Communication and Media, B.A.

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The study of Communication at Merrimack provides students with an interdisciplinary approach to human interaction. The Communication and Media major examines verbal and nonverbal messages as they shape and are shaped by relationships, organizations, and media. Our program at Merrimack explores practices, processes, and contexts in which communication occurs. Communication and Media courses provide students with opportunities to examine the theories and research used to develop the discipline as well as the skills and knowledge to meet the complex communication challenges of the 21st century.

According to a national survey of employers, communication is the most important skill sought when hiring and promoting. Our goal is to develop sophisticated producers and consumers of communication who understand how face-to-face and mediated messages influence and shape daily life and public opinion. Students graduating from the program are able to critically analyze oral, written, and visual communication.

Communication and Media Grade Minimum Policy

Students who declare a Communication and Media major are conditionally accepted into the program. In order to stay in the major and graduate with a B.A. in Communication and Media from Merrimack College, students must earn at least a C- in three foundational communication courses, those three courses are: COM2010: Research Inquiry; COM2401: Introduction to Media; COM2801: Introduction to Communication. Students will be required to retake any of these aforementioned courses until they get a C- or better; students are allowed to retake a class as many times as needed in order to get the requisite grade. This grade minimum requirement does not apply to students minoring in Communication and Media, only to those majoring in the program.

Students majoring in Communication and Media will be asked to sign a notification letter that acknowledges they are aware of this grade minimum policy when they declare the major or at their first advising appointment. At the end of each semester, students who fall below the C- threshold in one the above courses will be notified by the Communication and Media Department to clarify that they will need to retake the course. At the same time, the student’s advisor in Communication and Media will also be notified of the need for the student to retake a given course. Advisors will initiate discussions with students who have repeatedly failed to earn a C- in these classes about their options: Students can continue retaking the class or they can decide to switch to a Communication and Media minor, wherein the grade minimum policy does not apply.

Major Requirements

This bachelor’s degree program requires a minimum of 124 credits. As part of the overall 124 credit minimum, the Communication and Media major requires the completion of a minimum of 38 credits and a minimum of ten (10) courses, as outlined below:

COM 1020 - Public Communication Credits: 4
COM 2010 - Research Inquiry Credits: 4
COM 2401 - Introduction to Media Credits: 4
COM 2801 - Introduction to Communication Credits: 4
COM 4900 - Senior Seminar Credits: 4

Additional Communications and Media courses

Five (5) additional Communication and Media courses are also required. Two (2) must be praxis courses and two (2) must be theory courses. The fifth class is an open elective at the praxis or theory level. Praxis courses are typically indicated by a 3000 level course number. For example, COM3422, Introduction to Television Production, would count as a praxis course. Theory courses are typically indicated by a 4000 level course number. For example, COM4510, Persuasion and Social Influence, would count as a theory course.