Communications Studies Major Planning Guide

Communications majors study human interactions between individuals, groups, and mass media. Students pursuing an area of study in communications will prepare themselves to be effective communicators in a variety of settings. A person’s ability to communicate effectively can enhance his or her career outlook and open up opportunities for a variety of career pathways. While at Clark College, students will want to complete the Associate in Arts (AA) degree to prepare to transfer to a university. What Can I Do With a Communication Studies Major? Career Opportunities: Communications professionals are trained with the skills necessary to be successful in a wide range of positions in management, human resources, event planning, public relations, sales, marketing, business, education, government, politics, social and human services, journalism, social media, TV and radio, and law. Clark College Career Services can help students explore these areas and identify personal interests and abilities in an area of focus within communication studies.

Career Services | Gaiser Hall 108 | (360) 992-2902 | www.clark.edu/careercenter Graduate and Professional Programs: Many students pursue graduate and professional programs in communication studies in order to be professionally trained and/or focus on an interest area. In addition to a wide range of career opportunities, a bachelor’s degree in communication studies can help to prepare you to apply for graduate programs such as broadcast journalism, communications, education, law, liberal studies, media studies, and teaching. Consult with an academic advisor to learn more.

Advising Services | Gaiser Hall 108 | (360) 992-2345 | www.clark.edu/advising What You’ll Do at Clark Communication studies is a bachelor’s degree program. At Clark, students earn an Associate in Arts degree and then transfer to a four-year school to focus on required courses in a major. The Associate in Arts (AA) degree is a Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) associate’s degree. This means that coursework in general education, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences is included in the work that you’ll do at Clark College. Clark requires a 2.00 Grade Point Average (GPA) for graduation, but many four-year schools will require a 2.50 GPA or higher. You should set a goal of obtaining at least a 3.0 GPA before transferring.

Recommended Courses English, communications, and social sciences are a critical component of any communication studies major. The specific courses you will need depend on your major and the requirements of the four-year institution; researching your options early and often is very important. The Associate in Arts (AA) degree can be tailored to your specific academic needs within your area of study. You will take preparatory and relevant courses within your General AA degree to better prepare yourself for transfer. Please consult with your transfer institution before including these courses on your education plan.

Requirement Course Recommendations

English Composition ENGL& 101 and either ENGL& 102 or ENGL 109

Math MATH& 107 or consider taking both MATH 203 & 204

HLTH/PE HPE 258 or 266; or any PE activity and HLTH 100, 101, 103, 104, 206, 207, 208, or 210

Core Communication Studies coursework

o CMST& 210, 220, and 230; CMST 216. o Choose additional courses depending on intended interest: CMST 240 and/or CMST& 102

World Languages and additional Humanities

coursework

o World language coursework (121-223) from ASL, FRCH, GERM, JAPN, or SPAN. Communication Studies will generally be a Bachelor of Arts; some universities will therefore require up to two full years of college world language or equivalent. Please consult with your intended transfer school.

o Consider JOUR 101, or various ART, DRMA, ENGL Literature, or PHIL courses as desired.

Social Sciences Choose from a minimum of three subject areas. Options include ANTH, CJ, ECON, GEOG, HIST, POLS, PSYC, SOC, and WS subjects. Please refer to catalog and AA degree worksheet for full list.

Natural Sciences Must fulfill 15 credits of Natural Science coursework; two natural science with lab courses are recommended to fulfill many university graduation requirements. See catalog and AA worksheet for list.

Electives to consider

o Competition Speaking and Debate courses: CMST 171, 172, and 173 o Model United Nations courses: POLS 151, 152, and 153 o ART, JOUR, or CMST 280/290 coursework as desired; PTWR 135 o Please refer to the catalog and AA worksheet for Specified Elective requirements.

See next page for additional information | Go to www.clark.edu/advising to learn more!

Choosing a Transfer School The specific classes needed for any major are determined by the receiving institution; knowing requirements early on will greatly assist in course selection while at Clark College. Consider the following when choosing a destination school:

• Begin by exploring websites for possible transfer schools. Degree offerings and their requirements are typically listed under headings like Academics or Undergraduate Majors on transfer schools’ websites.

• Visit the campuses of schools under consideration. Exploring campus in person can give you a good idea of what it’s like to be a student. Campus Visit programs include tours, info sessions, classroom visits, and meeting faculty and current students.

• Take advantage of recruitment visits to Clark College. Clark hosts dozens of events each year including college fairs, info sessions, and one-on-one appointments with visiting four-year transfer representatives. These can help narrow your search.

Additional Tips for Transferring

• Keep grade point average (GPA) above 2.50. This is a common admission requirement among many four-year institutions. • AA distribution requirements provide you with flexibility to customize your degree. You should complete coursework

appropriate towards your transfer school’s major area requirements. • Aim to complete a minimum of 45 transferrable credits at Clark College including college-level Math and English.

These parameters will most likely give you sophomore standing (or above) and qualification to apply as a transfer student.

• Consider cost, location, campus size, class size, student activities, and support services that will aid in student success. • Consider your career goal as you find out which institutions offer internships or hiring events for your target industry.

Transfer Timeline & Tools Use this chart as a general guideline of the transfer process.

Credits Earned

Actions Taken

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Begin Math and English courses and/or courses of interest including world language sequences. Explore personal interests, goals, and academic focus areas. Utilize Career Services and Advising. Use the resources below to browse websites, visit college fairs, and other events to begin research on majors and transfer institutions. Create your CollegeFish.org profile and keep it up to date.

26-50

Finish math and English Composition and continue with other requirements to fulfill the AA-DTA degree as well as courses of interest applicable towards your major Visit campuses of interest, contact transfer schools, and organize your research.

51-75 Narrow and/or decide on major for transfer institution; continue using CollegeFish.org and C.I.S. Continue coursework toward major. Start applying to transfer schools.

76-90 Finish degree at Clark College; apply for program completion. Finish any major requirements for transfer school. Send official transcripts when degree is complete.

CollegeFish.org helps you to clarify your preferences about size, location, majors, cost, and other details regarding your intended transfer school. You can review recommended matches, search for specific colleges or universities, and open the door to a world of opportunity! Also, by using the CollegeFish.org Transfer Success Plan, you can customize your higher education journey and manage it to stay on track. Lastly, accessing CollegeFish.org opens the door to more than $37 million in transfer scholarships. Go to www.collegefish.org to sign up today! C.I.S. (Oregon Career Information System) allows you to search schools by occupation or programs of study in Southwest Washington, Portland and surrounding areas or anywhere in the U.S. Use the CIS “compare” feature for detailed comparisons of up to three schools at a time in areas such as student body, costs, housing, student life and academics. CIS includes exploration tools and tutorials for choosing a program of study, choosing a school, and learning about financial aid and scholarships. CIS also provides detailed information about occupations and related career and education pathways. See the Career Services website at www.clark.edu/cc/careerservices for more information.

Advising Services Gaiser Hall 108

1933 Fort Vancouver Way Vancouver, WA 98663

(360) 992-2345

Last updated 10/9/2014 by MS