Communication
Department website: https://moody.utexas.edu/
Moody College of Communication
Anita L. Vangelisti, PhD, Interim Dean
Cassandre Giguere Alvarado, PhD, Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education
Maya Henry, PhD, Associate Dean for Research
Kyle Clark, MEd, Assistant Dean for Advising and Director of Student Support
Amanda Urquidez, Assistant Dean for Business and Technology Services
Mission
The mission of the Moody College of Communication at The University of Texas at Austin is to advance and enhance society through the study and practice of human communication. We pursue our mission through world-class teaching, scholarship, public service, and our shared commitment to collaboration that bridges disciplines within the college, across the University, and around the world. We draw energy and inspiration from the vibrant community of Austin, Texas to reinforce our core values of knowledge, innovation, collaboration, creativity, integrity, and diversity. We firmly believe that the communication arts and sciences are fundamental for humanity, critical for community, and essential for prosperity.
Moody College is preparing students to better society by enabling them to make the communication breakthroughs of tomorrow. While the media, channels and tools used to communicate are constantly changing, the foundational skills needed to be effective communicators remain the same. Students will become prepared to adapt to a dynamic field while learning the principles needed to become effective, ethical communicators.
Students can choose from seven degree programs: Advertising; Communication and Leadership; Communication Studies; Journalism; Public Relations; Radio-Television-Film; and Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. Students benefit from interdisciplinary approaches to communication education and exposure to a broad range of perspectives—ultimately preparing them to succeed across the range of communication disciplines and industries.
Financial Assistance Available through the College
The Moody College of Communication and each academic unit have a large number of scholarships that are awarded annually. More information about college scholarships is available on the Moody College's website, and from the Student Advising Office.
Student Services
Academic Advising
The Student Advising Office, in collaboration with the academic departments, oversees all advising in the college. To allow in-depth advising on specific programs of study and courses in the major, each student is assigned an advisor. Students should meet with their advisors to select courses appropriate to the degree and to ensure that all degree requirements are met. In addition, students should consult their advisors for assistance in preparing for graduation.
Career Services
Moody College Career Center provides a variety of career development and job/internship search assistance programs for students and alumni. The University makes no promise to secure employment for each graduate.
Communication Council
Communication Council represents all undergraduate communication students and sponsors college-wide programs and events throughout the year.
Moody College Success Scholars
The Moody College Success Scholars program is a program in the Moody College of Communication that seeks to provide eligible incoming freshmen with a supportive and community-based foundation in order to promote strong academic performance, engagement in the Moody College community, and a timely graduation.
Membership in the Moody College Success Scholars program is by invitation only and exclusive to first- and second-year students within Moody College.
Semester in Los Angeles (UTLA)
UTLA is an experiential learning program that provides registered UT Austin students the opportunity to live, work, and learn in Los Angeles. For more information, visit: https://utla.utexas.edu/.
Semester in New York (UTNY)
UTNY is an experiential learning program that provides registered UT Austin students the opportunity to live, work, and learn in New York City. For more information visit: https://utny.utexas.edu/.
Requirements and Policies
Degree Requirements Common to All Moody Majors
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| COM 301E | Introduction to Communication Foundations | 3 |
| COM 302E | Interdisciplinary Communication Foundations | 3 |
| Language, Communication, and Culture: Choose a sequence below: | 6 | |
Option A: Demonstrate Foreign Language other than English, Intermediate Proficiency | ||
Option B: Demonstrate Foreign Language other than English, Beginning Proficiency and take one approved culture course in a culture that is relevant to the language | ||
Option C: Complete six hours of approved communication and culture courses. | ||
| Courses used to fulfill the Option C requirement may not be counted towards any other requirement for the major. Examples of courses that satisfy Option C include ADV 303, 334, CLD 324, 325, CMS 334L, 338, J 341F, 347F, P R 320, RTF 303D, 324C, SLH 306K and 314L. This is not an exhaustive list; additional courses may also fulfill the requirement. A complete and current list of approved communication and culture courses is available on the Student Advising website: https://moody.utexas.edu/academics/undergraduate/communication-and-culture. | ||
| An extensive language testing program is available at the University. Students with knowledge of a language other than English 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. | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
- Students must complete enough coursework to make a total of 120 semester hours.
- All communication majors 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 course must have the symbol CR.
- No more than 75 hours of communication coursework may count toward the degree.
- At least 36 semester hours of upper-division coursework must be counted toward the degree.
- Moody College students must complete at least 18 hours of in-residence upper-division coursework.
- Students in the Moody College of Communication may not repeat for credit a course in which they have earned a grade of C- or better, unless otherwise specified in the catalog.
- Courses used to fulfill the Language, Communication, and Culture requirement may not be counted towards any other requirement for the major.
Multiple Degrees Policy
A student may not earn more than two undergraduate degrees from the Moody College of Communication. A student may not earn both the Bachelor of Science in Advertising and the Bachelor of Science in Public Relations. A student may not earn both the Bachelor of Science in Communication and Leadership and the Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies. A candidate for a degree must have an officially declared major in the Moody College of Communication at the time the degree is awarded.
Graduation
To be awarded a degree from the Moody College of Communication at The University of Texas at Austin, a 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 for the student’s major under Degree Requirements Common to All Moody Majors, Major Requirements, and Special Requirements of the Major. A candidate for a degree must have an officially declared major in the Moody College of Communication at the time the degree is awarded.
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 the General Information Catalog.
ROTC Degree Candidates
An Air Force, Army, or Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps student who elects the basic and/or advanced program in air force science, military science, or naval science will not be approved for graduation until the student’s government contract is completed or the student is released from the ROTC.
Degree Audit
Students should verify the coursework they have completed and the coursework still needed for the degree by reviewing a degree audit at least once each semester with an advisor in the Student Advising Office. The degree audit is a computer-generated report of the student’s progress in completing degree requirements. The student may also create, print, and review an audit online through IDA, the Interactive Degree Audit system; information about IDA is available at https://onestop.utexas.edu/registration-and-degree-planning/degree-planning/.
Although the degree audit normally provides an accurate statement of requirements, students are responsible for knowing the requirements for the degree as stated in a catalog under which they are eligible to graduate and for registering so as to fulfill those requirements. Because students are responsible for registering for the courses needed to fulfill degree requirements, they should seek an official ruling in the Student Advising Office before registering if in doubt about any requirement.
Applicability Of Certain Courses
Internship Credit
Some communication degree programs require an internship; in other programs, students may elect to complete an internship. Up to, but no more than, six semester hours of credit in internship courses may be counted toward the student’s degree.
Physical Activity Courses
Physical activity courses (KIN 106C, KIN 119, PED) are offered by the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education. No more than one hour of PED coursework may be counted toward a degree in the Moody College of Communication. This hour shall be counted as a non-major elective and the grade earned will be included in the grade point average.
Music Performance Courses
Music performance courses are offered by the College of Fine Arts under the fields of study ensemble, music, and as individual instruction in a particular instrument. No more than one hour of music performance coursework may be counted toward a degree in the Moody College of Communication. This hour shall be counted as non-major elective and the grade earned will be included in the grade point average.
Transfer Coursework
No more than 12 semester hours of transfer credit may be counted toward a student’s major requirements. Transfer credit may be counted towards degree requirements common to all Moody majors and the University Core Curriculum.
Courses Taken on the Pass/Fail Basis
Moody College courses taken on the pass/fail basis cannot be counted toward the degree, unless they are offered only on the pass/fail basis. No course required for a specific degree requirement, whether taken in residence or in transfer, may be counted if taken on the pass/fail basis, unless the course is offered only on that basis. However, a student may elect to count up to 15 hours of free elective coursework taken on the pass/fail basis. Credit earned by examination is not counted toward the total number of hours that the student may take pass/fail.
Courses Taken in other Fields of Study
No more than 36 semester hours in a field of study other than the field of study in which the student is majoring may be counted toward a degree in the Moody College.
ROTC Courses
Unless a student is completing the Military Leadership minor, no more than nine semester hours of credit for air force science, military science, or naval science courses may be counted toward any degree in the Moody College of Communication. Such coursework may be counted only as lower-division electives in degree programs that have room for such electives, and only by students who have completed the third and fourth years of the ROTC program. ROTC courses may not be substituted for any specific required course.
Only students who complete the Military Leadership minor can count more than nine semester hours of air force science, military science, or naval science toward a Moody College degree.
Moody College Minor Policies
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 with a Moody major 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. Students admitted to a Moody minor must contact their home college to have the approved minor added to their degree audit profile, otherwise they cannot receive transcript recognition upon completion of the requirements. 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.
Admission
Admission to the University
Admission and readmission of undergraduate students to the University is the responsibility of the director of admissions. Information about admission to the University is given in the General Information Catalog. Admission to a major may be restricted by the availability of instructional resources.
Admission Policies of the College
Students admitted to the University with deficiencies in high school units must remove them by the means prescribed in the General Information Catalog. Course credit used to remove deficiencies may not be counted toward the student’s degree.
A few students who already have a bachelor’s degree and who are not candidates for an advanced degree are admitted to the college each year as non-degree seeking students. Such students are admitted only with the approval of the appropriate academic unit head and the dean.
Registration
The General Information Catalog gives information about registration, adding and dropping courses, transfer from one division of the University to another, and auditing a course. The Course Schedule, published before registration each semester, includes registration instructions, advising locations, and the times, places, and instructors of classes. The Course Schedule and the General Information Catalog are published on the Registrar’s website.
Enrollment in upper-division courses in the Moody College of Communication may be restricted because of limitations on instructional resources.
Moody College Honors Program
The Moody College Honors Program requires 15 hours of coursework. Students apply as incoming freshmen, as part of their regular University application process, but also have an opportunity to apply during their first year enrolled at UT. Students accepted into the Moody College Honors Program must complete the following coursework with a grade of C- or better (or CR for courses offered only on the pass/fail basis):
Students will be assessed for continuing eligibility at the end of each academic year, and must meet all of the following standards: an overall GPA of at least 3.0; a GPA in Moody College coursework of at least 3.4; and participation in Moody College Honors Program activities as described on the program website. Moody College Honors Program students who do not meet these standards may be subject to dismissal from the program. Exceptions to program requirements may be made at the program director's discretion.
At the time of graduation, Moody College Honors Program students who have completed all coursework and additional program requirements as described above will receive special recognition at graduation for successful completion of the program.
Facilities
In addition to the extensive library and computer resources of the university, certain special resources provide support for work in communication. Chief among them is the G. B. Dealey Center for New Media (DMC), which opened in summer 2012. The DMC is a 5-level 120,000 square-foot facility that weds cutting-edge technology with innovative teaching and research methods. The G. B. Dealey Center is home to the KUT Public Broadcast Center, the School of Journalism and Media, the Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations, and the Moody College of Communication Dean’s Office. The G. B. Dealey Center houses a multitude of instructional, research, and meeting spaces including a 300-seat auditorium, a 120-seat lecture hall, an executive briefing facility, and a theatrical-grade 75-seat presentation room. The KUT Public Broadcast center is housed in a two-story, 20,000 square-foot wing which includes a 72-seat, glass-walled performance studio that incorporates the community into some of KUT’s 300 annual in-studio performances.
The Jesse H. Jones Communication Center in Communication Building A (CMA) is a six-level building housing classrooms, offices, and sophisticated technology facilities. All facilities offer pervasive wireless internet access and all instructional and production spaces feature high-definition equipment. Communication Building B (CMB), a nine-level production building, houses teaching and production facilities for the School of Journalism and Media and the Department of Radio-Television-Film. These facilities provide opportunities for academic programs that cross disciplinary lines, interrelate traditional and online media, and otherwise combine the resources of the College in ways not feasible within any one of the components.