Program Overview
The Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts program at UIW uses a unique blend of theory-driven and experienced-based classes where students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for a successful career in today’s changing media world. With four different concentrations, our graduates are strongly prepared for a large number of career opportunities such as social media specialist, broadcast journalist, event planner, filmmaker, public relations specialist, teacher, videographer, bilingual journalist, and marketing & advertising specialist, among others. The goals of the program are to cultivate students’ imagination and creativity through mastery of technical skills needed to become effective professionals in the field of communications: to create an environment fostering the exploration of diverse perspectives and encourages students to use their skills and resources to serve their community and society, so that they are prepared to participate confidently, ethically, and competently as concerned and enlightened citizens.
Through its unique blend of theory-driven and experience-based classes, students of the Communication Arts program gain both scholarly perspective and insight as well as the skill proficiency that can help them launch careers as anything from journalists and traditional media professionals, to organizational communications managers, to digital and emerging media specialists.
The goals of the program are to cultivate students' imagination and creativity through mastery of technical skills needed to become effective professionals in the field of communications; to create an environment fostering the exploration of diverse perspectives and encourages students to use their skills and resources to serve their community and society, so that they are prepared to participate confidently, ethically and competently as concerned and enlightened citizens.
Practical skill development is a critical part of the Communication Arts program and students can develop their broadcasting skills through UIWTV and KUIW radio, and strengthen their writing and journalism skills through the Logos, the student-run newspaper. Students also have the opportunity to meet like-minded peers and grow their developing networks through student organizations like Lambda Pi Eta, the Communications Honor Society.
Film
The Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts with a concentration in Film requires a minimum of 122 credit hours to complete.
UIW Undergraduate Core Curriculum
UIW core coursework is required. Review The Undergraduate Core Curriculum Here and review the degree plans for each concentration for scheduling of the core curriculum classwork. In addition, 45 Community Service hours are part of all bachelor's degree programs. See Community Service.
| UIW Core Curriculum |
| Composition and Rhetoric |
6 credit hours |
| Literature and Art |
6 credit hours |
| Science and Mathematics |
7 credit hours |
| History and Behavioral Science |
6 credit hours |
| Philosophy and Religion |
9 credit hours |
| Second Language |
6 credit hours |
| Wellness and Physical Education |
3 credit hours |
| |
43 total core credit hours |
| |
|
| Community Service |
45 clock hours (non-credit) |
Communication Arts Core Coursework
43 credit hours of Communication Arts core coursework is required.
Film Concentration Coursework
Total Credit Hours: 122
Media and Culture
The Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts—Media and Culture concentration focuses on ethics, persuasion, and rhetoric in movies, culture, and in communication. Students will study perceptions and analyze messages across communication platforms.
The Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts with a concentration in Media and Culture requires a minimum of 122 credit hours to complete.
UIW Undergraduate Core Curriculum
UIW core coursework is required. Review The Undergraduate Core Curriculum Here and review the degree plans for each concentration for scheduling of the core curriculum classwork. In addition, 45 Community Service hours are part of all bachelor's degree programs. See Community Service.
| UIW Core Curriculum |
| Composition and Rhetoric |
6 credit hours |
| Literature and Art |
6 credit hours |
| Science and Mathematics |
7 credit hours |
| History and Behavioral Science |
6 credit hours |
| Philosophy and Religion |
9 credit hours |
| Second Language |
6 credit hours |
| Wellness and Physical Education |
3 credit hours |
| |
43 total core credit hours |
| |
|
| Community Service |
45 clock hours (non-credit) |
Media and Culture Concentration Coursework
18 credit hours of Media and Culture courses are required for this concentration.
| COMM 2316 | Introduction to Media and Culture | 3 |
| COMM 3384 | Seminar: Media and Culture | 3 |
| COMM 4305 | Communications, Technology, and Society | 3 |
| COMM 4322 | Seminar in Selected Film Topics | 3 |
| COMM 4325 | Global Media Studies | 3 |
| COMM 4381 | Seminar: Issues in Cultural Communcation | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 18 |
Communication Arts Core Coursework
43 credit hours of Communication Arts core coursework is required.
Required English Coursework
| ENGL 2365 | Professional and Technical Communication | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 3 |
General or Communication Elective Coursework
18 credit hours of COMM electives or General Electives are required.
Total Credit Hours: 122
Multimedia
Designed for students hoping to pursue careers in media, the Bachelor of Arts in Communications Arts—Multimedia concentration offers three tracks through which they may tailor their studies. Each track offers courses that sharpen practical and technical skills while also emphasizing production and media theory. Students will also work and build from a strong ethical foundation and approach to media production and presentation.
Multimedia concentration tracks:
Convergent Media
Journalism
Production
The Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts with a concentration in Multimedia requires a minimum of 122 credit hours to complete.
UIW Undergraduate Core Curriculum
UIW core coursework is required. Review The Undergraduate Core Curriculum Here and review the degree plans for each concentration for scheduling of the core curriculum classwork. In addition, 45 Community Service hours are part of all bachelor's degree programs. See Community Service.
| UIW Core Curriculum |
| Composition and Rhetoric |
6 credit hours |
| Literature and Art |
6 credit hours |
| Science and Mathematics |
7 credit hours |
| History and Behavioral Science |
6 credit hours |
| Philosophy and Religion |
9 credit hours |
| Second Language |
6 credit hours |
| Wellness and Physical Education |
3 credit hours |
| |
43 total core credit hours |
| |
|
| Community Service |
45 clock hours (non-credit) |
Communication Arts Core Coursework
43 credit hours of Communication Arts core coursework is required.
Multimedia Concentration Coursework
In addition to 15 credit hours of Multimedia core courses, students select from among the Production, Journalism, and Creative Publishing tracks, completing 12 hours from the listed COMM courses for that track AND 6 hours of additional COMM electives or General Electives. ENGL 2365, Professional and Technical Communication, is also required.
Convergent Media Track Coursework
Choose 12 credit hours from this list of courses.
Journalism Track Coursework
Choose 12 credit hours from this list of courses.
Production Track Coursework
Choose 12 credit hours from this list of courses.
Required English Coursework
| ENGL 2365 | Professional and Technical Communication | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 3 |
General Elective Coursework
Elective credit hours are required as needed to fulfill the 122 credit hour program requirement.
Total Credit Hours: 122
Strategic and Corporate Communication
The Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts—Strategic and Corporate Communication program uses a unique blend of theory-driven and experienced-based classes where students acquire the necessary knowledge and skills. The concentration provides students with an in-depth knowledge of the corporate environment. Students will study and analyze organizational dynamics and corporate communication.
The Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts with a concentration in Strategic and Corporate Communication requires a minimum of 122 credit hours to complete.
UIW Undergraduate Core Curriculum
UIW core coursework is required. Review The Undergraduate Core Curriculum Here and review the degree plans for each concentration for scheduling of the core curriculum classwork. In addition, 45 Community Service hours are part of all bachelor's degree programs. See Community Service.
| UIW Core Curriculum |
| Composition and Rhetoric |
6 credit hours |
| Literature and Art |
6 credit hours |
| Science and Mathematics |
7 credit hours |
| History and Behavioral Science |
6 credit hours |
| Philosophy and Religion |
9 credit hours |
| Second Language |
6 credit hours |
| Wellness and Physical Education |
3 credit hours |
| |
43 total core credit hours |
| |
|
| Community Service |
45 clock hours (non-credit) |
Communication Arts Core Coursework
43 credit hours of Communication Arts core coursework is required.
Strategic and Corporate Communications Concentration Coursework
Students are required to complete the 18 hours of Strategic and Corporate Communication courses listed below AND 15 hours of COMM electives or General Electives AND ENGL 2365, Professional and Technical Communication.
Required English Coursework
| ENGL 2365 | Professional and Technical Communication | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 3 |
General or Communication Elective Coursework
Elective credit hours are required as needed to fulfill the 122 credit hour program requirement.
Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's
Degrees: Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts
Catalog Entry: Communication Arts - Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's
Website: Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's in Communication Arts
College/School: School of Media and Design
Apply to UIW: Application for the Accelerated Bachelor to Master's in Communication Arts
Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's (ABM) Degree Programs provide opportunities for academically prepared and motivated undergraduate students to complete degree requirements for both the bachelor and master’s degrees simultaneously at an accelerated pace. Student knowledge and skill level is reinforced by linking the curricula of undergraduate and graduate programs, and students can complete both programs sooner and at less expense than if they enrolled in both programs separately. Students accepted into an ABM program are eligible to complete 9 designated graduate hours while enrolled as an undergraduate, which will then be utilized to fulfill both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. After the completion of the designated hours, students are formally admitted to graduate study.