Communication and Media, B.A.

Minimum number of credits required to graduate: 124

Minimum cumulative GPA required to graduate: 2.0

Minimum number of credits to complete the major: 40

School: School of Arts and Sciences

Department: Communication and Media

Learn more about the program

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 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.

Major Requirements

The Communication and Media major requires the completion of a minimum of 40 credits and a minimum of 10 courses, as outlined below:

Core Courses

Complete the following five required courses:

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

Required Elective Courses

Complete five elective courses as follows:

Two COM courses at the 3000 level
Two COM courses at the 4000 level
One additional course focused on communication, identity, and culture (for students enrolled in the major as of fall 2021) at either the 3000 or 4000 level from the following:

COM 3312 - Television Criticism Credits: 4
COM 3355 - Media, Culture and Identity Credits: 4
COM 4100 - Humor and Media Credits: 4
COM 4531 - Intercultural Communication Credits: 4
WGS 2420 - Gender, Sex, and Film Credits: 4
WGS 3420 - Gender, Race, and the Media Credits: 4

Major-Specific Policies

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: COM 2010 Research Inquiry , COM 2401 Introduction to Media , and COM 2801 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.

At the end of each semester, students who fall below the C- threshold in one of 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.