | |
| GE Area C | 3 | |
| GE Area D | 3 | |
| Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective 4 | 3 | |
| Units | 15-16 | |
| Fourth Semester | ||
| Introductory Course (6 units) – Select One 6 | 3 | |
| GE Area C | 3 | |
| GE Area D | 3 | |
| Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective - Take Two 4 | 6 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Fifth Semester | ||
| Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement – Select One 7 | 4 | |
| Social Contexts and Interaction in Communication (8 units total) – Select One or Two 8 | 4 | |
| GE Area F ± | 3 | |
| GE Area UD-B: Upper-Division Physical and/or Life Sciences | 3 | |
| U.S. and California Government | 3 | |
| Units | 17 | |
| Sixth Semester | ||
| Social Contexts and Interaction in Communication (8 units total) – Select One or Two 8 | 4 | |
| Rhetoric and Performance in Communication (8 units total) – Select One or Two 9 | 4 | |
| GE Area UD-C: Upper-Division Arts and/or Humanities | 3 | |
| Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective 4 | 3 | |
| Units | 14 | |
| Seventh Semester | ||
| Communication Inquiry – Select One 10 | 4 | |
| Rhetoric and Performance in Communication (8 units total) – Select One or Two 9 | 4 | |
| GE Area UD-D: Upper-Division Social Sciences | 3 | |
| Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective 4 | 3 | |
| Units | 14 | |
| Eighth Semester | ||
| COMM 670 | Seminar in Communication Studies (Major Capstone) | 2 |
| Major Electives (8 units) 11 | 8 | |
| Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective – Take Two 4 | 5 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Total Units | 120-122 | |
- 1
ENG 114 can only be taken if you complete Directed Self-Placement (DSP) and select ENG 114; if you choose ENG 104/ENG 105 through DSP you will satisfy A2 upon successful completion of ENG 105 in the second semester; multilingual students may be advised into alternative English courses.
- 2
To avoid taking additional units, it is recommended that you meet the SF State Studies (AERM, GP, ES, SJ) requirements within your GE or major.
- 3
To determine the best B4 course option, students should complete the online advising activity at mathadvising.sfsu.edu. Questions? Contact Gator Smart Start.
- 4
Complementary Studies
Bachelor of Arts students must complete at least 12 units of Complementary Studies outside of the primary prefix for the major. (Note: Students may not use an alternate prefix that is cross-listed with the primary prefix for the major.)
Students who complete two majors or a major and a minor automatically complete the Complementary Studies requirement. Additional ways to complete Complementary Studies for students in the Communication Studies major is completion of 12 units from one of the following:
- Partial completion of a second major, minor, or certificate in courses other than COMM, and not cross-listed with COMM.
- A single language other than English.
- A CSU or SF State supported study abroad program. (With advisor approval, some or all of the units taken as part of study abroad may be counted toward units in the major.)
- In one subject (prefix) other than COMM and not cross-listed with COMM.
Students who have earned AA-T or AS-T degrees and are pursuing a similar B.A. degree at SF State are required to fulfill the Complementary Studies requirement as defined by the major department. Students should consult with a major advisor about how transfer units and/or SF State units can best be applied to this requirement in order to ensure degree completion within 60 units.
- 5
Consider taking a class combined with a laboratory or a separate lab to fulfill B3 if not already satisfied.
- 6
Introductory Course (6 units)
COMM 120 Language, Culture, and Power (3 units) (C2, AERM, SJ)
COMM 150 Fundamentals of Oral Communication (3 units) (A1. COMM 150 may only count if another course is taken to satisfy GE Area A1.)
COMM 220 Introduction to the Performance of Literature (3 units)
COMM 230 Introduction to Argumentation and Debate (3 units)
COMM 240 Introduction to Nonverbal Communication (3 units) (D1)
COMM 250 Introduction to Group Discussion and Teamwork (3 units) (C2)
- 7
Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement
COMM 304GW Writing About Communication and Masculinities - GWAR (4 units)
COMM 312GW Writing About Interpersonal Communication - GWAR (4 units)
COMM 322GW Writing About Organizational Communication - GWAR (4 units)
COMM 334GW Writing About Mediation - GWAR (4 units)
COMM 344GW Writing About Popular Media - GWAR (4 units)
COMM 348GW Writing About Communication and Environmental Justice - GWAR (4 units) (ES)
COMM 361GW Writing About Social Semiotics - GWAR (4 units)
COMM 362GW Writing About Discourse in Interaction - GWAR (4 units)
- 8
Social Contexts and Interaction in Communication (8 units)
COMM 400 Variable Topics in Social Contexts & Interaction (2 units)
COMM 401 Workshop in Social Contexts & Interaction (1 unit)
COMM 403 Transgender Communication Studies (2 units)
COMM 425 The Dark Side of Interpersonal Communication (1 unit)
COMM 427 Case Studies in Health Communication (1 unit)
COMM 428 Health Communication in Visual and Graphic Medicine (2 units)
COMM 442 Dialogue Facilitation Practicum (2 units)
COMM 502 Interpersonal Communication (4 units)
COMM 503 Gender and Communication (4 units)
COMM 504 Communication and Masculinities (4 units)
COMM 515 Family Communication (4 units)
COMM 522 Organizational Communication (4 units)
COMM 525 Sexualities and Communication (4 units)
COMM 527 Health Communication (4 units) (UD-D)
COMM 531 Conflict Resolution (4 units) (UD-D)
COMM 532 Interviewing Methods in Organizational Settings (4 units)
COMM 533 Communication and Empowerment in Organizations (4 units)
COMM 534 Mediation Theory and Practice (4 units)
COMM 537 Leadership Communication (4 units)
COMM 538 Language and Identity in Interaction (4 units)
COMM 539 Analyzing Everyday Interaction (4 units)
COMM 541 Critical Approaches to Culture and Communication (4 units) (UD-C, AERM, SJ)
COMM 543 Dialogues Across Differences (4 units)
COMM 544 Communication and Aging (4 units)
- 9
Rhetoric and Performance in Communication (8 units)
COMM 450 Variable Topics in Rhetoric and Performance (2 units)
COMM 451 Workshop in Rhetoric & Performance (1 unit)
COMM 551 Persuasion (4 units)
COMM 552 Performance and Feminism (4 units)
COMM 553 Performance and Identity (4 units)
COMM 554 Performance of Children's Literature (4 units)
COMM 555 Ensemble Performance Workshop (4 units)
COMM 556 Performance Art: Aesthetic Communication Criticism (4 units) (SJ)
COMM 557 Performance and Pedagogy of the Oppressed for Educators (3 units) (SJ)
COMM 559 Theory and Practice in Advanced Public Speaking (4 units)
COMM 560 Political Communication (4 units)
COMM 561 Social Semiotics (4 units)
COMM 564 Issues in Free Speech (4 units)
COMM 565 Rhetorical Theory (4 units)
COMM 566 Communication and Social Process (4 units)
COMM 571 The Rhetoric of Terrorism (4 units)
COMM 572 Communication and Environmental Justice (4 units) (UD-C, ES, SJ)
COMM 573 The Rhetoric of Criminality and Punishment (4 units)
COMM 574 Rhetoric of the Media (4 units)
COMM 575 Emerging and Social Media (4 units)
COMM 595 Games, Communication, and Culture (4 units)
- 10
Communication Inquiry
COMM 601 Workshop in Communication Inquiry (1 unit)
COMM 661 Quantitative Methods in Communication (4 units)
COMM 662 Critical and Rhetorical Methods in Communication (4 units)
COMM 663 Performative Methods in Communication (4 units)
COMM 664 LSI Methods in Communication (4 units)
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Electives (8 units)
- Students may only apply up to 4 units for each course in the major, though some courses are repeatable for credit toward electives.
- All upper-division COMM courses between COMM 400-599 may be used as electives only if their corresponding area above is already met with other courses. For example, if a student has completed 8 units of Rhetoric and Performance, they may take additional units in Rhetoric and Performance to apply towards the electives requirement.
- Only 2 units from a lower-division COMM class may count towards the electives requirement.
- The following courses can also be used to fulfill electives requirements.
COMM 368 Forensics (2 units)
COMM 685 Projects in the Teaching of Communication (1-4 units)
COMM 695 Internship in Communication Studies (4 units)
- ±
Given catalog rights, fall 2023 transfer students do not need to complete an Area F course.