The Department of Communication Studies offers majors in both communication studies and in media and screen studies. The department also offers an integrated major that allows students to combine COMM and MSCR courses to create a unique plan of study that features courses on the theory and practice of communication along with the study of media, cultural, and creative industries. Students graduating with a communication and media studies major can pursue a graduate degree or enter careers in advertising, communication education, healthcare, journalism, law, public relations, government/politics, media and film production, and social and human services.
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 language requirements.
NUpath Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.
NUpath requirements Interpreting Culture (IC), Societies and Institutions (SI), Difference and Diversity (DD), Creative Expression/Innovation (EI), Analyzing and Using Data (AD), and Ethical Reasoning (ER) are met through the major course requirements.
NUpath requirements Natural and Designed World (ND) and Formal and Quantitative Reasoning (FQ) may be met through electives in the major.
Communication and Media Studies Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to College | ||
| COMM 1000 | Communication Studies at Northeastern | 1 |
| or MSCR 1000 | Media and Screen Studies at Northeastern | |
| Common Requirements | ||
| COMM 1101 | Introduction to Communication Studies | 4 |
| MSCR 1220 | Media, Culture, and Society | 4 |
| COMM 2301 | Communication Research Methods | 4 |
| Communication Studies Foundational Course | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Persuasion and Rhetoric | ||
| Communication Theory | ||
| Principles of Organizational Communication | ||
| Communication in a Digital Age | ||
| Media Studies Foundational Course | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Media and Social Change | ||
| Media History | ||
| Understanding Media | ||
| Diversity and Difference Cluster | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Communication and Gender | ||
| Communication and Inclusion | ||
| Digital Feminisms | ||
| Gender and Film | ||
| Media and Identity | ||
| Globalization Cluster | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Global and Intercultural Communication | ||
| Global Media | ||
| Creative Expression Cluster | 4 | |
| Complete one of the following: | ||
| Public Speaking | ||
| Introduction to Film Production | ||
| Screenwriting | ||
| Writing-Intensive | ||
| Complete two of the following: | 8 | |
| Mobile Communication | ||
| Health Communication | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Political Communication | ||
| Great Speakers and Speeches | ||
| Communication Criticism | ||
| Public Relations Principles | ||
| Environmental Issues, Communication, and the Media | ||
| Free Speech: Law and Practice | ||
| Communication and Sexualities | ||
| Theories of Conflict and Negotiation | ||
| Nonverbal Social Interaction | ||
| Youth and Communication Technology | ||
| Crisis Communication and Image Management | ||
| Digital Media Culture | ||
| Media Audiences | ||
| Film Theory | ||
| Queer Media | ||
| TV History | ||
| Capstone | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Health Communication Campaigns | ||
| Communication and Quality of Life | ||
| Consultation Skills | ||
| Contemporary Rhetorical Theory | ||
| Strategic Communication Capstone | ||
| Online Communities | ||
| Production Capstone | ||
| Seminar in Communications | ||
| Theories of Media and Culture | ||
| Elective courses | ||
| Choose five from the following list: | 20 | |
Any COMM courses not already counting above | ||
Any MSCR courses not already counting above | ||
| Video Basics (with optional ARTD 2381) | ||
| Video: Sound and Image | ||
Major Grade Requirement
No more than three grades below a C in COMM and MSCR courses may be used to fulfill major requirements.
Program Requirement
128 total semester hours required
Sample Plan of Study: Four Years, Two Co-ops
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| COMM 1000 or MSCR 1000 | 1 | COMM foundational course | 4 | COMM 2301 | 4 | Writing-intensive course | 4 |
| COMM 1101 | 4 | MSCR foundational course | 4 | Cluster 1: Difference and diversity course | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| MSCR 1220 | 4 | Foreign language | 4 | ||||
| ENGW 1111 | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| Foreign language | 4 | ||||||
| 17 | 16 | 8 | 8 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| Cluster 2: Globalization course | 4 | Co-op | Co-op | Major elective 3 | 4 | ||
| Cluster 3: Creative expression course | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| Major elective 1 | 4 | ||||||
| Major elective 2 | 4 | ||||||
| EEAM 2000 | 1 | ||||||
| 17 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| Writing-intensive course | 4 | Co-op | Co-op | Elective | 4 | ||
| Major elective 4 | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| Major elective 5 | 4 | ||||||
| Elective | 4 | ||||||
| 16 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
| Capstone | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| 16 | 16 | ||||||
| Total Hours: 130 | |||||||