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, the Core Curriculum requirements, the college graduation requirements, the requirements and policies listed in Academic Policies and Procedures, and the requirements given in Prescribed Work, Major Requirements, and Special Requirements of the Major, below.

Core Curriculum

All students must complete the University’s Core Curriculum. In some cases, a course required for the Bachelor of Science in Communication and Leadership may also be counted toward the core curriculum.

Prescribed Work

1. Six semester hours of coursework focusing on communication foundations: Communication 301E and 302E.
2. 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 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.
3. Students must satisfy a foreign language and culture requirement in one of the following ways: (a) Demonstrating intermediate proficiency in a single foreign language; (b) Taking two consecutive courses in one language and one approved culture course in a culture that is relevant to the language. A list of approved culture and language courses and combinations will be posted on the Student Advising website before registration for each semester and summer session. 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 advisor for information on testing.
4. Thirty-six hours of coursework, as described in Major Requirements, below.
5. Enough additional coursework to make a total of 120 semester hours.  

Major Requirements

The major requires 36 hours of coursework across three designated areas, of which at least 15 hours must be upper-division. Courses that are in multiple lists may only be counted once, unless topics vary. Students must earn a C- or better (or CR for courses offered only on a pass/fail basis) in all courses counting toward major requirements:

1. Communication and Leadership 301, 321, 351, and 371.
2. Twelve semester hours in Communication Fundamentals and Skills courses, chosen from the following: Advertising 320, 321, 332 339L, 353; Business, Government, and Society 373; Communication and Leadership 320 (any topic), 340; Communication Studies 306M, 310K, 313M, 315M, 316L, 320, 321D, 322E, 332, 332K, 333, 334K, 335, 337, 338, 341, 353C, 353S, 355K, 364K, 371K, 372K; Journalism 331M, 358C; Management 328; Nursing 310; Rhetoric and Writing 312, 328 (Topic 4).
3. Twelve semester hours in Social Issues courses, chosen from the following: Advertising 334, 378 (Topic 26); African and African Diaspora Studies 310L, 315O, 330R, 352E, 360 or American Studies 370 (Topic 5) or History 365G (Topic 13); Applied Learning and Development 327; Communication and Leadership 320 (any topic), 340; Communication Studies 332D, 338L, 340K, 341, 342K, 344K, 347K, 354, 372T; Educational Psychology 350L; Government 320N, 351L or Core Texts and Ideas 325, Government 337D, 357G; Health Education 366; History 356P; Journalism 313P, 336F, 338J, 341F, 341J, 346G, 348D, 351F, 355F; Latin American Studies 315 (Topic 3) or Jewish Studies 305D; Management 327, 337 (Topic 5); Nursing 309; Psychology 306; Public Affairs 325 (Topic 1); Public Health 317; Radio-Television-Film 323C, 342 (Topic 8), 365 (Topic 13); Religious Studies 310, 358U; Social Work 310, 325; Sociology 307L, 308K, 309C, 319, 321G, 321K, 325L, 336D, 343, 352, 369K; Special Education 303; Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences 378D; Women's and Gender Studies 340 (Topic 53), 345 (Topic 2).

​Special Requirements of the Major

A student may not earn both the Bachelor of Science in Communication and Leadership and the Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies.

Order and Choice of Work

First Year

1. The student must take three courses from the following group each semester:
   1. Rhetoric and Writing 306.
   2. Undergraduate Studies 302 or 303
   3. Courses to be counted toward the American history, American and Texas government, social and behavioral sciences, mathematics, visual and performing arts, and science and technology requirements of the core curriculum.
   4. Courses in a foreign language.
   5. Courses that meet flag requirements.
2. Communication and Leadership 301
3. Communication 301E
4. 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 advisor.

Second Year

1. The student should take three courses from the following group each semester; four are recommended:
   1. English 316L, 316M, 316N, or 316P.
   2. Courses to be counted toward the American history, American and Texas government, social and behavioral sciences, mathematics, visual and performing arts, and science and technology requirements of the core curriculum.
   3. Courses in the foreign language, unless the language requirement has been fulfilled.
2. Communication and Leadership 321.
3. Two courses that meet flag requirements.
4. Communication 302E.
5. 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 advisor.

Third Year

1. Two courses that meet flag requirements.
2. Any remaining courses in the core curriculum and the prescribed work.
3. Courses from the Communication Fundamentals and Skills, and Social Issues areas to fulfill the major requirements. Courses should be chosen with the guidance of a college academic advisor.
4. Communication and Leadership 351
5. Upper-division electives chosen to support the major.

Fourth Year

1. Communication and Leadership 371
2. Upper-division electives chosen to support the major.
3. Any remaining major requirements from the Communication Fundamentals and Skills, and Social Issues areas. Courses should be chosen with the guidance of a college academic advisor.
4. Any remaining flag requirements.
5. Any remaining courses in the core curriculum and the prescribed work.