Admission to the Department
The Department of Communication seeks to admit students who are dedicated to pursuing a degree in the varied fields of
communication.
Consideration of resources places a restriction on the number of students the Department can serve. For this reason, each semester only a limited number of applicants
for each concentration area will be admitted. Students must apply for admission to the department no later than February 15 for the following fall semester, or no later
than October 1 for the following spring semester.
Declaration of a major begins the process of applying for admission, but is not the same as admittance into the Department.
If more students apply for admission than resources can accommodate, selections will be made based on overall GPA and GPA in
COM 1200. In the event of ties, the selection committee will ask students to submit a writing sample. Once students are admitted into the department, they will then be able to declare Communication as their major.
Note that if you apply for admission into one of the concentration areas, and later decide to change your concentration, you must reapply for admission into the new concentration area.
Advising Information
Spring Advising
Sign up for an appointment with your advisor soon! Advising for the Fall 2008 semester begins March 18th, and runs until April 10th. Each advisor currently is using their own sign-up method (since the online advising calendar is not functional yet), so check your advisor's office door or your email for information on how to schedule an appointment.
Is Advising Required?
In the Department of Communication, advising is only required for the first semester after you declare communication as your major. This initial advising appointment is a great chance for you to make sure you understand all of the requirements for your major, as well as get advice about what you should be doing over the next few years.
Even though advising is only required for your first semester in the department, you are strongly encouraged to keep seeing your advisor throughout your time at ASU. Regular visits with your advisor will help ensure that you:
- Sign up for the classes you need, in the correct sequence;
- Learn about internship and job opportunities;
- Get advance notice about summer and special topics courses;
- Complete all of the paperwork necessary for graduation;
- Stay informed about department requirements and changes to procedures;
- and much more.
Portfolio Requirement
The Department of Communication currently requires all graduating seniors to develop a portfolio. Students should begin collecting content for their portfolio as soon as they enter the program. More information about portfolios can be found on the Career Development Center's handout.
Each concentration area has a different course in which students finalize their portfolio and have it assessed and graded. The requirements for the portfolio are also different depending on the concentration.
- Advertising
Course: COM 4400
Requirements: TV story board and script; radio script; ad designed in Quark or Pagemaker; creative brief/copy platform/creative strategy; Optional: journalistic article, news release, web page design - Electronic Media
Course: COM 4315
Requirements: audio production sample; video production sample; writing sample - Journalism
Course: COM 4200
Requirements: feature story; hard news story; column/commentary/editorial
Optional: photography/design samples - Public Relations
Course: COM 4418
Requirements: writing sample; design sample; management skills sample; photography sample - Communication Studies
Course: COM 4432
Requirements: writing sample; computer skills sample; analytical skills sample
Optional: photography/design samples
In addition to these area-specific requirements, all majors should include a resume and self-assessment paper. This self-assessment should discuss your strengths and weaknesses as a communicator. While there is no page-length requirement, employers rarely want to read a lengthy essay. Therefore, a well-crafted self-assessment ought to accurately and adequately state your communication skills in approximately 2-3 pages.
