Department of Communication Studies

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Undergraduate ProgramGraduate ProgramCourse DescriptionsFaculty

 

About the Program

This department supervises the following degree programs:

• Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies
• Master of Arts in Communication Studies

Undergraduate Program

The Department of Communication Studies at Texas Tech prepares students for careers in business, industry, social service, and education. Plans are offered that allow for the study of communication skills and theories and their applications to problems in work and social settings. In addition to classroom instruction, the department sponsors cocurricular and extracurricular activity in forensics (speech and debate) and supports a chapter of Lambda Pi Eta (the National Communication Honor Society of the National Communication Association). For advanced students, an undergraduate internship in communication studies is an option, which provides an opportunity for practice in applied settings.

Requirements for the Major. Students must have a GPA of 2.0 or better to be admitted to the major in communication studies. Continued enrollment requires a 2.0 GPA or better in the first 15 hours taken at Texas Tech.

Students seeking an undergraduate degree in communication studies will complete a course of study that consists of 36 hours of communication studies courses with at least 21 hours of advanced courses. The department recognizes that each student has unique educational objectives and professional goals. Therefore, a flexible and individualized plan of undergraduate study is developed to be compatible with the student’s aims. A total of 12 hours toward the major must be completed in residence at Texas Tech.

All students who major in communication studies must complete COMS 1301, 2300, 2301, 2302, and 3311. Students have the option to declare a concentration in one of three areas: communication and public affairs (CPA), interpersonal communication (IPC), or corporate-organizational communication (COC). A student who declares a concentration will take 12 hours in the specialization and 9 hours of upper-level electives in communication studies. A student who chooses not to declare a concentration will take a minimum of 6 hours from each of the three concentrations plus 3 hours of a COMS elective at the junior/senior level toward the required total of 36 hours in the major. Courses in the communication and public affairs concentration include COMS 3313, 3314, 3315, 3318, 4304, and 4310. Courses in the interpersonal communication concentration include COMS 3331, 3332, 3333, 3334, 4304, and 4330. Courses in the corporate-organizational communication concentration include 3351, 3353, 3355, 3358, 3359, 4304, and 4350.

Requirements for the Minor. A minor consists of 18 hours of communication studies with at least 9 hours in advanced courses. At least 6 hours of the minor must be completed in residence at Texas Tech. Students who minor in communication studies must complete COMS 1300, 2300, and 2301. These three courses should be taken before enrolling in upper-division courses. Remaining courses may be selected from other departmental offerings.

Teacher Certification. Students desiring secondary certification in communication studies must complete the following: COMS 1300, 1301, 2300, 3314, 3351, MCOM 1300, and 9 hours of electives in communication studies, all of which must be at the upper-division level.Back to Top

 

Graduate Program

The graduate program for the master’s degree in communication studies requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of coursework plus 6 hours of thesis. Required courses are COMS 5300, 5301, 5305, 5306, and 5307.Back to Top

 

Course Descriptions

• Communication Studies (COMS)
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Faculty

Click here to view alphabetical listing of all TTU faculty and their academic credentials.

Bolanle Olaniran, Ph.D., Chairperson

Professors: Olaniran, Roach, Stewart
Associate Professors: Carter, Gring, Heuman, Hughes, Scholl
Assistant Professors: Langford
Lecturers: Gantt, NealBack to Top