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Academic Catalog 2023-2024

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  • Media Arts and Communication Studies, BA

Media Arts and Communication Studies, BA

2023-2024 Edition

  • Undergraduate
    • Admission
    • Information for Entering Students
    • Financial Information
    • Academic Policies and Procedures
    • University Academics
    • College of Arts, Media and Design
      • School of Architecture
      • Art + Design
        • Art, BA
        • Design, BFA
        • Game Design, BFA
        • Media Arts, BFA
        • Studio Art, BFA
        • Behavioral Neuroscience and Design, BS
        • Business Administration and Design, BS
        • Computer Science and Design, BS
        • Computer Science and Game Development, BS
        • Computer Science and Media Arts, BS
        • Communication Studies and Graphic and Information Design, BA
        • English and Graphic and Information Design, BA
        • Game Art and Animation, BFA
        • Architectural Studies and Design, BS
        • Game Design and Music with Concentration in Music Technology, BS
        • Graphic and Information Design and Mathematics, BS
        • Journalism and Interaction Design, BS
        • Media and Screen Studies and Media Arts, BA
        • Media Arts and Communication Studies, BA
        • Theatre and Interaction Design, BA
        • Theatre and Interaction Design, BS
        • Mechanical Engineering and Design, BSME
        • Animation, Minor
        • Art, Minor
        • Art History, Minor
        • Creative Computing, Minor
        • Creative Fabrication, Minor
        • Experience Design, Minor
        • Game Art, Minor
        • Game Design, Minor
        • Graphic and Information Design, Minor
        • Immersive Media, Minor
        • Interaction Design, Minor
        • Photography, Minor
        • Photojournalism, Minor
        • Video Arts, Minor
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  • Graduate
  • Course Descriptions
  • Catalog Archives
  • Overview
  • Program Requirements
  • Plan of Study

The Department of Communication Studies and the Department of Art + Design offer a combined major in media arts and communication studies. Students interested in the combined major integrate the study of communication skills and processes with the study of the creation of the narrative arts, required for professional work in documentary film, game art and promotion, visualization, motion graphics, interactive art, illustration, and short animated films.

Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.

Universitywide Requirements

All undergraduate students are required to complete the Universitywide Requirements.

BA Language Requirements

All BA students are required to complete the BA degree language requirements, for a total of 12 semester hours of language study or demonstrated equivalent proficiency, as described in Additional Requirements for BA students. Successful demonstration of proficiency does not reduce total minimum semester hours of study required to earn the BA degree.

NUpath Requirements

All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.

NUpath attributes Creative Expression and Innovation (EI), Interpreting Culture (IC), and Societies and Institutions (SI) are met through the major course requirements.

In order to graduate, students must complete Natural and Designed World (ND), Formal and Quantitative Reasoning (FQ), Analyzing and Using Data (AD), Difference and Diversity (DD), and Ethical Reasoning (ER) in their electives.

Media Arts Courses

Course List
Code Title Hours
Art and Design at Northeastern
ARTF 1000Art and Design at Northeastern1
Art and Design Foundations
ARTF 1122Color and Composition (with optional ARTF 1123)4
ARTF 2220
and ARTF 2221
Movement and Time
and Movement and Time Tools
5
Drawing Fundamentals
ARTF 1120Observational Drawing4
or ARTF 1121 Conceptual Drawing
Art and Design History
ARTH 1001
and ARTH 1002
Visual Intelligence
and Seminar in Visual Intelligence
4
ARTH 2212Survey of the Still and Moving Image4
Degree Project
ARTD 4530Media Arts Degree Project4
Media Art Basics Electives
Complete two of the following:8-9
ARTD 2360
and ARTD 2361
Introduction to Photography
and Photo Tools
ARTD 2370
and ARTD 2371
Animation Basics
and Animation Tools
ARTD 2380
and ARTD 2381
Video Basics
and Video Tools
Art and Design Electives
Complete any two courses not previously taken in ARTG, ARTE, ARTD, ARTH, or ARTS courses as long as prerequisites or corequisites have been met.8-9
If ARTD 3000 Topics in Media Arts (or any other topics course in the subjects listed above) is completed more than once, the additional completions may be allowed toward the electives.

Communication Studies Courses

Course List
Code Title Hours
Communication Studies Common Requirements
COMM 1101Introduction to Communication Studies4
COMM 1112Public Speaking4
or COMM 2301 Communication Research Methods
Foundation Course
Complete one of the following:4
COMM 1210
Persuasion and Rhetoric
COMM 1225
Communication Theory
COMM 1231
Principles of Organizational Communication
COMM 1255
Communication in a Digital Age
Cluster Course
Complete one of the following:4
COMM 1131
Sex, Relationships, and Communication
COMM 2303
Global and Intercultural Communication
COMM 2304
Communication and Gender
COMM 2501
Communication Law
COMM 2551
Free Speech in Cyberspace
Writing-Intensive Courses
Complete two of the following:8
COMM 3200
Mobile Communication
COMM 3201
Health Communication
COMM 3230
Interpersonal Communication
COMM 3304
Communication and Inclusion
COMM 3320
Political Communication
COMM 3415
Communication Criticism
COMM 3445
Public Relations Principles
COMM 3500
Environmental Issues, Communication, and the Media
COMM 3501
Free Speech: Law and Practice
COMM 3530
Communication and Sexualities
COMM 3532
Theories of Conflict and Negotiation
COMM 4535
Nonverbal Social Interaction
COMM 4605
Youth and Communication Technology
COMM 4631
Crisis Communication and Image Management
Communication Studies Electives
Complete three COMM courses.12

Integrative Requirement

Course List
Code Title Hours
Bridge/Integrative Requirement
COMM 3415Communication Criticism4

Communication Studies Grade Requirement

No more than two grades below a C in COMM courses may be used to fulfill degree requirements.

Program Requirement

128 total semester hours required

Sample Four Years, Two Co-ops Plan of Study

Year 1
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
ARTF 1000 or COMM 10001ARTF 2220
and ARTF 2221
5Communicaton studies elective4Communicaton studies elective4
ARTF 1122 (with optional ARTF 1123)4ARTH 22124Elective4Elective4
ARTH 1001
and ARTH 1002
4COMM 1112 or 23014  
COMM 11014Drawing elective4  
ENGW 11114   
 17 17 8 8
Year 2
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
Media arts basics elective4Co-opCo-opCommunication studies elective4
Communication studies cluster4  Elective4
Communication studies foundation4   
Communication studies writing-intensive4   
EEAM 20001   
 17 0 0 8
Year 3
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
Media arts basics elective4Co-opCo-opForeign language4
Communication studies writing-intensive4  Elective4
Art + design elective4   
Art + design elective4   
 16 0 0 8
Year 4
FallHoursSpringHours  
ARTD 45304Foreign language4  
COMM 34154Elective4  
Foreign language4Elective4  
Elective4Elective4  
 16 16  
Total Hours: 131
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