Academic Policies and Procedures
Honors
University Honors
The designation University Honors, awarded at the end of each long-session semester, gives official recognition and commendation to students whose grades for the semester indicate distinguished academic accomplishment. Both the quality and the quantity of work done are considered. Criteria for University Honors are given in General Information.
Graduation with University Honors
Students who, upon graduation, have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement are eligible to graduate with University Honors. Criteria for graduation with University Honors are given in General Information.
Senior Fellows Program
The Senior Fellows Program is a college-wide honors program providing a broad, interdisciplinary supplement to the student’s major. The program is designed for students with the talent and interest to go beyond the usual undergraduate experience. Participants who complete four honors courses in communication with a grade of at least B in each course earn the distinction of Senior Fellow. The coursework is undertaken in conjunction with the student’s degree requirements. Students with a grade point average of at least 3.30 are invited to apply to participate during their junior and/or senior years. Requirements for admission include completion of the formal application process, which includes a written statement of purpose indicating why the student wishes to be part of the program, and an interview with members of the faculty committee that oversees the program. Twenty-five to thirty students are selected for the program each year.
College Honors Programs
Each academic unit in the College of Communication offers an honors program to students majoring in the unit. Requirements for the programs vary, but all include (1) minimum grade point averages for admission to and continuance in the program; (2) three to six semester hours of honors coursework; and (3) completion in residence at the University of at least sixty semester hours of coursework counted toward the degree.
Each academic unit encourages eligible students to apply for admission to the honors program. Students who complete the program receive a certificate indicating “Special Honors in (name of field).” This notation also appears on the student’s academic record.
Advertising Honors Program
Students who plan to seek special honors in advertising should apply to the department undergraduate adviser for admission to the honors program upon completion of sixty semester hours of coursework; they must apply no later than upon completion of ninety semester hours. A University grade point average of at least 3.50 and a grade point average in advertising of at least 3.50 are required for admission. The requirements for graduation with special honors are (1) Advertising 373H, Integrated Communications Campaigns: Honors, and Advertising 379H, Honors Tutorial Course, with a grade of at least B in each; (2) a University grade point average of at least 3.50 and a grade point average in advertising of at least 3.50; and (3) completion in residence at the University of at least sixty semester hours of coursework counted toward the degree of Bachelor of Science in Advertising.
Communication Sciences and Disorders Honors Program
Students who plan to seek special honors in communication sciences and disorders should apply to the department undergraduate adviser for admission to the honors program upon completion of ninety semester hours of coursework. A University grade point average of at least 3.00 and a grade point average in communication sciences and disorders of at least 3.50 are required for admission. The requirements for graduation with special honors are (1) Communication Sciences and Disorders 359H, Honors Tutorial Course: Reading, with a grade of at least B-; (2) Communication Sciences and Disorders 379H, Honors Tutorial Course: Special Project, with a grade of at least B-; (3) a University grade point average of at least 3.00 and a grade point average in communication sciences and disorders of at least 3.50; and (4) completion in residence at the University of at least sixty semester hours of coursework counted toward the degree of Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders.
Communication Studies Honors Program
Students who plan to seek special honors in communication studies should consult the communication studies undergraduate adviser upon completion of seventy-five semester hours of coursework. A University grade point average of at least 3.00 and a grade point average in communication studies of at least 3.50 are required for admission to the honors program. The requirements for graduation with special honors are (1) a major in communication studies; (2) Communication Studies 359H, Honors Tutorial Course: Reading, with a grade of at least B-; (3) Communication Studies 379H, Honors Tutorial Course: Special Project, with a grade of at least B-; (4) a University grade point average of at least 3.00 and a grade point average in communication studies of at least 3.50; and (5) completion in residence at the University of at least sixty semester hours of coursework counted toward the degree of Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies.
Journalism Honors Program
Students who plan to seek special honors in journalism should apply to the School of Journalism adviser for admission to the honors program upon completion of sixty semester hours of coursework; they must apply no later than upon completion of ninety semester hours. A University grade point average of at least 3.50 and a grade point average in journalism of at least 3.50 are required for admission. The requirements for graduation with special honors are (1) Journalism 379H, Honors Tutorial Course, with a grade of at least B; (2) a University grade point average of at least 3.50 and a grade point average in journalism of at least 3.50; and (3) completion in residence at the University of at least sixty semester hours of coursework counted toward the degree of Bachelor of Journalism.
Public Relations Honors Program
Students who plan to seek special honors in public relations should apply to the public relations adviser for admission to the honors program upon completion of sixty semester hours of coursework; they must apply no later than upon completion of ninety semester hours. A University grade point average of at least 3.50 and a grade point average in public relations of at least 3.50 are required for admission. The requirements for graduation with special honors are (1) Public Relations 377H, Integrated Communications Campaigns: Honors, and Public Relations 379H, Honors Tutorial Course, with a grade of at least B in each; (2) a University grade point average of at least 3.50 and a grade point average in public relations of at least 3.50; and (3) completion in residence at the University of at least sixty semester hours of coursework counted toward the degree of Bachelor of Science in Public Relations.
Radio-Television-Film Honors Program
Students who plan to seek special honors in radio-television-film should apply to the department chair for admission to the honors program upon completion of seventy-five semester hours of coursework; they must apply no later than upon completion of ninety semester hours. A University grade point average of at least 3.00 and a grade point average in radio-television-film of at least 3.50 are required for admission to and continuation in the honors program. The requirements for graduation with special honors are (1) two semesters of Radio-Television-Film 378H, Honors Tutorial Course, with a grade of at least B- each semester; (2) a University grade point average of at least 3.00 and a grade point average in radio-television-film of at least 3.50; and (3) completion in residence at the University of at least sixty semester hours of coursework counted toward the degree of Bachelor of Science in Radio-Television-Film.
Concentrations and Certificates
Communication and Society Concentration
This concentration is designed for consumers and creators of messages in public contexts. It is open only to students in majors outside the College of Communication; any noncommunication student may enroll in any of these courses for which he or she meets the prerequisite. In addition to fulfilling the prerequisite, the student must have a University grade point average of at least 2.25 to enroll in any upper-division course in the College of Communication.
The communication and society concentration requires eighteen semester hours of coursework, consisting of two required courses and twelve hours of electives; nine hours of the elective work must be in upper-division courses. Of the eighteen semester hours required for the concentration, at least twelve must be completed in residence. At any time after enrolling in his or her last concentration course, the student should fill out a concentration completion form in the Student Advising Office. The form must be submitted by the deadline to apply for graduation in the student’s final semester. Students who complete the concentration will receive verification.
A student who wishes to use the concentration to fulfill minor requirements should make certain these courses meet the requirements of his or her college.
Concentration Courses
Required Courses
Communication 309, Communication Technology and Society
Radio-Television-Film 305, Introduction to Media Studies
Electives
Advertising 315, History and Development of Advertising
Communication 316M, Race, Ethnicity, and the Media
Communication Studies 306M, Professional Communication Skills
Communication Studies 332K, Theories of Persuasion
Communication Studies 342K, Political Communication
Journalism 350F, Media Law
Journalism 364E, The Mass Media and Society
Sports Media Certificate
The Sports Media Certificate is designed to complement a student’s education by developing his or her proficiency and knowledge in the area of sports media. A student may enroll in any of the certificate-accepted courses for which he or she meets the prerequisites, including a University grade point average of at least 2.25 to enroll in any upper-division course in the College of Communication. Undergraduates who complete certificate requirements in conjunction with their degree requirements or within one year after earning the degree receive recognition on the University transcript; students in integrated undergraduate/graduate programs must complete certificate requirements within one year after they complete their undergraduate degree requirements. A maximum of nine semester hours of the certificate coursework may be taken after the student has earned the undergraduate degree. At least half of the required certificate coursework must be completed in residence at the University.
Advertising and public relations majors may count these courses towards their degree but are ineligible for the certificate because University policy precludes a student from earning any transcript-recognized certificate in the same field as his or her major. Kinesiology majors may not count Kinesiology 350, Sociological Aspects of Sport and Physical Activity, and Kinesiology 354, Sport and Event Marketing, towards the certificate. Sport management majors may not count Advertising 378S (Topic 1: Advertising and Public Relations for Sport), Public Relations 378S (Topic: Advertising and Public Relations for Sports), and Kinesiology 355, Media and Public Relations in Sport, towards the certificate.
Students should apply for the certificate when they apply for graduation or when they complete the certificate program, whichever is later. Transcript recognition is awarded at the end of that semester or summer session.
The certificate program requires eighteen semester hours of coursework as described below. Nine hours must be taken at the upper-division level and at least nine hours must be taken in residence. The certificate requirements are:
- Advertising 305, Fundamentals of Advertising
- Advertising 350, Advertising Internship
- Approved topic of Advertising 378, Advanced Studies in Advertising, or Journalism 348G, The Business of Sports Media
- Nine hours of coursework to be selected from:
- Approved topic of Advertising 377, Advertising Media Topics
- Advertising 378S (Topic 1: Advertising and Public Relations for Sports) or Public Relations 378S (Topic 1: Advertising and Public Relations for Sports), or Kinesiology 355, Media and Public Relations in Sport
- Advertising 378S (Topic 2: Legal Aspects of Sports and Media) or Public Relations 378S (Topic 2: Legal Aspects of Sports and Media)
- Advertising 378S (Topic 3: Return on Investment for Sports Media) or Public Relations 378S (Topic 3: Return on Investment for Sports Media)
- Advertising 378S (Topic 4: Analysis of Sports and Entertainment Audiences) or Public Relations 378S (Topic 4: Analysis of Sports and Entertainment Audiences)
- Advertising 378S (Topic 5: Ethics and Social Issues in Sports Branding) or Public Relations 378S (Topic 5: Ethics and Social Issues in Sports Branding)
- Communication 325S (Topic 1: Sports, Media and the Integration of American Society)
- Communication Studies 347K, Rhetoric of Popular Culture
- Journalism 326F, Reporting Sports
- Journalism 349G, Sports Journalism
- Radio-Television-Film 359 (Topic: Youth and Social Media)
- Kinesiology 350, Sociological Aspects of Sport and Physical Activity
- Kinesiology 354, Sport and Event Marketing
- Approved topic of Advertising 377, Advertising Media Topics
- Earn a grade of at least C or better in each course
Additional electives may be offered on a semester-by-semester basis.
US Latino and Latin American Media Studies Certificate
This concentration is designed to introduce students to United States Latino and Latin American issues in communication and the media and to give them the opportunity to prepare for professional work related to these areas in addition to their major. The certificate program requires eighteen hours of coursework, including at least nine hours completed in residence. Students must fulfill the following requirements:
- Communication 316M, Race, Ethnicity, and the Media, or Radio-Television-Film 316M, Race, Ethnicity, and the Media
- Nine hours of upper-division elective coursework chosen from the list of approved electives available in the College of Communication
- Six additional hours (upper or lower division) of elective coursework in Latin American Studies or Mexican American Studies
- All courses must be taken for a letter grade, and only courses with a grade of C or better will be counted.
Any College of Communication student may enroll in any of the concentration courses for which he or she meets the prerequisite. The student must have a University grade point average of at least 2.25 to enroll in any upper-division course in the college.
The student must submit an application form online to the Office of Student Affairs in order to enroll in the US Latino and Latin American Media Studies Certificate Program. Certain course prerequisites, for approved courses in the College of Communication, may be waived once the student is accepted to the program.
Each degree program in the college imposes a limit on the number of hours in the college that may be counted toward the degree; each also imposes limits on the number of hours in the major that may be counted. For students who complete the US Latino and Latin American media studies certificate, these limits may be modified with the approval of the Student Advising Office.
Students must apply for the transcript-recognized academic certificate at the time they complete their degree or the certificate program, whichever comes later.
Students should consult the Student Advising Office for additional information about the program and the coursework that meets concentration requirements. The courses that may be counted toward the certificate include, but are not limited to, the following:
Required Course
Communication 316M, Race, Ethnicity, and the Media or Radio-Television-Film 316M, Race, Ethnicity, and the Media
Electives
Advertising 334, International Advertising
Advertising 378, Advanced Studies in Advertising
Advertising 378 (Topic 2: Advanced Issues in Multicultural Markets)
Advertising 378 (Topic 9:Consumer Discrimination in the Marketplace)
Journalism 340C (Topic 1: Mass Media and Minorities)
Journalism 349T (Topic 4: International Reporting)
Journalism 349T (Topic 7: Oral History as Journalism)
Journalism 349T (Topic 10: Covering the US Latino Community)
Journalism 367E, Journalism in Latin America
Public Relations 378, Advanced Studies in Public Relations
Radio-Television-Film 359S (Topic: Brazilian Media and Culture)
Radio-Television-Film 359S (Topic: Brazilian Film: Documentary vs. Narrative Interpretation)
Radio-Television-Film 365 (Topic: Immigrant Media)
Radio-Television-Film 365 (Topic 6: Contemporary Issues: Latinos and Media)
Radio-Television-Film 365 (Topic: Race, Class, and Media)
Radio-Television-Film 366K (Topic 4: East Austin Stories)
Six additional hours to be selected from Latin American Studies and/or Mexican American Studies are also required.
Courses for Teacher Preparation
The college does not currently offer a teaching certification program for any of its degrees. Students who wish to pursue teacher certification should consult the teacher certification officer in the College of Education.