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.