Info for Students
UnderGRADuate /
Frequent Asked Questions
- What if I was following the old curriculum, what are my options?
- What are the new credit hour requirements for a COMM major?
- What are the changes to the Core courses in COMM?
- What remains the same in the Core courses?
- What about the advanced writing and presentation courses?
- What are the changes to the electives?
- What about the outside concentration?
- What are the changes to the Focus Areas?
- What are the new courses in COMM?
- What COMM courses have been removed or re-numbered?
- Can a student who has taken COMM 117 also take COMM 131? Or what about COMM 320 if they took COMM 220 in Spring 2006?
- I’m a sophomore COMM major. What courses do I take this year?
- I’m a junior COMM major. Do I need to complete the focus area declaration form?
- I’m a senior COMM major. Do I need to complete the focus area declaration form?
- What courses can I transfer from outside of Cornell to the COMM major?
Q: What if I was following the old curriculum, what are my options?
A: You have the choice of following the old or the new curriculum.
Q: What are the new credit hour requirements for a COMM major?
A: The total required credit hours needed to complete a Communication major is 39 (up from 36), not counting outside concentration (12 credit hours)
Q: What are the changes to the Core courses in COMM?
A: New COMM 101 introductory course required of all majors (usual exceptions apply for transfers) in Fall semester freshman yearCOMM 120 is renumbered to COMM 220 and becomes a focus area introductory course
COMM 116 is removed from curriculum
COMM 230 becomes COMM 130 required of all majors (usual exceptions apply for transfers) in Spring semester freshman year
COMM 117 becomes COMM 131 required of all majors (usual exceptions apply for transfers) in Spring semester freshman year
Focus area introductory courses
- Students are now required to complete two of four courses: COMM 220, COMM 245, COMM 276, COMM 285. One must be in student’s chosen focus area.
- To declare focus area, students must achieve B- or higher in their chosen focus area’s introductory course.
Q: What remains the same in the Core courses?
A: COMM 201 and COMM 282 continue to be required of all majors (usual exceptions apply for transfers) during sophomore year (COMM 282 in Fall; COMM 201 in Fall or Spring).
Q: What about the advanced writing and presentation courses?
A: Students must still complete 3 credit hours of advanced writing and presentation courses.
However, these courses are no longer in focus areas and are no longer allowed to count as elective credit.
Q: What are the changes to the electives?
A: Writing and presentation courses, as well as experiential/practicum courses, do not count toward elective credit.
- Meaning, 352 and 301 removed from electives
Students must now complete 9 instead of 6 credit hours of electives at the 300+ level
Courses may come from any focus area, as well as any other 300+ communication course not listed as an exception.
The only exception to the 300+ rule is that students may substitute one additional focus area introductory course for 3 credits.
Q: What about the outside concentration?
A: The outside concentration requirements remain the same.
Q: What are the changes to the Focus Areas?
A: As of Fall 2007, students must formally declare their focus area by September 15th, having first achieved a B- or higher in their chosen focus area’s introductory course (exceptions apply for transfer students who may take focus area introductory course junior year).
If students do not achieve a B- or higher, then they must take another focus area introductory course.
There are no more independent focus areas.
Students’ focus areas will now be formally recognized with certificates at graduation.
CPE becomes CSI (Communication and Social Influence)
- New focus area introductory course added: COMM 276 – Cases in CSI
- Risk Communication added to CSI
- COMM 398 and COMM 476 removed from CSI
- Both 398 and 476 can be taken as electives
- COMM 420 becomes Spring, alt.
- COMM 272 removed from focus area
CILS
- COMM 466 moves to Spring, alt.
- COMM 486 moves to Fall semester
- New course, COMM 456 added to Spring
CMS
- COMM 120 (Contemporary Mass Communication) becomes COMM 220
- COMM 220 (Mass Media and Society) becomes COMM 320
- COMM 349 added (Spring, alt.)
- COMM 420 becomes Spring, alt.
- COMM 421 added (Spring, alt.)
- New course, COMM 429 – Copyright in the Digital Age, added
CIT
- COMM 349 added (Spring, alt.)
- New course, COMM 429 – Copyright in the Digital Age, added
Q: What are the new courses in COMM?
A: COMM 101 – Cases in Communication
COMM 276 – Cases in Communication and Social Influence
COMM 429 – Copyright in the Digital Age
COMM 456 – Community Involvement in Environmental Issues
Q: What COMM courses have been removed or re-numbered?
A: COMM 116 is deleted
COMM 117 becomes COMM 131
COMM 230 becomes COMM 130
COMM 120 becomes COMM 220
COMM 220 becomes COMM 320
Q: Can a student who has taken COMM 117 also take COMM 131? Or what about COMM 320 if they took COMM 220 in Spring 2006?
A: Students cannot take the re-numbered course if they already took it prior to the curriculum change.
Q: I’m a sophomore COMM major. What courses do I take this year?
A: Sophomore COMM majors who completed COMM 120, COMM 116, and COMM 117 their freshman year (2005-2006) should take COMM 201, COMM 282, and COMM 130 (formerly COMM 230) their sophomore year (2006-2007). They should also complete the focus area introductory course in their chosen focus area so that they can declare their focus area in Fall 2007.
Sophomore COMM majors who are transfers to the department in 2006-2007 must follow the new curriculum.
Q: I’m a junior COMM major. Do I need to complete the focus area declaration form?
A: Junior COMM majors should complete a focus area declaration form by September 15th of their Junior year after having completed the focus area introductory course with a B- or above.
Junior COMM majors choosing Communication and Social Influence (CSI) as their focus area (previously known as Communication Planning and Evaluation) do not have to complete COMM 276 – Cases in Communication and Social Influence to declare CSI their focus area. However, they still must complete the previously required 9 hours in the focus area.
Q: I’m a senior COMM major. Do I need to complete the focus area declaration form?
A: Senior COMM majors are not required to complete a focus area declaration form, but they will not receive a supplemental certificate recognizing their focus area if they do not submit a form.
As with Junior COMM majors, senior COMM majors choosing Communication and Social Influence (CSI) as their focus area (previously known as Communication Planning and Evaluation) do not have to complete COMM 276 – Cases in Communication and Social Influence to declare CSI their focus area. However, they still must complete the previously required 9 hours in the focus area.
Q: What courses can I transfer from outside of Cornell to the COMM major?
A: Senior COMM majors are not required to complete Students cannot transfer credits to the Core COMM requirements without approval from their advisor and the current instructor teaching the core course for which substitution is requested.
Students can substitute writing and elective courses after approval from their advisor.
Students cannot transfer outside courses for focus area courses without approval from their advisor and the current instructor teaching the focus area course for which substitution is requested.
