Professional Communication offers two academic tracks:
- A Bachelor of Art or Bachelor of Science in Professional Communication
- You can also combine your bachelor degree with a graduate degree in our BS/MS Professional Communication program.
Description of Major
Students in the Professional Communication major at the Panama City campus will receive a broad understanding of fundamental communication processes. The overall program combines courses that are theoretically based with those that are professionally oriented. Courses include interviewing, persuasion, communication research methods, principles of advertising, introduction to public relations, writing of public relations, communication for organizing and a communication internship. Students in professional communication may pursue careers in marketing communication, organizational communication and information and media, as well as prepare for graduate study.
Admission Requirements
To become a degree seeking student in communication with a major in Professional Communication, the following requirement must be met:
- Completion of an AA degree from a Florida public institution or completion of the FSU General Education requirements.
- Under certain circumstances students who have not completed the requirements for entry into this major may be permitted to take communication courses while completing certain course requirements. These requirements are:
- Completion of FSU’s General Education math requirement (two acceptable courses)
- Completion of FSU’s General Education Freshman Composition/English courses (two acceptable courses)
- Completion of all but 6 hours of the FSU General Education requirement.
Multicultural Requirement
Students transferring with 60 or more credit hours must complete one (1) multicultural course; 1 “X” or 1 “Y”. All other students must complete two (2) multicultural courses: 1 “X” and 1 “Y”. SPC 4710 Interracial/Intercultural Communication will count towards this requirement. Courses taken at a previous institution may, if equivalent, be used to satisfy this requirement.
Coursework in the Major
Major Program of Studies at FSU: 36 hours
No grade below a C minus will be accepted for any course in the major. Maintenance of a 2.00 cumulative GPA is required. The College of Applied Studies reserves the right to refuse admission or discontinue enrollment of any student at any time, if, in the judgment of the faculty, the student does not meet departmental or major standards.
Core Classes for Professional Communication Majors: (24 hours)
- ADV 3008 (3) Principles of Advertising
- COM 3120 (3) Communication for Organizing
- COM 3310 (3) Communication Research Methods
- COM 4945r (3) Communication Internship
- PUR 3000 (3) Introduction to Public Relations
- PUR 3100 (3) Writing for Public Relations
- SPC 4360 (3) Interviewing
- SPC 4540 (3) Persuasion
Additional Communication Classes for Professional Communication Majors: (12 hours)
Students must complete an additional 12 hours of electives with the prefixes COM, ADV, PUR, MMC, RTV or SPC at the 3000/4000 level, earning a final grade of C minus or better in each.
Students who are admitted into the combined BS/MS degree in Communication may be permitted to dually count up to twelve (12) credit hours of graduate communication coursework at the 5000 level or above towards both the BS and the MS degree. Interested students should consult with their faculty advisor for more information about the combined program.
Communication Internship COM 4945: (1-12 hours)
This class is typically done in the last semester of your program.
Minor Coursework: (12 hours or more)
Professional Communication majors must fulfill minor requirements outside the Communication major. Students should check with minor department for specific requirements. Minors must be approved by an advisor.
Language Requirement
All students must meet the foreign language admission requirement. Students do not have an additional language requirement for the B.S. degree. The B.A. degree requires proficiency in a foreign language through the collegiate intermediate (22XX) level.
Computer Skills Competency: (0-3 hours beyond major requirements)
CGS 1570 (3), CGS 2060 (3), CGS 2100 (3), COM 4470 (3) or EME 2040 (3) will fulfill the requirement for this major.
Oral Communication Competency/Fluency: (0-3 beyond major requirements)
Students must demonstrate the ability to orally transmit ideas and information clearly. COM 3110 Communication for Business and the Professions or SPC 4620 Strategic Speechmaking will satisfy this requirement.
Minimum Program Requirements - Summary
Total Hrs. Required 120
General Education 36
Major Coursework 36
Minor Coursework 12
Language Requirement 0-12
Computer Skills 0-3
Oral Communication Competency 0-3
Electives to bring total credits to 120
Mapping
Mapping is FSU’s academic advising and monitoring system. Academic progress is monitored each Fall and Spring semester to ensure that students are on course to earn their degree in a timely fashion. All students should review the Academic Map for their major with their academic advisor to ensure they stay on track and eligible to remain eligible for their major.
Remarks
- A minimum of 45 hours at the 3000 level or above, 30 of which must be taken at this University.
- Half of the major course semester hours must be completed in residence at this University.
- The final 30 hours must be completed in residence at this University.
- The B. A. degree requires a foreign language through the intermediate (2XXX) level or equivalent.
Employment Information
Salary Information: For more information go to: National Association of Colleges and Employers (www.naceweb.org) or the Occupational Outlook Handbook (www.bls.gov/ooh/home.htm) provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Representative Job Titles Related to this Major: Information specialist, radio/TV executive, media manager, public opinion researcher, speech writer, online content manager and many others.
Representative Employers: Advertising/PR agencies, government organizations, production Companies, radio/TV, Universities, Video Production Companies, virtually any company that requires communication/marketing communications specialists.
