Communication B.A. and Minor

Here we provide information on course requirements, course descriptions and an Academic Rhode Map for each program, a semester-by-semester plan to help you toward graduation in four years.

Course Requirements

Course Descriptions

Academic Rhode Map for Concentration in Media Communication and Advertising B.A.

Academic Rhode Map for Concentration in Speech, Language and Hearing Science

Media Communication Concentration

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Apply social science research findings, critical theories and methodologies related to the impact of mass media on American society and culture.
• Understand the local and global impact of new communication technologies on political, social and economic institutions.
• Understand the decision-making process in mass media organizations, with focus on the organization, economic, technological and societal constraints on decision makers.
• Understand media ethics, law and regulation and cultural diversity and become responsible media practitioners.
• Understand how mass media is produced, reproduced, consumed and constructed within cultural context.
• Conceptualize, develop, plan and execute a media or multimedia project through the phases of production: pre-production, production and postproduction.​

Speech and Hearing Science Concentration

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Apply the skill of hearing speech sounds to the process of phonetic transcription.
• Apply theories of speech and language development to data collected from a normal child.
• Understand the science of speech and hearing, including acoustics, speech perception and anatomy and physiology.
• Understand the principles of audiology.
• Apply for and gain admission to graduate programs in speech and hearing science.

Why or in what ways is writing important to your discipline/field/profession?

The ability to communicate clearly is central to each concentration in the Communication Department. Writing is at the heart of good journalism, broadcasting, documentary film-making, public relations, advertising, and public, professional, and academic discourse. Whether you create speeches, films, content for the web, advertisements, brochures, or academic articles, it is important to communicate information clearly and persuasively.

Which courses are designated as satisfying the Writing in the Discipline (WID) requirement by your department?

The courses with a "W" next to their course number satisfy the WID requirement for the different concentrations within the Communication Department.

What forms or genres of writing will students learn and practice in your department’s WID courses? Why these genres?

Students will practice and experiment with many different genres of academic, journalistic, and professional writing in the Communication Department. The genres students produce will depend on their chosen concentration.

What kinds of teaching practices will students encounter in your department’s WID courses?

Students will encounter active and experiential teaching practices in the Communication Department’s WID courses. Most writing assignments include written feedback from instructors, some involve several drafts with individual face-to-face feedback, and others involve peer evaluation and feedback. Learning to write well is a life-long process. Instructors in the Communication Department take pride in nurturing students’ creativity and skills as part of that process.

When they’ve satisfied your department’s WID requirement, what should students know and be able to do with writing?

Students who have completed the WID requirement should feel confident in their ability to communicate effectively through writing in their field. They will have experiential, portfolio-building writing exercises to demonstrate their proficiency. Specific skills will vary by concentration.​​​​​

What kinds of teaching practices will students encounter in your department’s WID courses?

Cumulatively over the course of this plan, students receive lots of instruction and feedback from their teachers on the forms and contents of their writing. They exercise their skills frequently in shorter writing assignments and have multiple opportunities for longer papers. They also engage in peer collaboration and peer review under the teachers’ supervision.

When they’ve completed your department’s WID requirement, what should students know and be able to do with writing?​

When students have satisfied the requirements for writing in the discipline, they should understand the typical goals and forms of writing, and they should have practiced using common conventions of field-specific publications.

Declaring a minor allows you to explore other areas of interest and make interdisciplinary connections. Minor areas at RIC complement and reinforce all major areas of study. By declaring a minor, you can set yourself apart as a candidate for job, internship and volunteer opportunities.

Minor in Communication

Minor in Digital Media Production