Communications
Bachelor of Science in COMMUNICATIONS
Gain the broad knowledge, communication, and critical thinking skills needed to succeed in your major and beyond.
Bsc Communications
Academic Program
Program Philosophy
The Department of Communications at Edward Waters University offers a Bachelor of Science degree designed to prepare students for dynamic careers in a rapidly evolving media landscape. With four areas of concentration — Digital Media Production (Radio/TV/Film), Journalism, Advertising & Public Relations, and Communication Studies — the program equips students with the theoretical foundation and practical skills necessary to communicate effectively, ethically, and strategically across a variety of platforms and professional contexts.
Grounded in a rigorous core curriculum, the Communications program develops in each student a command of media writing, research methods, communication theory, and media law, while providing hands-on experience through internship and capstone opportunities. Whether a student aspires to tell stories through broadcast journalism, shape public perception through strategic campaigns, or analyze the cultural dimensions of human communication, the Department of Communications at EWU provides the academic preparation and professional readiness to succeed.
Academic Concentrations
The Communications Department offers a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in four areas of
concentration:
Digital Media Production (Radio/TV/Film)
Master the craft of digital storytelling through
advanced production techniques and creative media
practices.
Journalism
Master the principles of news reporting through
advanced writing techniques and ethical media
practices.
Advertising & Public Relations
Master strategic brand communication through
advanced campaign development and public relations
practices.
Communication Studies.
Master effective human communication through
advanced speaking strategies and interpersonal
communication practices.
Faculty
Department Chair/Assistant Professor
Office: (904) 470-8180
Email: a.derban@ew.edu
Department Chair/Professor
Program Faculty
Admission Requirements
To be admitted into the Communications Program, a student must meet the following criteria:
Minimum GPA
Must have at least 2.00 GPA
Courses Completed
Have completed at least 30 credit hours of General Education courses.
Must have Grades
Earn a C or higher in the following General Education courses.
- ENC 1101 English Composition I
- ENC 1102 English Composition II
- COM 2000 Introduction to Communications
Academic Standing
Be in good standing with the University (i.e., not on ac 5) academic or conduct probation, etc.)
CORE COURSES FOR ALL COMMUNICATIONS STUDIES PROGRAMS
Core Requirements
| Course Title | Code | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Media Writing, I | MMC 2100 | 3 |
| Intro to Mass Media | MMC 2000 | 3 |
| Advertising & Public Relations I | ADV 2003 | 3 |
| Organizational & Professional Communication | COM 2133 | 3 |
| First Year Topics Seminar | COM 2930 | 3 |
| Communication Research Methods | COM 3301 | 3 |
| Communication Theories | COM 3405 | 3 |
| Media Law & Ethics | MMC 4211 | 3 |
| Communication Internship | COM 4945 | 6 |
| Senior Seminar – Portfolio Development | COM 4935 | 3 |
| Technical Writing | COM 4711 | 3 |
| CHOOSE ONE: Global Marketing or International Business or Introduction to Political Science | MAR 4156 or MAN 3034 or POS 2001 | 3 |
| Choose One — Statistics | ||
| Elementary Statistics (Prerequisite: MAC 1105) or Statistics for Behavioral Sciences (Prerequisite: PSY 2012) | STA 2023 or PSY 2201 | 3 |
| Choose One | ||
| Black Psychology | SOP 3782 | 3 |
| Social Psychology | SOP 3003 | |
| Social Research Methods | SYA 4300 | |
| Urban Sociology | SYD 3410 | |
| Current Social Problems | SYG 3011 | |
| Introduction to Computer Information Systems | ISM 3031 | |
| Race, Class & Justice: Color of Law | CCJ 4662 | |
| Criminology | CCJ 3011 | |
| Introduction to Courts, Law | CJL 3510 | |
| Public History | HIS 2062 | |
| Sports Communication | SPM 3403 | |
| Probability I | STA 4321 | |
| Non-Parametric Statistics | STA 4502 | |
| Categorical Data Analysis | STA 4504 | |
| TOTAL CREDIT HOURS | 46 | |
COMMUNICATIONS STUDIES CONCENTRATION
| Course Title | Code | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Public Speaking | SPC 2608 | 3 |
| Communication & Culture | COM 3422 | 3 |
| Conflict Resolution | COM 3465 | 3 |
| Choose one of these: | ||
| Philosophy of Language & Communication | COM 4701 | 3 |
| Rhetoric of Social Movements | COM 4344 | |
| Persuasion & Argumentation | COM 4541 | 3 |
| TOTAL CREDIT HOURS | 15 | |
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONCENTRATION
| Course Title | Code | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising & Public Relations II | ADV 3004 | 3 |
| Social Media Communication | MMC 3632 | 3 |
| Interactive Marketing Communication | ADV 3401 | 3 |
| Communication Campaigns | MMC 4411 | 3 |
| Advertising & PR Capstone | ADV 4802 | 3 |
| TOTAL CREDIT HOURS | 15 | |
JOURNALISM CONCENTRATION
| Course Title | Code | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Media Writing II | MMC 3105 | 3 |
| Digital Storytelling | RTV 3590 | 3 |
| Photojournalism | JOU 3603 | 3 |
| Broadcast Journalism | RTV 4301 | 3 |
| Journalism Capstone | RTV 4340 | 3 |
| TOTAL CREDIT HOURS | 15 | |
DIGITAL MEDIA PRODUCTION CONCENTRATION
| Course Title | Code | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Radio | TV | Film | ||
| Media Construction | RTV 3260 | 3 |
| Audio Production | RTV 3556 | 3 |
| Video Production | RTV 3533 | 3 |
| Film Studies | FIL 4006 | 3 |
| Script & Screenwriting | FIL 4102 | 3 |
| TOTAL CREDIT HOURS | 15 | |
ELECTIVE COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAMS
| Course Title | Code | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Public Speaking | SPC 2608 | 3 |
| Choose FOUR Additional Elective Courses | — | 12 |
| TOTAL CREDIT HOURS | 15 | |
Communications Programs Course Total (All Programs)
| Communications Programs Course Total (All Programs) | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 44 |
| Communications Core Requirements | 46 |
| Concentration Requirements | 15 |
| General Elective Requirements | 15 |
| TOTAL HOURS for Program Completion | 120 |