University of Houston

  General Requirements for the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication

Students in good academic standing may declare communication as their major and select a concentration at any time. Students interested in the school but uncertain about a concentration may declare themselves Communication Unspecified (COMM-UN) up to completion of 72 hours. Then they must choose a concentration.

All undergraduate majors in the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication must complete, with a GPA of at least 2.00, 12 semester hours as follows:

  1. COMM: 1301 Media and Society, 1302 Introduction to Communication Theory, 2300 Communication Research Methods, and 4303 Communication Law and Ethics. 
  2. To take Jack J. Valenti School of Communication courses at the 3000- and 4000-level, students must complete the three lower level courses required of all Communication majors, COMM 1301, 1302, 2300. Majors should complete them in their first 60 hours; transfer students should do so in their first two semesters at the university. 
  3. In addition to the core COMM 1301, 1302, 2300 courses, a student must complete the following non-advanced course before taking any 3000- and 4000-level courses required for the concentration of their choice:     

    • Advertising:  COMM 2310 Writing for Print and Digital Media.    
    • Corporate Communication:  COMM 2320 Fundamentals of Media Production.    
    • Health Communication:  No additional non-advanced course required.    
    • Interpersonal Communication:  COMM 1333 Interpersonal Communication.
    • Journalism:  COMM 2310 Writing for Print and Digital Media.    
    • Media Production:  COMM 2320 Fundamentals of Media Production.    
    • Media Studies:  No additional non-advanced course required.    
    • Public Relations:  COMM 2310 Writing for Print and Digital Media.

  4. Students who enroll (register) for advanced courses without completing the non-advanced requirements may be dropped by the instructor or the school. Neither the school nor the instructor will be responsible for tuition refunds. 
  5. To graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in communication, students must achieve: 

    6. a.    A 2.00 cumulative GPA in all courses that count toward the major with at least a C in each. 
    b.    No COMM course for major (or minor) may be retaken more than twice.

  6. The Communication major totals 39 hours.

THOSE STUDENTS PREVIOUSLY DECLARED MAY COMPLETE THEIR DEGREES UNDER THE CATALOG IN EFFECT AT THE TIME OF DECLARATION.


Graduate Advisors:

Salima Haji
Email: sbhaji@central.uh.edu 
Phone: 713-743-8575
 

Undergraduate Advisors

Les Oliver
E-mail: loliver@uh.edu

Orlando Zamora
Email: ozamora@central.uh.edu
Phone: 713-743-0175

Advising Office: Communications Building, Rm# 101
Phone: 713-743-2873

Jack J. Valenti School of Communications Minors

Students seeking a minor in the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication must meet the same GPA requirements as the students declaring or changing their major to the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication at the time of filing their minor. Students may not enroll (register) for upper level courses in their minor until the lower level prerequisite course(s) has been completed, i.e., Film Studies Minor- COMM 1301 Media and Society and all Concentration Minors- COMM 1301 Media and Society and COMM 1302 Introduction to Communication Theory.

Minor in Film Studies

Students seeking a minor in film studies must meet the following requirements:

  1. A minimum of 18 semester hours of which at least 12 are advanced. Included in the requirement is COMM 1301 Media and Society and a sequence of two courses:
  2. COMM 3370 History of Cinema and COMM 4370 Social Aspects of Film.
  3. Students also must complete nine semester hours of electives to be selected from the following courses:

    • ART 1300 Fundamentals of Visual Perception
    • ART 1370 Fundamentals of Photography
    • ART 3378 (Not in catalog)
    • ART 3379 (Not in catalog)
    • COMM 2370 Introduction to Motion Pictures
    • COMM 3321 Film Production
    • COMM 3371 History of Animation in Mass Communication
    • COMM 3379 Popular Culture and the Mass Media
    • COMM 3381 Advanced Film Production
    • COMM 4328 Broadcast and Film Dramatic Writing
    • COMM 4375 Propaganda and Mass Communication
    • COMM 4376 Economic Aspects of Mass Communication
    • COMM 4392 Professional Internship
    • ENGL 4373 Film, Text, and Politics
    • FREN 3318 History of French Cinema or FREN 3319 History of French Cinema 
    • GERM 3380 German Women Film Directors
    • GERM 3395 Topics in German Cinema
    • HIST 4314 American History Through Film
    • ITAL 3305 Italian Culture Through Films or ITAL 3306 Italian Culture Through Films
    • MAS 3341 Mexican American Experience Through Film
    • PHIL 3361 Philosophy of Art
    • THEA 2342 Dramatic Structures and Genres

  4. A minimum of nine semester hours in residence, of which at least six are advanced.
  5. A minimum 2.00 cumulative grade point average for all courses attempted in the minor at the University of Houston with at least a C in each course.

Minor in Health Communication

Students seeking a minor in health communication must meet the following requirements:

1.    A minimum of 18 semester hours.
2.    Required foundation course: COMM 3300 (formerly 4333) Health Communication.
3.    For students to minor in the Health Care Delivery (HCD) specialization: Select 9 hours from:

  • COMM 3301 Media and Society
  • COMM 3302 Introduction to Communication Theory
  • COMM 3303Health Literacy
  • COMM 3304 Multicultural Health Communication
  • COMM 3305 Communication and Catastrophic Illnesses
  • COMM 4335 Crisis Communication

4.    For students to minor in the Public Health Promotion (PHP) Specialization: Select 9 hours from:

  • COMM 3302 Introduction to Communication Theory
  • COMM 3303 Health Literacy
  • COMM 3340 Health Campaign Principles and Tailored Messages
  • COMM 3341 Health Campaigns
  • COMM 3342 Health Campaign Evaluation
  • COMM 3376 Media Effects


Minor in School of Communication

Concentrations

Students may minor in any of the school's concentrations. For each concentration minor, students must complete COMM 1301 Media and Society and COMM 1302 Introduction to Communication Theory, plus 12 COMM hours in the concentration, of which nine must be advanced and nine must be in residence. Students must have a 2.00 GPA for all courses attempted in the minor at the University of Houston, with at least a C in each course.

New Syllabi

Course ID Course Name Syllabus
Summer 2009 		Syllabus
Fall 2009 		Syllabus
Spring 2010
COMM 1301 Media and Society PDF File
PDF File - Houk
PDF File - Olson
PDF File - Olson
COMM 1302 Introduction to Communication Theory PDF File
PDF File - Haun
PDF File 20074 - Heath
PDF File 33404 - Heath
PDF File - Haun
COMM 1331 Fundamentals of PublicSpeaking PDF File
COMM 1333 Interpersonal Communication PDF File
COMM 2300 Communication Research Methods PDF File
PDF File
COMM 2310 Writing for Print and Digital Media PDF File - Hopp
PDF File - Hopp
PDF File - Lane
PDF File - Herrick
PDF File Lab - Tourabi
PDF File Lab - Ferrell
PDF File Lab - Butler
PDF File - Butler
COMM 2320 Fundamentals of Media Production PDF File - Polk
COMM 2322 Television Production I PDF File
PDF File - Polk
COMM 2328 Broadcast and Film Writing PDF File
PDF File - Hawes
COMM 2350 Introduction to Telecommunication
COMM 2370 Introduction to Motion Pictures
COMM 3300 Health Communication (formerly COMM 4333) PDF File
COMM 3301 Doctor-Patient Interaction
COMM 3302 E-Health and Telemedicine
COMM 3303 Health Literacy PDF File
COMM 3304 Multicultural Health Communication
COMM 3305 Communication and Catastrophic Illnesses
COMM 3310 Advanced Newswriting
COMM 3311 Editing for Print and Digital Media PDF File - Ryan
COMM 3314 Advanced Writing and Reporting PDF File
PDF File
COMM 3316 Electronic News
COMM 3320 Audio Production PDF File
COMM 3321 Film Production
COMM 3323 Multimedia Production I
PDF File
COMM 3324 Photojournalism I PDF File
COMM 3326 Graphics Applications PDF File
COMM 3327 Desktop Publishing PDF File
COMM 3329 Media Performance
COMM 3330 Relational Communication PDF File - Buck
COMM 3331 Communication in the Family PDF File
COMM 3332 Effective Meeting Management PDF File - Haun
COMM 3337 Argumentation and Debate
COMM 3339 Advanced Public Speaking
COMM 3340 Health Campaign Principles and Tailored Messages
COMM 3341 Health Campaigns
COMM 3342 Health Campaign Evaluation
COMM 3350 Media Management
COMM 3352 Small Group Process PDF File
COMM 3353 Information and Communication Technologies I PDF File
PDF File
PDF File - Liu
COMM 3355 Programming and Distribution in the Information Society
COMM 3356 Business and Professional Communication PDF File
PDF File
PDF File - Buck
COMM 3359 Cable Communication
COMM 3360 Principles of Advertising PDF File - Smith
PDF File - Laudicina
COMM 3361 Advertising Copywriting
COMM 3362 Broadcast and Cable Sales
COMM 3364 Principles of Broadcast Programming and Ratings
COMM 3368 Principles of Public Relations PDF File - Ni
PDF File - Emery
COMM 3369 Public Relations Writing PDF File - Fix
PDF File - Fix
PDF File - Emery
COMM 3370 History of Cinema PDF File - Hawes
COMM 3371 History of Animation in Mass Communication
COMM 3372 Gender and Media
COMM 3375 International Communications PDF File
COMM 3376 Media Effects
COMM 3379 Popular Culture and the Mass Media
COMM 3380 Electronic Field Production PDF File
COMM 3381 Advanced Film Production
COMM 3382 Intermediate Television Production PDF File
PDF File
COMM 3383 Nonlinear Editing
COMM 3399 - 4399 Senior Honors Thesis
COMM 4110 Journalistic Interviewing
COMM 4112 Investigative Reporting
COMM 4114 Business Reporting
COMM 4198 - 4398 Special Problems
COMM 4303 Communication Law and Ethics PDF File - McHam
PDF File - McHam
PDF File - Kirkham
COMM 4310 Opinion Writing PDF File - Berryhill
COMM 4312 Feature Writing for Print and Digital Media (formerly COMM 3312) PDF File
PDF File
COMM 4313 Reporting of Public Affairs/Urban Problems
COMM 4314 Social Issues in Journalism PDF File - Berryhill
COMM 4315 Freelance and International Reporting
COMM 4316 Advanced Electronic News
COMM 4320 Media Production Workshop I
COMM 4322 Television Producing and Directing I
COMM 4323 Multimedia Production II
COMM 4328 Broadcast and Film Dramatic Writing PDF File
COMM 4331 Persuasion PDF File
PDF File - Buck
COMM 4335 Crisis Communication
PDF File
COMM 4336 Social Cognition and Communication
COMM 4337 Television and the Family PDF File
COMM 4338 The Family in Popular Culture
COMM 4339 Methods of Communication Improvement
COMM 4350 Case Studies in Media Management
COMM 4353 Information and Communication Technologies II PDF File - Liu
COMM 4354 Organizational Crisis Communication PDF File
COMM 4355 Organizational Communication PDF File
COMM 4356 Applied Organizational Communication
COMM 4357 Intercultural Communication and Organizations
COMM 4358 Bargaining and Negotiation
COMM 4360 Media Planning and Placement
COMM 4361 Advertising Campaigns
COMM 4362 Rhetorical Strategies of Social and Political Campaigns
COMM 4364 Rhetoric and Criticism of Public Relations Discourse
COMM 4365 Digital Public Relations and Advertising
COMM 4367 Issues Management PDF File
COMM 4368 Public Relations Campaigns PDF File
COMM 4370 Social Aspects of Film
COMM 4371 Journalism as a Literary Form
COMM 4372 Media, Power, and Society
COMM 4374 News Media in Contemporary Society
COMM 4375 Propaganda and Mass Communication
COMM 4376 Economic Aspects of Mass Communication
COMM 4378 The Social Impact of New Information Technology
COMM 4379 Television and Culture
COMM 4380 Media Production Workshop II
COMM 4381 Digital Cinematography and Narrative Storytelling PDF File
COMM 4382 Advanced Non-Linear Editing
COMM 4392 Professional Internship PDF File
COMM 4397 Selected Topics in Communication PDF File
PDF File - Polk

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