Bachelor of Arts: Communication - Professional Communication Emphasis
University Requirements
General Education
UMKC Essentials is the university-wide curriculum that all undergraduate students will complete. The 30-credit hour program includes a First Year Experience course; three critical thinking courses in the areas of Arts & Humanities, Natural & Physical Sciences, and Social & Behavioral Sciences; a Culture and Diversity course; a Civic & Urban Engagement course; two courses in Written Composition and one course in Oral Communication; and a Math Pathway course. Transfer students entering UMKC will elect from the UMKC Essentials General Education Program or the Missouri Core 42 General Education Curriculum. Academic advisors will meet with incoming transfer students to determine which option best serves the student’s educational needs. More information about General Education may be found here: https://catalog.umkc.edu/undergraduate-academic-regulations-information/general-education-requirements/
Constitution Course
Every undergraduate student must take a course covering the United States Constitution and the Missouri State Constitution before graduation. Course options are included in the program requirements section below.
Exit Examinations
Information on exit examinations is available in the Undergraduate Academic Regulations and Information section of the catalog.
Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination
In accordance with Missouri Senate Bill 807 (section 170.013.1), 'any student entering a public institution of higher education for the first time after July 2019 who is pursuing an associate's or bachelor's degree from such institution shall successfully pass an examination on the provisions and principles of American civics with a score of seventy percent or greater as a condition of graduation from such institution'. To satisfy this requirement at UMKC, students access the exam through the Canvas site. This requirement will be listed in the degree audit system as, 'Take State Mandated Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination', and listed on the transcript as 'Missouri Civics Examination'.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from this program will:
- Demonstrate effective oral, written, and visual communication
- Conduct basic research through the identification, evaluation, application, and citation of appropriate scholarly sources.
- Identify key interpersonal communication theories and concepts as they pertain to relationships and interactions with others from diverse backgrounds and across different settings.
- Identify key rhetorical theories and concepts and how they relate to the design and evaluation of effective messages.
- Explain how cultural diversity presents challenges and opportunities in interpersonal and public communication.
Program Requirements
The Professional Communication emphasis offers study in the areas of public address and rhetoric, interpersonal and intercultural communication, organizational communication and areas associated with human communication behavior including advertising, public relations and strategic communication.
UMKC Essentials
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First Semester Experience Course (GEFSE) | 3 | |
| Written Communication | ||
| ENGLISH 110 | Introduction to Academic Prose | 3 |
| ENGLISH 225 | English II: Intermediate Academic Prose | 3 |
| Oral Communication (Satisfied in program requirements below) | ||
| Math Pathway (choose one of the following): | 3 | |
| Mathematics For Liberal Arts | ||
| Statistical Reasoning | ||
| Precalculus Algebra | ||
| Precalculus | ||
Any 200-level MATH or STAT course | ||
ACT Math Sub-score of 28 or higher; or SAT Math Sub-score of 660 or higher | ||
| Critical Thinking in Arts & Humanities (GECERT-AH) | 3 | |
| Critical Thinking in Natural & Physical Sciences (GECRT-SC) | 3 | |
| Critical Thinking in Social & Behavioral Sciences (GECRT-SS) | 3 | |
| Culture & Diversity Course (GECDV) | 3 | |
| Civic & Urban Engagement Course (GECUE) | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 27 | |
Constitution Course Requirement
Section 170.011.1 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, 2015, states that all candidates for a degree issued by a college or university in the state of Missouri must have “satisfactorily passed an examination on the provisions and principles of the Constitution of the United States and of the state of Missouri, and in American history and American institutions.”
Courses at UMKC that satisfy this state requirement are:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| The Supreme Court And The Criminal Process | ||
| U.S. History to 1877 | ||
| U.S. History Since 1877 | ||
| Honors American Government | ||
| American Government | ||
| Total Credits | 3 | |
There are a few other ways this requirement can be satisfied for students transferring to UMKC:
- Take an equivalent course from the list above at a regionally accredited institution.
- Earn credit for one of the above courses through AP, IB, or CLEP.
- Take a course that directly satisfies the Missouri Constitution Requirement at another Missouri institution.
- Have a previous bachelors degree (or higher) from a regionally accredited institution.
- Have an Associate of Arts degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- Complete the 42 Hour Core at a Missouri institution and have it listed on the official transcript.
School of Humanities and Social Sciences Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Writing Intensive Course (300-level or above; satisfied in major requirements below): | 0 | |
| Total Credits | 0 | |
Major Requirements
Students must maintain a 2.0 GPA in their major courses. Only major courses with a grade of C- or higher will be accepted for credit in the major, and counted toward the major GPA. With prior permission, three hours of elective credit from another department may be accepted as Communication Studies elective credit.
Students must successfully complete the major requirements below with at least 18 credit hours taken in the department at UMKC with 12 of those hours at the 300-level or above.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Department's Core Courses | ||
| COMM-ST 110 | Fundamentals of Effective Speaking and Listening (satisfies Oral Communications requirement) | 3 |
| COMM-ST 483 | Research Seminar In Communication Studies (or SEARCH Project in the major) | 3 |
| or COMM-ST 484 | Internship | |
| Required Courses | ||
| COMM-ST 277 | Interpersonal Communication | 3 |
| COMM-ST 308 | Introduction To The Study Of Human Communication | 3 |
| COMM-ST 341WI | Rhetorical Theory And Criticism | 3 |
| Professional Communication | ||
| Select one of the following not already completed in another area: | 3 | |
| Group Dynamics | ||
| Organizational Communication | ||
| Strategic Communication Research | ||
| Colloquium In Interpersonal Dynamics | ||
| Applications of Interpersonal Communication Theory | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Public Communication | ||
| Select one of the following not already completed in another area: | 3 | |
| Advanced Public Speaking | ||
| Persuasive Communication | ||
| The Art of the Interview | ||
| Principles Of Advertising | ||
| Interactive and Social Media Advertising | ||
| Internship | ||
| Advertising Campaigns | ||
| Professional and Public Electives | ||
| Select four of the following not already completed in another area: | 12 | |
| Introduction to Modern Communications Media | ||
| Career Development for Communication Professionals | ||
| Broadcast and Digital Media Presenting | ||
| Advanced Public Speaking | ||
| Health, Science and Environmental Reporting | ||
| Persuasive Communication | ||
| Dialogue Across Difference | ||
| Group Dynamics | ||
| Organizational Communication | ||
| The Art of the Interview | ||
| Digital Games and Society | ||
| Strategic Communication Research | ||
| Media Ethics | ||
| Special Studies | ||
| Public Speaking for Professionals | ||
| Colloquium In Interpersonal Dynamics | ||
| Applications of Interpersonal Communication Theory | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Principles Of Advertising | ||
| Interactive and Social Media Advertising | ||
| Principles Of Public Relations | ||
| Internship | ||
| Advertising Campaigns | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Total Credits | 33 | |
General Electives
Students must take elective credit hours to meet the minimum credit hour requirement for their degree, including at least 36 credit hours of coursework at the 300-level or above. The minimum required by the university is 120 credit hours, of which at least 30 credit hours must be taken at UMKC, but some degree programs require more.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Electives | 57 | |
Minimum GPA: 2.0
Total Credit Hours: 120
Please see an advisor for details about how to complete this program online.
