Communication
[ major | graduate program | courses | faculty ]
OFFICE: 127 Media Center Communication Building,
Marshall College
(858) 534-4410
http://communication.ucsd.edu
Communication at UC San Diego is a field of study which emphasizes the role of technologies and institutions of communication, from language, to television, to the Internet and beyond, in mediating human experience. It draws from such social science disciplines as anthropology, psychology, sociology, and political science, and from the humanities and fine arts, including theatre, literature, and visual arts. Communication students will develop a critical awareness of the communicative forces that affect their everyday lives.
The communication major is not designed as a training program in advertising, journalism, production, or public relations. It provides students with a solid liberal arts background necessary for graduate studies in communication and other disciplines, and for professional work in a number of communication-related fields, including primary and secondary education.
Though the emphasis of the major is not a technical one, the faculty in the Department of Communication believe that students will develop a deeper understanding of how communication works by exploring firsthand the capabilities and limitations of a variety of media; students, therefore, will have the opportunity to conduct part of their studies in video, computer communication or other forms of media practice.
Within the Department of Communication curriculum are three broadly defined areas of study: Communication as a Social Force, Communication and Culture, and Communication and Human Information processing. Students take courses in each of these areas.
Communication as a Social Force
How are social systems affected by communication technology? What is the social organization of the communication industries? How is the information presented by the media related to the characteristics of the intended audiences? How do media fit into the power structure of societies? Courses in this area address such questions. Students analyze mass communications, the development of telecommunication and information technologies, and the political economy of communication institutions both at home and abroad.
Communication and Culture
Film, music, advertising, art, theater, ritual, literature, and language are forms of communication which embody cultural beliefs of the societies from which they come. These media can influence and bring about changes in social behavior, styles, and traditions. At the same time, individuals and groups can reshape the media. Students will study the social production of cultural objects, the cultural traditions that shape their form and content, and various approaches to interpreting or “reading” television, film, newspapers, language, rituals, and other forms.
Communication and Human Information Processing
How do people turn concepts and ideas into messages? What is the process by which people receive and respond to those messages? Each medium—whether it is language, writing, or electronic media—has different properties that change the way people create and comprehend messages. The impact of television on the individual, the effect of literacy on individuals and on cultures, the ways that concepts are transmitted in film, and the means by which computers expand communication potentials are examples of topics investigated in this area.
The Communication Major
Degree offered: Bachelor of Arts
The major consists of two lower-division courses and fourteen upper-division courses. None of the major courses may be taken on a Pass/Not Pass basis.
Lower-Division
*COGN 20: Introduction to Communication
COGN 21: Methods of Media Production
Upper-Division
*COSF 100: Introduction to Communication as a Social Force
*COCU 100: Introduction to Communication and Culture
*COHI 100: Introduction to Communication and Human Information Processing
*COGN 150: Senior Seminar in Communication
One media methods course
Three courses beyond the introductory courses: (one must be chosen from each of the categories: COSF, COCU, and COHI)
Six upper-division communication electives
* These courses must be taken at UCSD.
Note: If students choose to do a 198, 199, or 197 note the following. COGN 198, 199, 197 grading option is Pass/Not Pass and only ONE may be applied to the major to satisfy an upper-division elective. AIP 197 must be petitioned for approval for the major.
Residency Requirement
Students are required to complete at least ten classes of their overall work in the major at UCSD. Following are the communication classes required to be taken at UCSD. See your college advisor for further residency requirements.
COGN 20: Introduction to Communication
COSF 100: Introduction to Communication as a Social Force
COCU 100: Introduction to Communication and Culture
COHI 100: Introduction to Communication and Human Information Processing
COGN 150: Senior Seminar
One COCU elective
One COHI elective
One COSF elective
One COMT elective
Requirements for the Communication Minor
(Effective fall 1998)
The communication minor at UCSD is a social science minor. None of the courses may be taken on a Pass/Not Pass basis. Students are required to take seven courses in communication as follows:
*COGN 20 (Introduction to Communication)
Two courses of your choice from the following 100’s:
*COSF 100 (Introduction to Communication as a Social Force)
*COCU 100 (Introduction to Communication and Culture)
*COHI 100 (Introduction to Communication and Human Information Processing)
*Four upper-division communication electives within the areas of the chosen 100 classes.
*These courses must be taken at UCSD within the communication department.
Note: COGN 150, 197, 198, and 199 Media Methods, and courses outside of the department may not be used as electives within the minor.
The Honors Program
The Department of Communication offers an honors program to those students who have demonstrated excellence in the communication major. Successful completion of the honors program enables the student to graduate “With Highest Distinction,” “With High Distinction,” or With Distinction,” depending on performance in the program. The honors program requires an application. Students wishing to be considered need to include the following in their application: one faculty advisor who supports their admission to the program, a verified overall GPA of 3.0 and a major GPA of 3.5, and a brief but detailed description of the proposed research or creative project.
Applications will be reviewed by a faculty committee, accepting students who meet these criteria. Once accepted into the Honors Program, students are required to complete a two-quarter course sequence, COGN 191A/191B in the fall and winter quarters of their senior year. At the end of the fall quarter, students will receive an IP grade report. This grade will change to the final letter grade at the completion of the course sequence in the winter quarter. This grade is based on attendance in the seminars and successful completion of the research paper or creative production.