Political Communication, Minor

The political communication minor is a joint program offered through the departments of communication studies, political science, and journalism. The minor appeals to students interested in the electoral process, campaign rhetoric, and the role of media in political life. It is intended to address the interests and needs of students considering careers in the political sphere, either as candidates, employees, volunteers, or reporters in political organizations and campaigns. The political communication minor is designed to prepare students for careers in communication, law, politics, public administration, public policy, and other professions that deal with issues in public settings.

Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified.

Students must complete a minimum of three courses exclusive to this minor beyond the courses required for the student’s declared major(s) and additional minor(s).

Introductory Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Complete two of the following:		8
COMM 1210	Persuasion and Rhetoric
COMM 1331	Legal Argumentation, Advocacy, and Citizenship
COMM 1412	Social Movement Communication
JRNL 1150	Understanding Today’s News
POLS 1150	American Government

Intermediate/Advanced Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Complete four courses from the following lists (at least one course must be taken from each department):		16
Communication Studies
COMM 3320	Political Communication
COMM 3409	Advocacy Writing
Journalism
JRNL 2350	The History of Journalism: How the News Became the News
JRNL 3550	The First Amendment and the Media
Political Science
POLS 3310	Public Opinion, Voting, and Elections

GPA Requirement

2.000 GPA required in the minor