UTexas

Minor and Certificate Programs

This is an archived copy of the 2023-24 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.utexas.edu/.

Policy for Moody College Students

While a minor is not required as part of any communication degree program, students may choose to complete a minor in any field to which they gain entry. A student may declare only one minor or certificate to supplement the Moody major(s); exceptions must be approved by the student dean. Moody students must declare their minor/certificate intentions before they have completed 75% of their degree requirements, as indicated on the Interactive Degree Audit (IDA); exceptions must be approved by the student dean.

The transcript-recognized undergraduate academic minor must be completed in conjunction with an undergraduate degree at The University of Texas at Austin. For more information regarding the requirements for achieving a minor or certificate, including a comprehensive list of minors and certificates, please visit the Minor and Certificate Programs section of the Undergraduate Catalog.

Minors

Communicating for Development and Philanthropy Minor

The minor is open to all undergraduate students at The University of Texas at Austin who have an overall GPA of at least 2.5. The minor requires 18 hours of coursework, including at least nine hours completed in residence and nine hours taken at the upper-division level. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, unless the course is only offered on the pass/fail basis. Only courses with a grade of C- or better (or CR for courses offered only on a pass/fail basis) will be counted. If demand exceeds space available, the Moody College reserves the right to select students based on a review of their academic record.

The requirements are:

RequirementsHours
CLD 330Philanthropy Capstone3
CMS 306MProfessional Communication Skills3
CMS 321DCommunicating for Development and Philanthropy3
Three hours from the following:3
Fundamentals of Advertising
Introduction to Integrated Brand Communication
Building Sales Relationships
Foundations of Marketing
Principles of Marketing
Three hours from the following list, focusing on communicating about social issues:3
Integrated Communication for Nonprofit Organizations
Health Communication: Messages, Campaigns, and the Media
Public Communication of Science and Technology
Communicating Sustainability
Multicultural Issues in Advertising and Public Relations (any topic)
Advanced Studies in Advertising (Topic 37: Social Enterprise Branding)
Theories of Persuasion
Communication and Social Change
Social Media and Social Movement: Then and Now
Political Communication
Communicating Social Change
Social Activism in Film
Screening Race
Topics in Global Media (Topic 8: Development Communication and Social Change)
Quality of Life in Clinical Care
A three-hour internship course with a focus on development or philanthropy. 13
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1. Students must have their internship reviewed and approved by the faculty committee for the Minor in Communicating for Development and Philanthropy.

Communicating Social Issues Minor

The minor is open to all undergraduate majors at The University of Texas at Austin and requires 15 semester hours of coursework. Nine hours must be taken at the upper-division level, and at least nine hours must be taken in residence. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, unless the course is only offered on the pass/fail basis. Only courses with a C- or better (or CR for courses offered only on a pass/fail basis) will be counted toward the minor. If demand exceeds space available, the Moody College reserves the right to select students based on a review of their academic record. Courses that appear in multiple lists may only be counted once.

The requirements for the minor are as follows:

RequirementsHours
COM 307Overview of Social Justice and Media3
COM 321Communicating Social Justice Capstone3
Nine additional hours to be chosen from the following:9
Integrated Communication for Nonprofit Organizations
Health Communication: Messages, Campaigns, and the Media
Public Communication of Science and Technology
Communicating Sustainability
Multicultural Issues in Advertising and Public Relations (any topic)
Introduction to Communication and Leadership
Leadership Stories
Leadership and Public Memory
Communication and Social Change
Political Communication
Lying and Deception
Conflict Resolution
Identity In Relationships
Politics and Protest in Sports
Gender and Communication
Photographic Communication
Communication Internship (Topic 2: Social Change Internship)
Independent Study in Social Justice
Fundamental Issues in Journalism
Introduction to Media Studies
Multimedia News Reporting
Contemporary Representation in Media
Reporting Social Justice
Community Life: Documented
Understanding African Americans and the Media
Minorities and the Media
Representation in the News Media
Gender and the News
Diversity in News Organizations
Journalism, Society, and the Citizen Journalist
Race and Digital Media Cultures
Communicating Social Change
Social Activism in Film
Media and Society
Screening Race
Gender and Media Culture
Digital Media Production
Television Analysis and Criticism (Topic 2: Race, Class, and Gender in American Television)
Television Analysis and Criticism (Topic 4: Queer Television)
Topics in Global Media (Topic 8: Development Communication and Social Change)
Studies in Film History (Topic 8: Social Documentary)
Studies in Film History (Topic 9: Women Behind the Camera)
Studies in Media and Culture (Topic 8: Women and Sports Media)
Studies in Media and Culture (Topic 5: Queer Media Studies)
Studies in Media and Culture (Topic 9: Latina Feminisms and Media)
Studies in Media and Culture (Topic 15: Black Television Comedy)
Topics in Media and Society (Topic 15: Latinx Media, Arts, and Activism )
Sociocultural Bases of Communication

Communication Studies Minor

This minor is open only to students who are not majoring in communication studies or communication and leadership. The minor requires 18 hours of coursework, including at least nine hours completed in residence, and at least nine hours completed at the upper-division level. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, unless the course is only offered on the pass/fail basis. Only courses with a grade of C- or better (or CR for courses offered only on a pass/fail basis) will be counted. Students must earn a 2.0 minimum GPA in courses counting toward the minor. The Department of Communication Studies reserves the right to limit the number of students accepted as communication studies minors.

The course requirements are as follows:

RequirementsHours
CMS 306MProfessional Communication Skills3
CMS 315MInterpersonal Communication Theory3
Twelve additional hours in Communication Studies (at least nine hours must be upper-division).12

Global Communication Minor

This minor is only open to students in the Moody College of Communication. At least nine hours must be completed in residence and at least six hours must be taken at the upper-division level. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, unless the course is only offered on the pass/fail basis. Students must earn a grade of at least a C- (or CR for courses offered only on a pass/fail basis) in each course counted toward fulfillment of the minor requirements.

The minor requires 15 semester hours of coursework. The requirements are:

RequirementsHours
COM 323Communication Internship (Topic 3: Global Experience) 13
Twelve hours of coursework selected from the list below: 212
International Advertising
Language, Communication, and Culture
Rhetoric: East and West
Intercultural Communication
Reporting en Espanol
Covering the Global Economy
Reporting Asia: A Foreign Correspondent's Framework
Documentary Tradition of Latin America
Reporting the World: A Critical Examination of the United States News Media
Human Rights Journalism
Domestic Issues and Global Perspective
Reporting Latin America
Topics in Global Media (Topic 1: National Media Systems)
Topics in Global Media (Topic 2: Comparative Media Systems)
Topics in Global Media (Topic 7: Global Media Systems)
Topics in Global Media (Topic 8: Development Communication and Social Change)
Topics in Media and Society (Topic 8: Migration and Media)
Topics in Media and Society (Topic 10: Globalization and Social Media)
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1. Or an approved substitution of study abroad coursework or internship coursework done while studying abroad.
2. Three hours may be substituted with experiential learning courses to be petitioned by the student for credit.

Health Communication Minor

This minor is open to all students at The University of Texas at Austin. The Moody College reserves the right to limit the number of students accepted into this minor by instituting a competitive application process. Applicants may be judged on such factors as grade point average, prior coursework taken, prior experience in the field, and response to essay prompts.

The minor requires 16 semester hours of coursework including nine hours to be completed in residence. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, unless the course is only offered on the pass/fail basis. Only courses with a C- or better (or CR for courses offered only on a pass/fail basis) will be counted toward the minor. Courses that appear in multiple groupings may only be counted once. Students must fulfill the following requirements:

RequirementsHours
COM 102Introduction to Health Communication1
Three hours of Interpersonal Communication:3
Interpersonal Health Communication
Argumentation and Advocacy
Theories of Persuasion
Lying and Deception
Communication and Personal Relationships
Personal Relationships
Guidance in Adult-Child Relationships
and Guidance in Adult Child Relationships Lab 1
Three hours of Organizational Communication:3
Digital Communications
Social Media and Organizations
Family Communication
Family Relationships
Child Development
Socioeconomic Problems of Families
Theories of Child and Family Development
Communication in Health Care Settings
Romantic Relationships and Family Formation
Current Social Work Topics (Topic 4: Social Work Practice with Abused and Neglected Children and their Families)
Three hours of Population/Mass Media:3
Psychology of Advertising
Health Communication: Messages, Campaigns, and the Media
Seminar in American Culture (Topic 1: American Cultural History of Alcohol and Drugs)
Time Matters
Health Economics
Adolescent Development
Human Sexuality
Introduction to Statistics
The Politics of Health Care
Children's Environmental Health
Introduction to Health and Society
Child Development
Adolescent Development in Context
Advanced Child and Family Development (Topic 6: Introduction to Early Childhood Interventions)
Child and Adolescent Health
Theories of Substance Use and Abuse
Foundations of Epidemiology
Undergraduate Seminar in United States History (Topic 18: Women in Sickness and Health)
Reporting Public Health and Science
Children's Exercise and Physical Activity
Global Health
Nutrition Education and Counseling
International Nutrition: Social and Environmental Policies
Community Nutrition
Principles of Epidemiology in Nutritional Sciences
Issues in Nutrition and Health
Selected Topics in Nutritional Sciences (Topic 4: Obesity and Metabolic Health)
Introduction to Public Health
Global Health
Environmental Health
Public Health Research
Health Behavior Theory and Practice
Health Policy and Health Systems
Public Health Internship
Medicine, Ethics, and Society
Social Psychology
Behavior Problems of Children
Selected Topics in Psychology (Topic 4: Health Psychology)
Psychopathology
Mental Illness and the Brain
Social Work Practice in Organizations and Communities
Current Social Work Topics (Topic 9: Loss and Grief: Individual and Family Perspectives)
Introduction to the Sociology of Health and Well-Being
Global Health Issues and Health Systems
Sociology of Health and Illness
Foundations of Data Analysis
Human Behavior and Social Environment
Introductory Topics in Women's and Gender Studies (Topic 20: Fertility and Reproduction)
Introductory Topics in Women's and Gender Studies (Topic 21: Gender, Race, and Class in American Societies)
Sociology of Gender
Topics in Women's and Gender Studies (Topic 35: Psychosocial Issues in Women's Health)
Six additional upper-division hours from the above areas.6
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1. Courses must be taken concurrently; only three hours of coursework will count towards the minor.

Journalism and Media Minor

In order to apply for a Journalism and Media Minor, a student must have completed Journalism 301F and earned at least a C-. The School of Journalism and Media reserves the right to limit the number of students accepted as Journalism and Media minors. If demand exceeds space available, students will be selected based on a review of their academic record, particularly performance in Journalism 301F. At least 12 hours must be taken in residence and for a letter grade (no pass/fail). Students must earn a C- or better in Journalism 301F, and 302F or 313P.

The minor requires 15 hours of coursework, including at least six upper-division hours. Students must fulfill the following requirements:

RequirementsHours
J 301FFundamental Issues in Journalism3
J 302FDigital Storytelling Basics3
or J 313P Multimedia News Reporting
Nine additional hours from the following:9
Data, Privacy, and You
Analyzing Media Bias
Advanced Photo Editing and Design
Community Life: Documented
International Solutions Journalism
Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Oral History in Multimedia Storytelling
Place and Audio Storytelling
Social Media Journalism
Minorities and the Media
Representation in the News Media
Diversity in News Organizations
Elections, Voters, and News
News Literacy for a Digital Age
News Media and Politics
Media Policy and Ethics
Ethnic Media
Contemporary Media Systems
Introduction to Global Media
Technology and the Internet in Journalism
Social Media, Propaganda, and Elections
Globalization and Social Media
Technology and Culture
Journalism and Press Freedom in the Middle East and North Africa
The Information Society
Media Industries and Entrepreneurship
The Business of News
Digital Mainland China and Taiwan
Social Media: Growth, Uses, and Impacts
Social Media and Society
Race and Digital Media Cultures
Becoming Citizen Journalists
Communicating Social Change
Topics in Journalism and Media Studies (any topic)
Topics in Current Journalistic Issues (any topic)

Latino Media Arts & Studies Minor

The Latino Media Arts & Studies Minor is open to all undergraduate students at The University of Texas at Austin. The minor requires 18 hours of coursework, including at least nine hours completed in residence. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, unless the course is only offered on the pass/fail basis. Courses that appear in multiple lists may only be counted once. Only courses with a grade of C- or better (or CR for courses offered only on a pass/fail basis) will be counted. 

Students must fulfill the following requirements:

RequirementsHours
RTF 306Introduction to World Cinema History3
or RTF 307 Media and Society
RTF 323CScreening Race3
or
Television Analysis and Criticism (Topic 2: Race, Class, and Gender in American Television)
or
Studies in Media and Culture (Topic 8: Latina/os and U.S. Media)
Six hours of upper-division coursework chosen from the following:6
International Advertising
Reporting en Espanol
Oral History as Journalism
Oral History in Multimedia Storytelling
Minorities and the Media
Reporting Latin America
Introduction to Global Media
Journalism and Press Freedom in Latin America
Mapping Latino Culture in East Austin
Race and Digital Media Cultures
Film History 1960 to Present
Television Analysis and Criticism (Topic 2: Race, Class, and Gender in American Television)
Topics in Global Media (Topic 7: Global Media Systems)
Topics in Global Media (Topic 1: Global Hollywood)
Studies in Film History (Topic 3: History of Mexican Cinema)
Studies in Media and Culture (Topic 8: Latina/os and U.S. Media)
Studies in Media and Culture (Topic 9: Latina Feminisms and Media)
Studies in Media and Culture (Topic 14: Latino Images in Film)
Studies in Media and Culture (Topic 17: Chicana/o Cinema)
Studies in Media and Culture (Topic 18: Latina Filmmakers in the United States)
Topics in Media and Society (Topic 8: Migration and Media)
Topics in Media and Society (Topic 15: Latinx Media, Arts, and Activism)
Introductory Production (Topic 4: East Austin Stories)
Six additional hours of upper- or lower-division coursework in the Department of Mexican American & Latina/o Studies or in the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies.6

Leadership in Global Sustainability Minor

The Leadership in Global Sustainability Minor is sponsored by the McCombs School of Business and the Moody College of Communication; it is administered by the McCombs School of Business. Information regarding the specific requirements of the minor can be found in the McCombs School of Business's Minor and Certificate Programs section of the Undergraduate Catalog.

Media and Entertainment Industries Minor

This program is open only to students who are not majoring in radio-television-film. Applicants must have a 2.5 cumulative grade point average. The Radio-Television-Film Department reserves the right to limit the number of students accepted as media and entertainment industries minors. If demand exceeds space available, students will be selected based on such factors as GPA, prior coursework taken, prior experience in the field, and response to essay prompts. Acceptance into the minor does not come with preference or guarantee of a seat in any RTF course.

The minor requires 15 hours of coursework, with at least nine hours being upper-division and at least nine hours completed in residence. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, unless the course is only offered on the pass/fail basis. Only courses with a C- or better (or CR for courses offered only on a pass/fail basis) will be counted toward the minor.

Courses that appear in multiple lists may only be counted once. Only three hours of internship coursework may count toward the minor. No more than six hours of non-internship coursework taken during the Semester in Los Angeles Program or the Semester in New York Program may be counted toward the minor. 

Students must take the following coursework:

RequirementsHours
Three hours from the following:3
Introduction to Media and Entertainment Industries
The Business of Hollywood
Three hours from the following:3
Introduction to Media and Entertainment Industries
Internship in Media Industries
The Business of Hollywood
Semester in Los Angeles Internship
Semester in Los Angeles Internship
Semester in New York Internship
Producing Film and Television
Nine hours from the following: 9
Inside the Arts of New York City
Introduction to Media and Entertainment Industries
Development of Film and Media
History of American Television
Introduction to Global Media
Film, Video, and Television Theory (Topic 8: Transmedia Storytelling)
Topics in New Communication Technologies (Topic 3: Internet Cultures)
Topics in New Communication Technologies (Topic 5: Digital Media Platforms)
Topics in New Communication Technologies (Topic 6: Video Game Industry)
Television Analysis and Criticism (Topic 3: Contemporary Television Criticism)
Topics in Global Media (Topic 10: Digital Mainland China and Taiwan)
Topics in Global Media (Topic 1: Global Hollywood)
Studies in Film History (Topic 14: Documentary and Creative Non-Fiction)
The Business of Media (Topic 1: Semester in Los Angeles: How Hollywood Works)
The Business of Media (Topic 2: Introduction to the Music Business)
Media Industries (any topic)
Topics in Media Industries with Screening (any topic)
The Business of Hollywood
Studies in Media Industries (Topic 1: Semester in Los Angeles: Telling and Selling the Story)
Studies in Media Industries (Topic 3: Semester in Los Angeles: Inside the Music Industry)
Studies in Media Industries (Topic 4: Semester in Los Angeles: New Media and Emerging Entertainment)
Studies in Media and Culture (Topic 3: Asian American Media Cultures)
Topics in Media and Society (Topic 9: Media Industries and Entrepreneurship)
Producing Film and Television
Advanced Topics in Media Studies (Topic 1: Media and Popular Culture)
Advanced Topics in Media Studies (Topic 3: Global Sports Media)

Media Studies Minor

This minor is open only to students who are not majoring in radio-television-film. Applicants must have a 2.5 cumulative grade point average. The Radio-Television-Film Department reserves the right to limit the number of students accepted as media studies minors. If demand exceeds space available, students will be selected based on a review of the applicant’s academic record. Acceptance into the minor does not come with preference or guarantee of a seat in any RTF course.

The minor requires 15 hours of coursework, including at least nine hours completed in residence. Courses that appear in multiple groupings may only be counted once. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, unless the course is only offered on the pass/fail basis. Only courses with a C- or better (or CR for courses offered only on a pass/fail basis) will be counted toward the minor.

Production and screenwriting courses offered in the Radio-Television-Film Department do not count toward the Media Studies Minor.

Students must take the following coursework:

RequirementsHours
Three hours from the following: 3
Introduction to World Cinema History
Media and Society
Development of Film and Media
Six hours from the following:6
Introductory Topics in Radio-Television-Film (any topic) 1
Narrative Strategies and Media Design
History of American Television
Film History to 1960
Film History 1960 to Present
Screening Race
Introduction to Global Media
Gender and Media Culture
Topics in New Communication Technologies (Topic 3: Internet Cultures)
Six hours from the following:6
History of American Television
Film History to 1960
Film History 1960 to Present
Screening Race
Introduction to Global Media
Gender and Media Culture
Film, Video, and Television Theory (any topic)
Topics in New Communication Technologies (any topic)
Topics in Digital Media (any topic)
Television Analysis and Criticism (any topic)
Topics in Global Media (any topic)
Topics in Global Media (any topic)
Studies in Film History (any topic)
The Business of Hollywood
Global Media and Area Studies (any topic)
Studies in Media and Culture (any topic)
Studies in Media and Culture (any topic)
Topics in Media and Society (any topic)
Undergraduate Thesis (Topic 2: Media Studies Thesis)
Film Analysis and Criticism (any topic)
Advanced Topics in Media Studies (any topic)
Advanced Topics in Media Studies with Screenings (any topic)
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1. No more than three hours of Radio-Television-Film 301N may count toward the minor.

Professional Sales and Business Development Minor

The Professional Sales and Business Development Minor is sponsored by the McCombs School of Business and the Moody College of Communication; it is administered by the McCombs School of Business. Information regarding the specific requirements of the minor can be found in the McCombs School of Business's Minor and Certificate Programs section of the Undergraduate Catalog.

Science Communication Minor

This minor is open only to students with majors in the College of Natural Sciences or the Moody College of Communication. To declare the Science Communication Minor, a student must have at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point average. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, unless the course is only offered on the pass/fail basis. Only courses with a C- or better (or CR for courses offered only on a pass/fail basis) will be counted toward the minor.

Courses that appear in multiple lists may only be counted once. The minor requires 18 semester hours of coursework. At least nine hours must be taken at the upper-division level and at least nine hours must be taken in residence.

The minor requirements are:

RequirementsHours
ADV 323Public Communication of Science and Technology3
Three hours of Foundations courses:3
Fundamentals of Advertising
Communicating Sustainability
Professional Communication Skills
Organizational Communication
Interpersonal Communication Theory
Theories of Persuasion
Nonverbal Communication
Political Communication
Media Effects and Politics
Fundamental Issues in Journalism
Fundamentals of Public Relations
Three hours of Skills courses:3
Interviewing Principles and Practices
Advanced Presentation Skills
Building Sales Relationships
Communicating to Government
Crowds, Clouds, and Community
Social Media and Organizations
Advanced Organizational Communication
Creative Communication of Scientific Research
Communication Internship (Topic 4: Science Communication Internship)
Multimedia News Reporting
Social Media Journalism
Reporting on the Environment
Three hours of Ethics and Leadership courses:3
Introduction to Communication and Leadership
Communication Ethics
Argumentation and Advocacy
Leadership Stories
Lying and Deception
Communication for Innovation
Six additional hours of coursework chosen from the Foundations, Skills, and Ethics and Leadership course lists.6

Sports Media Minor

The minor requires 18 semester hours of coursework. Nine hours must be taken at the upper-division level and at least nine hours must be taken in residence. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, unless the course is only offered on the pass/fail basis. Only courses with a C- or better (or CR for courses offered only on a pass/fail basis) will be counted toward the minor. Courses that appear in multiple lists may only be counted once, unless topics vary.

The requirements are:

RequirementsHours
ADV 378SSpecial Topics in Sports Media (Topic 13: The Business of Sports Television)3
or ADV 348S The Business of Sports Media
CMS 363CCommunication and Sports3
Twelve hours of coursework to be selected from:12
Special Topics in Sports Media (up to six hours may be counted)
African Americans in Sports
Politics and Protest in Sports
Reporting Sports
Historical and Ethical Issues in Physical Culture and Sports
Sociological Aspects of Sport and Physical Activity
Studies in Human Movement: Topical Studies (Topic 3: Women and Sport) 1
Studies in Human Movement: Topical Studies (Topic 5: Sport, Fitness, and Mass Media) 1
Studies in Human Movement: Topical Studies (Topic 31: Sport, Society, and the International Olympic Movement) 1
Studies in Human Movement: Topical Studies (Topic 32: History of Physical Culture) 1
Sport and Event Marketing
Media and Public Relations in Sport
Studies in Media and Culture (Topic 8: Women in Sports Media)
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1. No more than six semester hours of Kinesiology 352K may be counted.

Certificates

The Moody College of Communication does not offer any certificate programs. To see a full list of certificates offered at the University, please see The University section of the Undergraduate Catalog.

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.