There are two ways you can get to understand how these areas relate to and are different from each other. First, enroll in SPCM 180A: New to the Major Seminar. This course will ground you in the purpose of the major and provide a general introduction to each area. This course is strongly recommended for first year students.
Second, communication studies majors are required to take a core course that introduces fundamental concepts, theories, and practices unique to each area:
- SPCM 100: Communication and Popular Culture introduces media studies approaches to understanding popular culture.
- SPCM 130: Relational and Organizational Communication introduces communication processes and skills central to relating and organizing in interpersonal, small group, and organizational contexts.
- SPCM 201: History and Theory of Rhetoric covers major concepts of rhetoric, from ancient to modern times, and their relationship to present-day approaches to communication.
Familiarize yourself with our areas of study so you can understand how classes in each area thematically differ. If you find yourself drawn to one area more than another, focus your communication studies elective classes there. If you have a particular career pathway in mind, your elective coursework will likely draw from two if not all three areas.
Similarly, some of our faculty and graduate students focus their teaching and research solely within one area of study, while others span more than one.