Communication, Bachelor of Science
(Students who plan to transfer a completed Associate's degree should review the Communication Completion Degree information below.)
A Degree for the 21st Century
The Bachelor of Science degree in Communication provides students a choice of two concentrations: Integrated Marketing Communication and Media Communication. This multidisciplinary program draws upon courses from multiple colleges, providing students the expertise needed to develop highly desirable skills from the College of Technology in visual communication, digital publishing, and multimedia design, with classes from the College of Business in marketing and public relations and the College of Art and Sciences in technical and news writing, communication theory, and media studies.
Program Philosophy and Objectives
This career-oriented program is practical in its approach rather than theoretical. It caters to the 21st-century Communications professional. It serves the new or veteran Communication practitioner and satisfies the Wilmington University mission by offering real-life skills that stimulate competitiveness in the variety of communication skills. The Communication courses are taught by highly qualified faculty who are practitioners in the field. By utilizing the rich experience of actual communication practitioners, students are prepared to begin or continue their careers.
Students entering the degree program with a work background in a communication field may be considered for competency-based credit. Students new to the communication world have the advantage of earning college credit while working through our work-integrated learning program.
Graduates of a Communication degree may find jobs in Advertising, Broadcasting, Print, Digital Media, Public Relations, Public Service, and more.
Students can specialize in either:
Integrated Marketing Concentration
Integrating Marketing Communication (IMC) is the crafting of recognizable and memorable marketing, advertising, and public relations messages using multiple media formats. The goal is to create a “brand” that is seamless to the customer. Whether the customer is being exposed to the message through print, broadcast, or digital formats, the professional strives to create a brand that is unforgettable. The Integrated Marketing objective is to have all of the various modes connect, both visually and logically, in a way that serves both the customer and the business. Students in the IMC concentration study and produce marketing, advertising, and public relations plans, presentations, and reports to help them compete in the 21st century marketplace.
Media Communication Concentration
Media Communication (MC) is a large and dynamic work arena where messages are created by professionals on behalf of an organization to efficiently and ethically deliver information to a target audience. Professionals in this field have strong strategic thinking and persuasive skills and are successful in disseminating information to an audience using a combination of information delivery formats, including print, broadcast, and digital. Media communication provides a two-way interactive relationship between the consumer and the information provider. Professionals also know how to monitor an audience’s response in order to maintain a positive connection with that audience. Students in the Media Communication concentration sharpen their skills through practical experience inside and outside the classroom in preparation for an exciting and competitive 21st century job market.
Program Competencies
In addition to the University’s undergraduate graduation competencies, students will demonstrate knowledge, skills, and abilities related to:
Hi-Tech Literacy
Use technology to effectively locate and communicate information.
Social Responsibility
Demonstrate an increase in personal commitment to, and understanding of, one's role in a global society.
Integrated Marketing Communication (Competencies for IMC concentration only)
Demonstrate and apply the basic elements of the communication process and the role of communications in marketing.
Communicate information in a logical and grammatical manner to meet requirements of various industry and marketing communities.
Media Communication (Competencies for MC concentration only)
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the influence and impact of visual images, such as logos, ads, and design/visual elements of film, television, and the Internet.
Demonstrate and apply knowledge in current industry standards and technologies of the web, video, and imagery.
Curriculum
General Education Requirements (39 credits)
A minimum passing grade of "C" is required for ENG 121, ENG 122, ENG 131, MAT 205.
Natural Science Elective: (excluding SCI 308)
Communication Core (36 credits)
Communication core courses require a minimum passing grade of a "C."
Select one of the following two concentrations:
Integrated Marketing Concentration (27 credits)
Integrated Marketing Concentration courses require a minimum passing grade of a "C."
COM 400 (6-15 credits): COM 402, COM 403, COM 404, COM 405 are each assigned a 3-credit value. Students are required to complete a minimum of 6 credit hours for the co-op. (Example: Students register for COM 400 and COM 402 to equal 6 credits.) Additional courses in the series could potentially total 15 credit hours.
Electives (18 credits)
Additional course work as needed to meet 120 credits for graduation.
Media Communication Concentration (27 credits)
Media Communication Concentration courses require a minimum passing grade of a "C."
COM 400 (6-15 credits): COM 402, COM 403, COM 404, COM 405 are each assigned a 3-credit value. Students are required to complete a minimum of 6 credit hours for the co-op. (Example: Students register for COM 400 and COM 402 to equal 6 credits.) Additional courses in the series could potentially total 15 credit hours.
Electives (18 credits)
Additional course work as needed to meet 120 credits for graduation.
Suggested Course Sequence for Integrated Marketing Concentration
Freshman
Semester 1
Semester 2
| DSN 121 | Digital Publishing | 3 |
| ENG 122 | English Composition II | 3 |
| HUM 381/HIS 381 | Contemporary Global Issues | 3 |
| PSY 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
SCI
| Natural Science Elective | 3 or 4 credits |
Sophomore
Semester 1
Semester 2
Junior
Semester 1
Semester 2
Senior
Semester 1
COM 400: Students with professional or work-related experience may be considered for an alternative to meet the 6-credit minimum Co-op requirement.
Semester 2
Additional course work as needed to meet 120 credits for graduation.
Suggested Course Sequence for Media Communications Concentration
Freshman
Semester 1
Semester 2
| DSN 121 | Digital Publishing | 3 |
| ENG 122 | English Composition II | 3 |
| HUM 381/HIS 381 | Contemporary Global Issues | 3 |
| PSY 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
SCI
| Natural Science Elective | 3 or 4 credits |
Sophomore
Semester 1
Semester 2
Junior
Semester 1
| COM 310 | Legal Aspects of Communication | 3 |
| COM 314 | Technical Communications and Project Management | 3 |
| COM 332 | Managing Crisis Communications | 3 |
| COM 431 | Media and Society | 3 |
| DSN 320 | Web Page Design | 3 |
Semester 2
| COM 344 | Writing and Reporting for the News Media | 3 |
| DSN 401 | Publication Design | 3 |
| GMD 105 | Video and Audio for Game Design | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
Senior
Semester 1
COM 400: Students with professional or work-related experience may be considered for an alternative to meet the 6-credit minimum Co-op requirement.
Semester 2
Additional course work as needed to meet 120 credits for graduation.
Communication, Bachelor of Science Completion Degree
What is a Completion Degree?
A completion degree is a personalized version of a bachelor's degree created exclusively for students who have completed an associate's degree at an accredited institution. (Students who have not completed an associate's degree should return to the full Communication, Bachelor of Science degree information.) Completion degrees are available for most Wilmington University Bachelor of Science degrees. A student who expects to transfer a completed associate's degree should communicate with a Wilmington University academic advisor before registering for courses. A transcript with documentation of the conferred degree must be received by Wilmington University to confirm eligibility.
Communication - Integrated Marketing Concentration Completion Degree Requirements
Core courses in the completion degree require a minimum passing grade of a "C."
Additional course work as needed to meet 120 credits for graduation.
The following courses or their equivalents are pre-requisites for the Communication - Integrated Marketing Concentration completion degree. If you have transfer credits that do not include equivalents to the classes below, you are expected to complete them prior to taking the core course for which they are pre-requisites:
ENG 121 English Composition I
ENG 122 English Composition II
COM 250 Technical Writing (pre-req for COM 314)
COM 300 Communication Theory (pre-req for COM 332)
MAT 205 Intro Survey of Math (pre-req for MAT 308)
BMK 305 Marketing (pre-req for most BMK courses)
Students who do not have transfer equivalents for the following courses and need additional classes to meet the 120 credit requirement are strongly encouraged to add the following courses to reach 120 credits:
DSN 121 Digital Publishing
DSN 210 Digital Image Manipulation
COM 431 Media & Society
DSN 105 Visual Communications
Additional suggested electives: BMK 407, DSN 325, GMD 105, and BMK or DSN courses.
Communication - Media Communication Concentration Completion Degree Requirements
Core courses in the completion degree require a minimum passing grade of a "C."
Additional course work as needed to meet 120 credits for graduation.
Students with transfer credits equivalent to DSN 121 will take DSN 401 instead.
The following courses or their equivalents are pre-requisites for the Communication - Media Communication Concentration completion degree. If you have transfer credits that do not include equivalents to the classes below, you are expected to complete them prior to taking the core course for which they are pre-requisites:
ENG 121 English Composition I
ENG 122 English Composition II
COM 250 Technical Writing (pre-req for COM 314)
COM 300 Communication Theory (pre-req for COM 332)
MAT 205 Intro Survey of Math (pre-req for MAT 308)
BMK 305 Marketing (pre-req for most BMK courses)
Students that do not have the transfer equivalents for the courses below and need additional classes to meet the 120 credit requirement are strongly encouraged to add the following courses, as needed, to reach 120 credits:
COM 431 Media & Society
DSN 105 Visual Communications
Additional suggested electives: BMK 407, DSN 325, and other BMK or DSN courses.