Advising Guide
Communication Studies
Revised 24 Jan. 2001
Introduction:
Basic Premise: students are responsible for reading the URI catalog and student handbook and fulfilling the requirements for graduation.
Basic Caution: no advisor can waive any requirements or make exceptions—only the Dean’s office can. Even the department chair cannot make exceptions—only the Dean’s office can. “But my advisor told me . . .” is not an excuse for failing to complete all graduation requirements. While faculty make every effort to provide correct advice, students should double-check advice in the catalogue and question the advisor, the chair or the dean’s office if it seems contradictory.
In short: part of the requirements for graduation is understanding and fulfilling all the requirements for graduation.
1. Complete your general education requirements. Complete them as early in your college career as possible. In some cases, a student may benefit from spreading out his/her general education classes over a longer period of time.
2. Complete your major. You should not exceed 51 “Com” credits as any Com credits over 51 will be counted on top of the 120 credits required for graduation. For example, if you take 54 “Com” credits, you will have to graduate with 123 credits.
3. Complete 120 credits with at least 42 of those credits at the 300 or 400 level. The total of 42 may be counted from your major, electives, a minor or general education credits as long as they are 300 or 400 level courses.
Options Beyond the Basics:
1. Complete a minor and/or even a second major.
2. Explore internship opportunities late in your college career. (Internships are the number one predictor of job placement.) Departmental internships (1-6 credits) are coordinated by Sharman Brown (csintern@etal.uri.edu), and full time internships (15 credits) are handled through the URIntern Office in Taft Hall (www.uri.edu/univcol/internships). ComStudies maintains some internship information in main office and online at www.uri.edu/artsci/com.
3. Explore study abroad options. ComStudies students often report that a semester study abroad was the highlight of their college career. Be sure to seek approval for all courses to be taken abroad before you leave. Retroactive approval can be difficult if not impossible.
4. Get involved in student organizations, student government, URI Debate, URI-TV, WRIU, Lambda Pi Eta (the ComStudies Honors Society) or off-campus activities (for example, volunteer at shelters, literacy projects, environmental groups, social or political groups, etc.). In addition to their intrinsic worth, these affiliations always supplement and strengthen your resume when you are seeking and internship and employment.
5. Maintain an updated worksheet for ComStudies majors—copies are available on-line and in the main office and on-line at www.uri.edu/artsci/com.
1. How many ComStudies classes
should I take each semester?
Usually
two to three classes is a good pace.
There may be some semesters during which you take few, if any, Communication Studies classes and in
some semesters more than two or three. The major requires 36 credits; you would
take an average of 9 credits a year.
2. Why am I limited to 51 credits
in ComStudies as a maximum and what happens if I exceed the 51 credits in
ComStudies?
First,
we need to have students who are broadly educated. Second, we need the seats
for other Communication Studies students. If you exceed the 51 credits, then
you are adding to the total number of credits you need to graduate. For
example, if you took 54 ComStudies credits, then you would need 123 credits to
graduate! If you took 57 credits in ComStudies, then you would need 126 credits
to graduate!
3. May I complete a culture
cluster instead of my foreign language requirement?
No.
Students with documented learning disabilities through the Office of Student
Life may complete a culture cluster instead of of the usual foreign language
requirement.
If you are a double major and earning a B.S. in addition to your B.A. in
ComStudies, check with your respective Deans to verify your foreign language
requirement.
4. Does study abroad fulfill my
foreign language requirement?
Usually,
approved programs of study in a foreign country in the Spring and Fall
semesters fulfill the requirement. Summer programs do not fulfill the
requirement. Be sure to obtain all prior approvals before studying abroad. More
information on study abroad can be found at www.uri.edu/univcol/study_abroad.
5. When I study abroad do I
receive the six credits for my foreign language requirement?
No, you
do not get credits towards graduation just for studying abroad. Normally, your
foreign language requirement will be satisfied by study abroad, but you receive
academic credit towards graduation only for those courses you actually take
(assuming they are approved classes) while studying abroad.
6. May I take more than one
Com310 class?
Yes, if
they are different topics, usually noted by a different letter (i.e., Com310B
is different than Com310G or Com310N).
7. May I substitute a Com310
class for a 400 level class to help satisfy my Communication Studies requirements?
Possibly. You would process such a request
with the department chair.
8. May I use Com491,492, 471,
& 472 towards my Communication Studies requirements?
No.
These courses are treated as electives that fit in that window of Communication
Studies credits beyond the 36 required and within the maximum of 51 credits.
Requests for exceptions would come to the department chair.
9. May I take Com491, 492, 471 or
472 more than once?
No.
However, in some circumstances Com491 has a specific topic (denoted by a
letter, i.e, Com491A, or Com491B) and in those cases repeating Com491 is
permissible. That is, if you have taken an independent study for 3 credits of
Com491 and you want to take the Digital Portfolio class (Com491B), then you may
do so.
10.May I take classes from
another department and have that class count towards my ComStudies
requirements?
Sometimes
courses are offered by other departments that are relevant to your work in
ComStudies, each course will have to be approved by the department chair and
recorded at the Dean’s office.
11.When should I have a senior
audit?
After
you’ve completed your junior year, but before you start your senior year. You
could do the senior audit during your first senior semester, but the earlier
the better.
12. Sould everyone have a senior audit? Why?
Yes.
Senior audits are designed to discover any anomalies in your record that may
prevent you from graduating, anomalies of which you may not be aware. By doing
the audit in a timely fashion, you can prevent unexpected troubles that may
prevent you from graduating.
Remember,
you cannot graduate without notifying the Dean’s office.
13. If I am pursuing a double
degree, may I use a courses from one major to fulfill the requirements for both
majors?
Yes, one 3-credit class may be used for both
majors with the chairpersons approval. Check the the Dean's staff to confirm
that they have credited your Academic Progress Report (APR).
14. If I have a double minor may
I use one or more of those minor courses to apply to both minors?
Yes. Up to 2 3-credit classes may be used to
fulfill the requirement for two minors.