Montgomery College 2015-2016 Catalog 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
Montgomery College 2015-2016 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Communication Studies AA


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The AA in communication studies provides students with an academic core basic to a liberal arts education and facilitates ease of transfer to communication programs at four-year institutions. The degree provides analytical and critical thinking skills that render recipients to be effective members of their communities, both professionally and personally. A strength of the communication degree is that it allows students to target their studies toward areas of interest within the field. Areas such as public relations, rhetoric, political communication, interpersonal communication, organizational communication, mass media, and others are popular at four-year colleges and universities.

Students are encouraged to seek assistance from speech communication faculty in making course selections to suit their academic and career goals. Completion of the curriculum requirements will lead to the award of the AA.

General Education Course Selections


Click here to view the Foundation/Distribution Courses  for selection to fulfill the General Education Course Requirements.

Suggested Course Sequence


A suggested course sequence for full-time students follows. All students should consult an advisor.

First Semester


Second Semester


  • Arts distribution 3 semester hours (ARTD)
  • English foundation 3 semester hours (ENGF)
  • Behavioral and social sciences distribution 3 semester hours (BSSD) **
  • Natural sciences distribution with lab 4 semester hours (NSLD)
  • World language or arts or humanities distribution 3 semester hours (HUMD) †† 

Third Semester


Fourth Semester


  • 3 semester hours
  • Natural sciences distribution  3 semester hours  (NSND)
  • Communication elective 3 semester hours
  • World language or elective 3 semester hours
  • General electives as needed to reach 60 credits 2 semester hours

Total Credit Hours: 60


* ENGL 101 /ENGL 101A  , if needed for ENGL 102 /ENGL 103 , or general elective.

** Behavioral and Social Science Distribution (BSSD) courses must come from different disciplines.

‡  Choice of 3 from the following Communication electives: COMM 121  , COMM 204  , COMM 220  ,
or any Television Radio course. 6 elective credits must be at the 200 level.

† For students wishing to complete General Education requirements for transfer to UMCP or Towson, a 3-credit HLTH - Health Foundation is recommended.

††   Some institutions, including the University of Maryland College Park, require completion of a World Language to the intermediate (202) level for communication studies majors. UMCP requires one literature or one history course from MC’s General Education Humanities list if you began your studies prior to fall 2012. Check degree requirements at transfer destination when choosing humanities and elective courses.

Please Note:  This degreeThe COMM AA degree is attainable in 60 credits. However, student choice may result in more than 60 credits at completion.

Program Outline / Degree Requirements


Foundation Courses


Distribution Courses


  • Arts distribution 3 semester hours (ARTD)
  • Behavioral and social sciences distribution 6 semester hours (BSSD) **
  • World language or humanities distribution 3 semester hours (HUMD)††
  • World language or arts or humanities distribution 3 semester hours (ARTD or HUMD)††
  • Natural science distribution 3 semester hours (NSND)
  • Natural science distribution with lab 4 semester hours (NSLD)

Program Requirements


Total Credit Hours: 60


* ENGL 101 /ENGL 101A , if needed for ENGL 102 /ENGL 103 , or general elective.

** Behavioral and Social Science Distribution (BSSD) courses must come from different disciplines.

‡  Choice of 3 from the following Communication electives: COMM 121  , COMM 204  , COMM 220  ,
or any Television Radio course. 6 elective credits must be at the 200 level.

† For students wishing to complete General Education requirements for transfer to UMCP or Towson, a 3-credit HLTH - Health Foundation is recommended.

††   Some institutions, including the University of Maryland College Park, require completion of a World Language to the intermediate (202) level for communication studies majors. UMCP requires one literature or one history course from MC’s General Education Humanities list if you began your studies prior to fall 2012. Check degree requirements at transfer destination when choosing humanities and elective courses.

Please Note:  This degreeThe COMM AA degree is attainable in 60 credits. However, student choice may result in more than 60 credits at completion.

Program Outcomes


Upon completion of this program a student will be able to:

  • Research, analyze, organize, and deliver oral and written presentations designed to inform and persuade.
  • Solve problems and work effectively in groups and teams. Recognize and evaluate different leadership styles.
  • Demonstrate and apply critical thinking skills in communication, on the job, in relationships, and in the public forum.
  • Understand the basics of the research process and theory building in social and behavioral sciences and the humanities.
  • Develop a philosophy of effective and ethical communication within and across various contexts and cultures.

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