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Communication Studies

Requirements

Major Requirements

A major in Communication Studies consists of twelve courses, plus a senior seminar or other evaluation (see below).  At least nine of the courses must be liberal arts in nature. Students must pass COMM1001 (or transfer in a comparable course) with a grade of C+ or better before declaring the major.  Other course grades must be “C” or better to qualify for major credit. The twelve courses begin with a required core of seven:
· Introductory communication studies: COMM 1001
· One course in speech and interpersonal communication: COMM 2009
· One course in communication theory: COMM 2090
· One of the following courses in written communication:  ENW 3005, ENW 4003, ENW4004, ENW 4011, ENW 4012, DTH 3244
· One of the following courses in film, photography or broadcasting history and criticism: ARH 1030, ENG 2083, ENG 3028, ENG 3029, COMM 3030
· One course in the production of visual or aural communication (all are non-liberal arts)*: COMM 2050, ART 3004, ART 3064, ART 4004, ART 4007/4008/4010, ART4033, ART 4043, ART 4062, ART 4067, MUA 1007, MUA 2011.  Check with Studio Art and Music about courses that have prerequisites.
· One seminar, requiring a research paper: ARH 3072, COMM 3070, COMM 3071, COMM 3072, COMM 3073, SOC 3050, SOC 3088, ENG 3075, ENG4030. Check with the relevant department about any course pre-requisites.

The remaining five courses will consist of two concentrations.  Students take three courses in one area and two courses in another.  Two concentrations MUST be chosen from the three below.  The five courses must come from at least two departments and include at least two 3000-level (or advanced 4000-level) courses.  At least three of the five must be liberal arts. Classes counting as electives within concentrations cannot be double-counted in the core.  The three concentrations are:

Interpersonal and Public Communication
· COMM 2010 Interpersonal and Intercultural Communication
· COMM2021 Public Relations and American Culture
· COMM2022 Advertising and American Popular Culture
· COMM 2030 Communicating in the Business World**
· COMM 2037 Small Group Discussion and Communication
· COMM 3035 Argumentation, Persuasion and Debate
· COMM3070 Media Ethics
· COMM3072 Media Industries & Information Technology: From Gutenberg to the Internet
· DTH 3314 Performance Seminar: Collaborative Process
· DTH 4010 Voice and Speech*
· DTH 4114 Contact Improvisation*
· ENW 4012 Journalism 2
· MGT 2012 Consumer Behavior
· MGT 2015 Organizational Behavior

Note: COMM 2010 is recommended for both the two-course and three-three versions of this concentration. No more than one DTH course can be taken in this concentration.

Video, Audio and Broadcasting Studies
· ART 3004 Multimedia*
· ART 4033 Interactive Design*
· ART 4043 Video Production**
· ART 4062 Computer Animation*
· DTH 4004 Acting for the Camera
· DTH 4015 Acting for the Camera II
· MUA 3011 Audio Recording Technique II*
· SOC 3050 Mass Media and Society
· SOC 3088 Images of Women in Popular Culture
· COMM 3030 History of TV and Radio
· COMM 3070 Media Ethics
· COMM 3071 Minorities and the Media
· COMM 3072 Media Industries & Info Technology: From Gutenberg to the Internet
· COMM 3073 Rethinking Gender, Sexuality, Politics: Queer Media Studies
· COMM 4025 Topics in Advanced TV/Video*

Note: no more than one DTH course can be taken in this concentration.

Film and Photography Studies
· ARH 1030 History of Photography
· ARH 3072 Women Photographers
· ART 4008 Photographic Essay*
· ART 4010/4048 Intermediate/Advanced Photography/Color Photography*
· ART 4067 Digital Photography and Computer Imaging*
· COMM3070 Media Ethics
· COMM3073 Rethinking Gender, Sexuality, Politics: Queer Media Studies
· DTH 4004 Acting for the Camera
· DTH 4015 Acting for the Camera II
· ENW 4004 Screenwriting Workshop II
· ENG 2083 Intro to Film Criticism
· ENG 2080 American Film
· ENG 3028 History of Cinema I
· ENG 3029 History of Cinema II
· ENG 3075 Film Theory
· ENG 3076 Women’s Film
· ENG 4010 Major Film Directors
· ENG 4020 Topics in Film Genre
· ENG 4030 Topics in National and Regional Cinemas
Note: no more than two ENG, two ART or one DTH course can be taken in this concentration.

The senior seminar/senior evaluation requirement can be met in one of three ways:
· Students can take a second seminar course, provided that it is in a different area of study than their first seminar; see the program director about eligible courses.
· Students interested in media production who have taken the advanced digital media course COMM4025 can take it a second time, with the explicit goal of creating material suitable for an “audition reel”.
· Students interested in graduate study in the field or who are highly motivated and show the talent for advanced, independent research can present a proposal and, if approved, undertake COMM3998 Advanced Research Project.

Students should take at least one other class besides COMM1001 (such as Oral Presentation, Introduction to Film Criticism, Journalism, Interpersonal and Intercultural Communication, or Introduction to Digital Media and TV Production) during their first two years at the College.  Prerequisites for Art classes should also be taken during one’s first two years. 

It is highly recommended that Theories of Communication be taken in the fall of one's sophomore or junior year and not delayed until senior year.  A first seminar course should be taken during junior year as well.
Distinction will be conferred on graduating seniors who have a 3.6 G.P.A. in coursework for the major, a grade of A- or higher on their overall senior evaluation and who have contributed to the program.  Students who maintain a 3.7 G.P.A. within the major and meet the other requirements listed here will be granted honors.

Minor Requirements

A minor in communication studies consists of six courses; the one production course is not liberal arts.
· Introductory communication studies: COMM 1001 
· One course in speech and interpersonal communication: COMM 2009
· One of the following courses in written media communication: ENW 3005, ENW 4011, ENW 4012, ENW 4003, ENW 4004, DTH 3244.
· One of the following courses in film or photography studies: ARH 1030, ENG 2083, ENG 3028, ENG 3029, ENG 2080, ENG 3075, ENG 3076, ENG 4010, ENG 4020, ENG 4030
· One course in the production of visual or aural communication: COMM 2050, MUA 1007, MUA 2011, ART 4007/4010/4048/4067, ART3004, ART 4004, ART 4043, ART 3064, etc.  Check with Studio Art and Music about courses that have pre-requisites.
· One of the following upper-level courses, typically requiring a research paper: COMM 3030, SOC 3050, SOC 3088, ARH 3072, COMM 3070, COMM 3071, COMM 3072, COMM 3073, ENG 3075, ENG 4030.

Note: Any one course may not cover two areas; six courses are still required for the minor.  Some COMM courses (e.g. COMM 2021, 2022, 2030) cannot be used to satisfy the minor.

Internships: Manhattanville’s location enables students to take advantage of the considerable resources of Westchester county and New York City to obtain internships with newspapers, radio stations, advertising and public relations firms, television and other media production companies, and more.  Students with sufficient communication studies backgrounds have interned with TV and radio programs, leading PR and publishing firms, and independent filmmakers.