Communication Studies B.A. – Secondary Teaching Emphasis Initial license in Speech (Grades 7-12)

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Contact: Thomas G. Endres, Ph.D., School Director

Location: Candelaria 1265

Telephone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Website: http://www.unco.edu/commstudies/

Advising Information:

Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.

Assigned advisor is available through the Ursa login; ursa.unco.edu; under Student tab Academic Profile channel and is term specific. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.

The program consists of three parts:

1. Liberal Arts Core (LAC) Credits
2. Required Major Credits
3. Professional Teacher Education Program (PTEP) Credits

Program Description:

A major in the discipline of communication studies with an emphasis in secondary education allows the student to examine the many ways in which message exchange is the foundation of human societies and cultures. At UNC, communication studies coursework focuses on theoretical, analytic and practical aspects of human interaction. For majors emphasizing secondary education, required courses include the study of oral interpretation, argumentation and debate, teaching methods, and communication theory. Students may elect to add courses in small group, organizations, and intercultural communication as well as the study of communication and conflict, leadership, or persuasion. Practical skills may be obtained in professional presentation, persuasion, leadership, and interpersonal communication.

The principle purpose of this program is to prepare persons as teachers of communication studies in secondary schools. Graduates also may elect to apply for graduate study in the field of communication or other professional schools.

Program Admission Requirements:

Academic Good Standing

Program Requirements:

• Complete a minimum of 18 semester credits in 300- and 400-level COMM courses, with a minimum of 6 semester credits at the 400-level. A maximum of 3 semester credits of credits from COMM 422 and six credits of COMM 492 may count toward the major requirements.
• Majors may count one course in a related discipline toward their communication electives. This course must be approved by their major advisor.
• The program expects its new majors to have already made significant progress toward completion of the Liberal Arts Core requirements.
• Juniors and Seniors with a GPA of 3.0 and higher may register for 500 level COMM courses.
• Students in the Honors Program may count HON 351 and HON 451 as electives in Communication Studies.
• Students who are not eligible for an internship are required to complete six additional credits of Communication electives.

Degree Requirements — 120 Credits

Degree Requirements

1. Required LAC — 40 credits

2. Required Major — 40 credits

Take all of the following courses:

COMM 102	Introduction to Communication	3
COMM 111	Oral Interpretation	3
COMM 201	Inquiry in Communication	3
COMM 211	Argumentation and Debate	3
COMM 212	Professional Speaking	3
COMM 220	Interpersonal Communication	3
COMM 330	Small Group Communication	3
COMM 343	Persuasion	3
COMM 352	Methods of Teaching Speech Communication	3
COMM 491	Communication Theory Capstone	3
JMC 100	Introduction to Journalism and Mass Communications	3

Choose seven credits from the following courses:

COMM 221	Nonverbal Communication	3
COMM 223	Intercultural Communication	3
COMM 324	Family Communication	3
COMM 331	Organizational Communication	3
COMM 341	Courtroom Communication	3
COMM 350	Communication in the Classroom	3
COMM 422	Directed Study	1 - 3
COMM 431	Communication and Leadership	3
COMM 461	Seminar in Communication	1 - 3
COMM 492	Undergraduate Internship	1 - 10

COMM 492: Take 6 hours

3. Required PTEP — 40 credits

Phase I (5 credits taken concurrently).

EDFE 110 required semester before; see www.unco.edu/cebs/teachered/check.html

STEP 161	Observation and Analysis of Secondary Teaching I	2
EDF 366	Conceptions of Schooling: Context and Process	3

Phase II (8 credits taken concurrently)

STEP 262	Observation and Analysis of Secondary Teaching II	2
EDSE 360	Adaptation, Modification, and Integration of Curriculum for the Secondary Exceptional Learner	3
PSY 349	Educational Psychology for Secondary Teachers	3

Phase III (11-14 credits taken concurrently)

EDFE 120 required semester before.

STEP 363	Clinical Experience: Secondary	2
EDRD 340	Developing Language and Literacy in the Content Areas	3
ET 449	Integration of Technologies in Secondary Education Pedagogy	3
COMM 352	Methods of Teaching Speech Communication	3

EDRD 340: maybe taken outside of Phase III

Phase IV (14 credits).

EDFE 130 required semester before.

STEP 464

Secondary Student Teaching

1 - 14

Students wishing to be admitted to the Professional Teacher Education Program (PTEP) in Communication Studies must have a minimum of 3.0 GPA for all courses completed in Communication Studies.

A Communication Studies major may apply for admission to the Professional Teacher Education Program (PTEP) when he or she has obtained a "B" or better in a minimum of six (6) semester hours of COMM prefix courses taken at the University of Northern Colorado. Majors must maintain a 3.0 GPA for COMM prefix courses.

Before being permitted to apply for student teaching, a Communication Studies major must have successfully completed at least 27 hours in the major, be approved by the faculty of the program, and have at least a 3.0 grade point average in those courses taken at UNC.

To be recommended by the program for teacher licensure, the student must have at least a 3.0 grade point average at the completion of his or her program in courses counting toward the major and that were taken at UNC and be endorsed by Communication Studies faculty.