Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies
Program Learning Outcomes
- Articulate and use appropriate theories to analyze communication in a way that is methodologically consistent in paradigm and context.
- Articulate ethical standards and be disposed to engage in ethical practice within specific communication contexts.
- Apply course material to aspects of their personal life, social life, and their local communities (e.g., delivering public speeches, performances, or other community-focused discourse, even if that delivery happens only in the classroom).
- Read critically and evaluate appropriately original scholarship in the discipline.
Communication Studies (B.A.) — 40 units
Introductory Courses (6 units)
Select two lower-division COMM courses.
- COMM 150 may only count if another course is taken to satisfy GE Area A1.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select two of the following: | ||
| COMM 120 | Language, Culture, and Power | 3 |
| COMM 150 | Fundamentals of Oral Communication | 3 |
| COMM 220 | Introduction to the Performance of Literature | 3 |
| COMM 230 | Introduction to Argumentation and Debate | 3 |
| COMM 240 | Introduction to Nonverbal Communication | 3 |
| COMM 250 | Introduction to Group Discussion and Teamwork | 3 |
Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) (4 units)
Select one GWAR-designated course between COMM 300-399.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 304GW | Writing About Communication and Masculinities - GWAR | 4 |
| COMM 312GW | Writing About Interpersonal Communication - GWAR | 4 |
| COMM 322GW | Writing About Organizational Communication - GWAR | 4 |
| COMM 334GW | Writing About Mediation - GWAR | 4 |
| COMM 344GW | Writing About Popular Media - GWAR | 4 |
| COMM 348GW | Writing About Communication and Environmental Justice - GWAR | 4 |
| COMM 361GW | Writing About Social Semiotics - GWAR | 4 |
| COMM 362GW | Writing About Discourse in Interaction - GWAR | 4 |
Social Contexts and Interaction in Communication (8 units)
Select 8 units from courses between COMM 400-449 and COMM 500-549.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 400 | Variable Topics in Social Contexts & Interaction | 2 |
| COMM 401 | Workshop in Social Contexts & Interaction | 1 |
| COMM 403 | Transgender Communication Studies | 2 |
| COMM 425 | The Dark Side of Interpersonal Communication | 1 |
| COMM 427 | Case Studies in Health Communication | 1 |
| COMM 428 | Health Communication in Visual and Graphic Medicine | 2 |
| COMM 442 | Dialogue Facilitation Practicum | 2 |
| COMM 502 | Interpersonal Communication | 4 |
| COMM 503 | Gender and Communication | 4 |
| COMM 504 | Communication and Masculinities | 4 |
| COMM 515 | Family Communication | 4 |
| COMM 522 | Organizational Communication | 4 |
| COMM 525 | Sexualities and Communication | 4 |
| COMM 527 | Health Communication | 4 |
| COMM 531 | Conflict Resolution | 4 |
| COMM 532 | Interviewing Methods in Organizational Settings | 4 |
| COMM 533 | Communication and Empowerment in Organizations | 4 |
| COMM 534 | Mediation Theory and Practice | 4 |
| COMM 537 | Leadership Communication | 4 |
| COMM 538 | Language and Identity in Interaction | 4 |
| COMM 539 | Analyzing Everyday Interaction | 4 |
| COMM 541 | Critical Approaches to Culture and Communication | 4 |
| COMM 543 | Dialogues Across Differences | 4 |
| COMM 544 | Communication and Aging | 4 |
Rhetoric and Performance in Communication (8 units)
Select 8 units from courses between COMM 450-499 and COMM 550-599.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 450 | Variable Topics in Rhetoric and Performance | 2 |
| COMM 451 | Workshop in Rhetoric & Performance | 1 |
| COMM 551 | Persuasion | 4 |
| COMM 552 | Performance and Feminism | 4 |
| COMM 553 | Performance and Identity | 4 |
| COMM 554 | Performance of Children's Literature | 4 |
| COMM 555 | Ensemble Performance Workshop | 4 |
| COMM 556 | Performance Art: Aesthetic Communication Criticism | 4 |
| COMM 557/LS 403 | Performance and Pedagogy of the Oppressed for Educators | 3 |
| COMM 559 | Theory and Practice in Advanced Public Speaking | 4 |
| COMM 560 | Political Communication | 4 |
| COMM 561 | Social Semiotics | 4 |
| COMM 564 | Issues in Free Speech | 4 |
| COMM 565 | Rhetorical Theory | 4 |
| COMM 566 | Communication and Social Process | 4 |
| COMM 571 | The Rhetoric of Terrorism | 4 |
| COMM 572 | Communication and Environmental Justice | 4 |
| COMM 573 | The Rhetoric of Criminality and Punishment | 4 |
| COMM 574 | Rhetoric of the Media | 4 |
| COMM 575 | Emerging and Social Media | 4 |
| COMM 595 | Games, Communication, and Culture | 4 |
Communication Inquiry (4 units)
Select 4 units from courses between COMM 600-609 and COMM 660-669.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select one: | ||
| COMM 601 | Workshop in Communication Inquiry | 1 |
| COMM 661 | Quantitative Methods in Communication | 4 |
| COMM 662 | Critical and Rhetorical Methods in Communication | 4 |
| COMM 663 | Performative Methods in Communication | 4 |
| COMM 664 | LSI Methods in Communication | 4 |
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.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 368 | Forensics | 2 |
| COMM 685 | Projects in the Teaching of Communication | 1-4 |
| COMM 695 | Internship in Communication Studies | 4 |
Senior Seminar (2 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 670 | Seminar in Communication Studies | 2 |
Complementary Studies
Bachelor of Arts students must complete at least 12 units of Complementary Studies in the same area outside of the COMM major.
Students can fulfill Complementary Studies by:
- Completing a second major.
- Completing a minor.
- Completing 12 units towards a second major, minor, or certificate program in courses other than COMM. This could include completing an Associate of Arts degree in a discipline outside of COMM.
- Completing 12 units of a single language other than English.
- Completing 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.
- Completing 12 units in a single subject (e.g., another major) other than COMM and not cross-listed with COMM.
Students should consult with a major advisor about how transfer units and/or SF State units can best be applied to this requirement to ensure degree completion within 60 units.
General Education Requirements
| Requirement | Course Level | Units | Area Designation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Communication | LD | 3 | A1 |
| Written English Communication | LD | 3 | A2 |
| Critical Thinking | LD | 3 | A3 |
| Physical Science | LD | 3 | B1 |
| Life Science | LD | 3 | B2 |
| Lab Science | LD | 1 | B3 |
| Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning | LD | 3 | B4 |
| Arts | LD | 3 | C1 |
| Humanities | LD | 3 | C2 |
| Arts or Humanities | LD | 3 | C1 or C2 |
| Social Sciences | LD | 3 | D1 |
| Social Sciences: US History | LD | 3 | D2 |
| Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (LLD) | LD | 3 | E |
| Ethnic Studies | LD | 3 | F |
| Physical and/or Life Science | UD | 3 | UD-B |
| Arts and/or Humanities | UD | 3 | UD-C |
| Social Sciences | UD | 3 | UD-D |
| SF State Studies | |||
| Courses certified as meeting the SF State Studies requirements may be upper or lower division in General Education (GE), a major or minor, or an elective. | |||
| American Ethnic and Racial Minorities | LD or UD | 3 | AERM |
| Environmental Sustainability | LD or UD | 3 | ES |
| Global Perspectives | LD or UD | 3 | GP |
| Social Justice | LD or UD | 3 | SJ |
Note: LD = Lower-Division; UD = Upper-Division.
First-Time Student Roadmap (4 Year)
The roadmaps presented in this Bulletin are intended as suggested plans of study and do not replace meeting with an advisor. For a more personalized roadmap, please use the Degree Planner tool found in your Student Center.
SF State Scholars Roadmap
The San Francisco State Scholars program provides undergraduate students with an accelerated pathway to a graduate degree. Students in this program pursue a bachelor’s and master’s degree simultaneously. This program allows students to earn graduate credit while in their junior and/or senior year, reducing the number of semesters required for completion of a master’s degree.
Transfer Student Roadmap (2 Year)
For students with an AA-T in Communication Studies.
COMM ADT Roadmap
This degree program is an approved pathway (“similar” major) for students earning the ADT in Communication Studies
California legislation SB 1440 (2009) mandated the creation of the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) to be awarded by the California Community Colleges. Two types of ADTs are awarded: Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) and Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T).
Note: no specific degree is required for admission as an upper-division student. However, the ADT includes specific guarantees related to admission and graduation and is designed to clarify the transfer process and strengthen lower-division preparation for the major.
An ADT totals 60 units and in most cases includes completion of all lower-division General Education requirements and at least 18 units in a specific major. (The Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Science AS-T degrees defer 3 units in lower-division GE area C and 3 units in lower-division GE area D until after transfer.) Students pursuing an ADT are guaranteed admission to the CSU if minimum eligibility requirements are met, though not necessarily to the CSU campus of primary choice.
Upon verification that the ADT has been awarded prior to matriculation at SF State, students are guaranteed B.A. or B.S. completion in 60 units if pursuing a “similar” major after transfer. Determinations about “similar” majors at SF State are made by faculty in the discipline.
Degree completion in 60 units cannot be guaranteed when a student simultaneously pursues an additional major, a minor, certificate, or credential.
A sample advising roadmap for students who have earned an ADT and continue in a "similar" major at SF State is available on the Roadmaps tab on the degree requirements page for the major. The roadmap displays:
- How many lower-division units required for the major have been completed upon entry based on the award of a specific ADT;
- Which lower-division requirements are considered complete upon entry based on the award of a specific ADT;
- How to complete the remaining 60 units for the degree in four semesters.
Students who have earned an ADT should seek advising in the major department during the first semester of attendance.
General Advising Information for Transfer Students
- Before transfer, complete as many lower-division requirements or electives for this major as possible.
- The following courses are not required for admission but are required for graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to complete these units before transfer; doing so will provide more flexibility in course selection after transfer.
- a course in U.S. History
- a course in U.S. & California Government
For information about satisfying the requirements described in (1) and (2) above at a California Community College (CCC), please visit http://www.assist.org. Check any geographically accessible CCCs; sometimes options include more than one college. Use ASSIST to determine:
- Which courses at a CCC satisfy any lower-division major requirements for this major;
- Which courses at a CCC satisfy CSU GE, US History, and US & CA Government requirements.
Remedial courses are not transferable and do not apply to the minimum 60 semester units/90 quarter units required for admission.
Additional units for courses that are repeated do not apply to the minimum 60 units required for upper-division transfer (for example, if a course was not passed on the first attempt or was taken to earn a better grade).
Before leaving the last California Community College of attendance, obtain a summary of completion of lower-division General Education units (IGETC or CSU GE Breadth). This is often referred to as a GE certification worksheet. SF State does not require delivery of this certification to Admissions, but students should retain this document for verifying degree progress after transfer.
Credit for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or College-Level Examination Program courses: AP/IB/CLEP credit is not automatically transferred from the previous institution. Units are transferred only when an official score report is delivered to SF State. Credit is based on the academic year during which exams were taken. Refer to the University Bulletin in effect during the year of AP/IB/CLEP examination(s) for details regarding the award of credit for AP/IB/CLEP.
Students pursuing majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines often defer 6-9 units of lower-division General Education in Areas C and D until after transfer to focus on preparation courses for the major. This advice does not apply to students pursuing associate degree completion before transfer.
Transferring From Institutions Other Than CCCs or CSUs
Review SF State's lower-division General Education requirements. Note that, as described below, the four basic skills courses required for admission meet A1, A2, A3, and B4 in the SF State GE pattern. Courses that fulfill the remaining areas of SF State’s lower-division GE pattern are available at most two-year and four-year colleges and universities.
Of the four required basic skills courses, a course in critical thinking (A3) may not be widely offered outside the CCC and CSU systems. Students should attempt to identify and take an appropriate course no later than the term of application to the CSU. To review more information about the A3 requirement, please visit bulletin.sfsu.edu/undergraduate-education/general-education/lower-division/#AAEL.
Waiting until after transfer to take a single course at SF State that meets both US and CA/local government requirements may be an appropriate option, particularly if transferring from outside of California.