Michael Pfau, Chair
Amy Johnson, Graduate Liaison
101 Burton Hall
Norman, OK 73019-2081
Phone: (405) 325-3111
FAX: (405) 325-7625
Internet: http://www.ou.edu/cas/deptcomm/
Professors Y. Kim, E. Kramer, D. O’Hair, M. Pfau, A. VanGundy; Associate Professors J. Edy, A. Johnson, C. Rodriguez; Assistant Professors J. Banas, L. Foster, G. Hansen, E. Hsieh, P. Meirick, C. Miller, T. Sandel, K. Wright.
Information on both undergraduate and graduate programs is included. However, the general information contained in this section mainly covers undergraduate study. Please refer to the Graduate College section of this catalog for general information on graduate programs.
The ability to communicate clearly, eloquently, and effectively has been the hallmark of an educated person since the beginning of recorded history. At the University of Oklahoma, the study of communication has been a part of the curriculum since 1896. Offering B.A. degrees starting in 1935, M.A. degrees in 1937, and Ph.D. degrees in 1952, OU’s Department of Communication views communicative behavior as basic to human activity — to individual development, to interpersonal and social relationships, and to the functioning of political, economic, cultural, and social institutions. Through research and theory-building, we seek to interpret how individuals use symbols to understand and act within their environment.
The department’s role as one of the communication discipline’s most prestigious departments in a domain of great pragmatic importance commits us to a multi-level teaching program. Our Ph.D. and M.A. programs seek to place graduates in both academic settings with research and educational responsibilities and in non-academic settings in business and industry. Our undergraduate program seeks to prepare majors for diverse career opportunities, prepare gifted students for advanced work, and develop the communication skills that contribute to the long-term advancement and happiness of all students.
Students acquire meaningful job experience while earning college credit through the Department of Communication’s internship program. The program allows students to apply their communication knowledge in the working world and enhance their college and career opportunities. Students have the option of choosing positions offered through the department’s internship director or arranging for their own internships with the assistance of the internship adviser. The University also provides internship and career counseling through its office of Career Services.
Participation in communication organizations gives students an opportunity to meet others in their major as well as gain increased access to faculty, alumni and other professionals in the field. The Undergraduate Communication Association is open to all communication majors and minors, and Lambda Pi Eta, the department’s honor society, recognizes outstanding students in communication.
The department houses a nationally-recognized speech and debate program. By enrolling in Communication 2111, students can receive up to four credit hours while participating in local, regional and national speech and debate events.
The Department of Communication also includes the Political Communication Center which houses the world’s largest collection of political commercials with more than 100,000 films, videos, and audio recordings representing campaigns ranging from presidential races to city council elections. The commercials, dating back to 1952, make an important contribution to the study of communication and politics. The Center also coordinates research projects on political communication and sponsors conferences that bring together students, scholars, political figures, and media professionals to discuss important topics.
The goal of the undergraduate major program is sharing the best available theories of communication and facilitating the application of these theories for:
The department strives to achieve these objectives through varied coursework designed to prepare students for the variety of careers available to communication graduates, through practical field experiences obtained from an internship program, and through practical experience in other departmental programs.
Graduates from the program are employed in a wide variety of people- oriented careers including management, community leadership, public relations, sales, and organizational and human resource development. Our on-going transition to an information-based society makes the skills of our majors highly valued by employers. As Roger B. Smith, former General Motors Chief Executive, noted: “Everything we do depends on the successful transfer of meaning from one person or group to another. In fact, it’s not much of an exaggeration to say that communication is really what business is all about.”
The undergraduate major requires 36 communication hours including 21 upper-division hours. The undergraduate program of study follows a six-step sequence:
1) COMM 1113, 2613, and a statistics course chosen from 2513, ECON 2843, PSY 2003, or SOC 3123; 2) COMM 2713; 3) COMM 3023 and COMM 3113; 4) four writing/speaking intensive courses (COMM 3003, 3243, 3253, 3263, 3483, 3513, 3523, 3633, 4323) (12 hours); and 5) COMM 4713.
Students are required to make a C or better in COMM 2713, 3023, 3113, and 4713, and each may be repeated only once to attain the required grade. These courses are not available through correspondence or transfer credit. COMM 2513 may fulfill a student’s General Education mathematics requirement; however, if taken to fulfill the math requirement, COMM 2513 cannot be counted as a lower-division communication elective course. The remaining three to six hours of communication coursework depending on the use of COMM 2513, must be taken from other communication elective course offerings.
Students majoring in other programs may complete a minor in communication. The minor consists of a minimum of 21 hours of courses including: (1) 1113; (2) 2713; (3) a minimum of 15 additional hours, of which at least nine must be upper-division level; and (4) 4990 may count for no more than three hours of the minor. At least six hours must be earned in courses acceptable for residence credit by Arts and Sciences standards, that is, excluding transfer, correspondence, and advanced placement examination (AP, CLEP, Advanced Standing) credit. Courses for the minor may not be taken Pass/No Pass.
Social Influence/Interpersonal, Language and Social Interaction, Political/Mass Media, Health, and Intercultural/International are the five areas of specialization for M.A. and Ph.D. students.
In addition to meeting the general requirements of the Graduate College, the students should have completed 15 hours of undergraduate courses in communication and a course in statistics. The department requires a 3.50 grade point average on master’s work for admission in full standing to the Ph.D. program and a 3.00 grade point average on the last 60 hours of undergraduate work for admission to the master’s program. Applicants to the Ph.D. program should submit a composite score of at least 1000 (verbal and quantitative combined) on the Graduate Record Examination. Graduate Record Examinations are not required for M.A. applicants unless they are requesting an assistantship. A writing sample (e.g., thesis or term paper) is also required. Conditional admission may be granted to students with lower grade point averages when other data warrant such admission.
All graduate students are formally evaluated by the entire graduate faculty each year. The Ph.D. program is research-oriented. The student is expected to be continuously involved in research so that throughout the program there is growth in the ability to do creative and independent research.
Two core courses are required: 5013, and either 5003 or 5313. The thesis master’s degree requires 26 hours of coursework and four hours of thesis (5980). A total of 30 hours is required for thesis option, including the two required courses plus thesis and oral examination. The nonthesis master’s degree requires 32 hours including the two required courses plus a comprehensive examination.
Ph.D. students must complete a minimum of 90 hours of coursework beyond the baccalaureate degree. Ph.D. students must complete 19-22 required hours: COMM 5003, 5013, 5313, 6023 (6-9 hours), and 6314 and 32 hours of coursework in a major concentration. Two tools must be COMM 5003 and 5313; the student’s advisory committee determines the remaining research tool (6-9 hours total). Dissertation hours, COMM 6980, are included in the minimum 90 hours. A student must take dissertation credit for a minimum of two hours but not to exceed 15 hours. The Ph.D. student will have an advisory committee of no fewer than five, one of whom must be from outside the Communication Department. This committee may require courses other than the core courses for the student. The Report of the Advisory Conference should be approved and filed by the end of the student’s first year of work. A General Examination preliminary to advancement to candidacy must be successfully completed. During candidacy, the student must complete an acceptable dissertation and the Final Oral Examination. Detailed policies can be found in the Department’s graduate document.