No – however, we strongly suggest you take the introductory courses first (COM 201- Intro to Interpersonal Communication; COM 203 – Intro to Mass Media; COM 204 – Intro to Public Relations and Strategic Communication). This gives you an opportunity to explore the various tracks available.

We suggest you take your research methods course your junior year, and your capstone experience during your final year/semester at UIS.

You will also enroll in COM 495 – Exit Assessment for 0 credit hours during your final semester at UIS.

Classes have enrollment caps to ensure our students receive the best, hands-on education. However, some instructors may be willing to make exceptions to let an extra student or two in. You should contact the course instructor via email and explain your need/desire to take the course, along with your UIN. Decisions are made by each instructor individually, and asking does not guarantee entrance. If granted permission, the instructor will email the advisor or administrative aide to request permission for you to enroll.

Absolutely! We have designed our program in such a manner to really promote an interdisciplinary approach. You may take up to 6 hours without a COM prefix as long as it is from the provided list of approved tracks. Be sure to talk to your advisor about this.

See a class you think might fit but isn’t listed on the approved courses, feel free to reach out to the School of Communication and Media Director or your advisor to see if it might fit!

YES! Many of the courses in our program can be counted toward fulfilling your general education or ECCE requirements while also fulfilling requirements for the Communication major/minor. This makes it increasingly easier to complete a double major or multiple minors. Check the course catalog to see which courses might count toward these requirements.

Be sure to discuss with your other major/minor advisor to ensure they will also count these courses toward their degree requirements.

The School of Communication and Media has partnered with Public Affairs and Reporting to create an accelerated degree program, allowing you to complete a bachelor's degree and master’s degree in 5 years. The Public Affairs and Reporting program will count up to 12 credit hours of your Communication major/minor toward their degree requirements. This is a significant savings of time and money!

A student must meet the following requirements to apply for the accelerated option:

• Have completed 60 undergraduate credit hours (or be on track to complete 60 credit hours during the semester of application)
• Have at least a 3.0 GPA
• Be enrolled in a Strategic Communication and Public Relations or Journalism/Media track or minor.

You may complete an internship at any time; however, we encourage you to do this during your final year at UIS. An internship can be used toward your capstone requirement in the major. By waiting until your final year, you have a better chance of integrating the knowledge you’ve obtained – sometimes it might even get your foot in the door after graduation. Please contact the Office of Engaged Learning to find out more about internship opportunities.

Yes! Your foundational courses may count toward the minor foundational course requirements. However, students must still enroll in an additional 15 credit hours of approved courses that have not already been used toward the major or another minor.

YES! Transfer credits from other institutions may be used to satisfy requirements of the major or minor provided that the credit is for a course equivalent to one offered by the School of Communication and Media and the grade earned was a C or better (grades of C- or lower will not be accepted). No more than 15 credit hours of transfer credit can count toward the requirements of this degree.

Yes, you can. Take a look at the courses that interest you and also fit your availability and lifestyle.

Be sure to take the foundational courses first. These are developed to give you a taste of each of the major areas of emphasis. If you find you’re interested in multiple areas, you might complete multiple minors or a Communication Studies track to give you the most flexibility.