Bachelor of Science in Communication and Leadership
To be awarded the degree of Bachelor of Science in Communication and Leadership, the candidate must complete 120 semester hours of coursework and must fulfill the University's General Requirements for graduation and the Core Curriculum requirements, the college graduation requirements given in Special Requirements of the College , and the requirements given in Special Requirements of the Major, Prescribed Work, and Major Requirements below.
The Bachelor of Science in Communication and Leadership is an interdisciplinary program, with an emphasis on philanthropy, administered within the Moody College of Communication. The program provides majors with 1) knowledge of the theories and practices of ethical leadership; 2) communication foundations in necessary skills and expertise; 3) an interdisciplinary understanding of social challenges and innovative communication strategies; and 4) experience applying this knowledge of ethical leadership and strategic communication to promote beneficial social change through philanthropic intervention. This degree prepares students for civic leadership, public service, philanthropic administration, and corporate social responsibility.
Core Curriculum
All students must complete the University’s Core Curriculum, as well as the requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Communication and Leadership listed below under Prescribed Work. In some cases, a course required for the Bachelor of Science in Communication and Leadership may also be counted toward the core curriculum; these courses are identified below.
Prescribed Work
- Students must demonstrate intermediate proficiency in a single foreign language. Courses taken to meet this requirement may not be taken on the pass/fail basis. Credit may be earned by examination for any part of a foreign language sequence. An extensive foreign language testing program is available at the University. Students with knowledge of a language are encouraged to take appropriate tests both to earn as much credit as possible and to be placed at the proper level for further study. Students should consult with an academic adviser for information on testing.
- At least six semester hours of course work in the Moody College of Communication excluding communication courses used to meet the communication and leadership major requirements.
- Three semester hours in English or rhetoric and writing in addition to the courses required by the core curriculum.
- Three courses with a writing flag; one course with a quantitative reasoning flag; one course with a global cultures flag; one course with a cultural diversity in the United States flag; one course with an ethics and leadership flag; and one course with an independent inquiry flag. The same course cannot be used to satisfy the global cultures and cultural diversity flags even if the course carries both flags. Courses that fulfill flag requirements are identified in the Course Schedule. They may also be used to fulfill other degree requirements.
- Three semester hours of coursework in the Moody College of Communication dealing with the study of communication issues concerning at least one minority or non-dominant group within the United States. Courses that fulfill this requirement may also be used to fulfill other degree requirements. A partial list of these communication and culture courses is given in the Communication and Culture Requirement section under the Moody College of Communication's Degrees and Programs section; a complete list is available from the college’s Student Advising Office before registration for each semester and summer session. The courses are also identified in the Course Schedule.
- At least 36 semester hours of upper-division coursework.
- Enough additional coursework to make a total of 120 semester hours.
- No more than 36 hours in any other single field may be counted toward the degree.
- No more than 60 hours of Moody College of Communication coursework may count toward the degree.
Special Requirements of the Major
To enroll in upper-division communication courses, a student must have a University grade point average of at least 2.25 and a grade point average in courses in the Moody College of Communication of at least 2.00. Students who do not fulfill this requirement will be dropped from upper-division communication courses, normally before the twelfth class day. This requirement is waived for the transfer student during the first semester of coursework, while he or she is establishing a University grade point average.
In addition, a student with a major in communication and leadership must have a grade of at least C in each course taken in the Moody College of Communication that is counted toward the degree; if the course is offered on the pass/fail basis only, the student must have the symbol CR.
Major Requirements
The major requires 36 hours of coursework across the three designated areas:
1. Twelve hours of communication and leadership core major courses from the four required core courses.
Communication Leadership
| Requirements | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| COM 301L | Introduction to Communication and Leadership | 3 |
| COM 320L | Seminar on Communication and Leadership | 3 |
| COM 351L | Internship in Communication and Leadership | 3 |
| COM 370L | Capstone Course in Communication and Leadership | 3 |
2. Twelve hours focusing on communication foundations.
Communication Foundations
Students should consult the Student Advising Office for additional information regarding the coursework that meets major requirements. The courses that may be counted toward this section include 12 semester hours chosen from the following courses in the Moody College of Communication:
| Requirements | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| ADV 304 | Advertising on the Internet | 3 |
| ADV 378 | Advanced Studies in Advertising (Topic 17) | 3 |
| ADV 378 | Advanced Studies in Advertising (Topic 23) | 3 |
| CMS 306M | Professional Communication Skills | 3 |
| CMS 310K | Team-Based Communication | 3 |
| CMS 313M | Organizational Communication | 3 |
| CMS 315M | Interpersonal Communication Theory | 3 |
| CMS 316L | Interviewing Principles and Practices | 3 |
| CMS 320 | Advanced Presentation Skills | 3 |
| CMS 321D | Communicating for Development and Philanthropy | 3 |
| CMS 322E | Communication Ethics | 3 |
| CMS 332 | Argumentation and Advocacy | 3 |
| CMS 332K | Theories of Persuasion | 3 |
| CMS 333 | Case Studies in Argumentation | 3 |
| CMS 335 | Strategic Sales and Event Planning | 3 |
| CMS 338 | Leadership Stories | 3 |
| CMS 372K | Advanced Organizational Communication | 3 |
| P R 348 | Public Relations Techniques (Topic 5) | 3 |
3. Twelve hours of interdisciplinary courses that explore critical social issues.
Social Issues
Students should consult the Student Advising Office for additional information regarding the coursework that meets major requirements. The courses that may be counted toward this section include 12 semester hours chosen from the following:
| Requirements | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Moody College of Communication | ||
| ADV 378 | Advanced Studies in Advertising (Topic 26) | 3 |
| CMS 340K | Communication and Social Change | 3 |
| CMS 342K | Political Communication | 3 |
| CMS 347K | Rhetoric of Popular Culture | 3 |
| CMS 354 | Conflict Resolution | 3 |
| CMS 372T | Time Matters | 3 |
| J 341J | Minorities and the Media | 3 |
| J 351F | Journalism, Society, and the Citizen Journalist | 3 |
| RTF 323C | Screening Race | 3 |
| RTF 342 | Topics in Global Media | 3 |
| RTF 359 | Studies in Media and Culture | 3 |
| RTF 365 | Topics in Media and Society | 3 |
| School of Social Work | ||
| S W 310 | Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare | 3 |
| S W 325 | Foundations of Social Justice | 3 |
| Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs | ||
| P A 325 | Topics in Policy | 3 |
| College of Liberal Arts | ||
| WGS 340/GOV 365N | Cross-Cultural Topics in Women's and Gender Studies | 3 |
| GOV 351L/CTI 325 | Morality and Politics | 3 |
| SOC 308K | Social Change and the Future | 3 |
| SOC 321K | Contemporary Issues in Sociology: Special Topics | 3 |
| SOC 352 | Social Movements | 3 |
| SOC 369K | Population and Society | 3 |
- At least six semester hours of coursework must be taken in the Moody College of Communication. These courses may not be used to meet the Communication Leadership, Communication Foundations and Social Issues requirements.
- At least 15 hours must be upper-division coursework.
- No Moody College of Communication course to be counted toward the degree may be taken on the pass/fail basis, unless the course is offered only on that basis.
Order and Choice of Work
First Year
- The student must take three courses from the following group each semester:
- Rhetoric and Writing 306.
- Undergraduate Studies 302 or 303
- Courses to be counted toward the American history, American and Texas government, social and behavioral sciences, mathematics, and science and technology requirements of the core curriculum.
- Courses in a foreign language.
- Courses that meet flag requirements.
- Enough additional coursework to raise the student’s course load to 15 or 16 hours each semester. Courses should be chosen with the guidance of a college adviser.
First-year students may not take two beginning foreign language courses in the same semester. First-year students may not take more than eight semester hours in one department.
Second Year
- The student should take three courses from the following group each semester; four are recommended:
- English 316L , 316M , 316N , or 316P and any three-semester-hour course in English or rhetoric and writing.
- Courses to be counted toward the American history, American and Texas government, social and behavioral sciences, mathematics, and science and technology requirements of the core curriculum.
- Courses in the foreign language, unless the language requirement has been fulfilled.
- Communication 301L and a course from Communication Foundations .
- Two courses that meet flag requirements.
- Enough additional coursework, if needed, to raise the student’s course load to 15 or 16 hours each semester. Courses should be chosen with the guidance of a college academic adviser.
Third Year
- Two courses that meet flag requirements.
- Any remaining courses in the core curriculum and the prescribed work.
- Courses from the Communication Foundations and Social Issues areas to fulfill the major requirements. Courses should be chosen with the guidance of a college academic adviser.
- Communication 320L and 351L, if the prerequisites have been met.
- Upper-division electives chosen to support the major.
Fourth Year
- Communication 370L
- Upper-division electives chosen to support the major.
- Any remaining major requirements from the Communication Foundations and Social Issues areas. Courses should be chosen with the guidance of a college academic adviser.
- Any remaining flag requirements.
- Any remaining courses in the core curriculum and the prescribed work.