Faculty:  Bruce Swain (Chairperson), P.J. Auter, J.L. Day (Emeritus), A.S. duPr‚, M.A. el Nawawy, R.T. Eubanks (Emeritus), T.V. Groth, A.M. Karimi, E.M. Perrigo, M.D. Saunders, M.E. Steele, T.S. Whitfield; Faculty Associate: J.E. Bowden

Effective communication is vital to the success of any organization in the new millennium and the Department of Communication Arts empowers students to creatively manage professional communication challenges. Graduates learn to use technology, speak effectively, write clearly, question, communicate persuasively, explain, critique, edit, solve problems, innovate, lead, reason, practice ethics, and exceed expectations.

The department prepares students for careers in five areas of specialization. Graduates from the Advertising program, (the nation's only three time national advertising champion) pursue careers with advertising agencies, advertisers and the media in marketing, account management, media, sales, promotion, and creative design. The Journalism specialization prepares students for responsibilities in contemporary news media with roles ranging from reporter to columnist. The Organizational Communication program prepares students to fulfill leadership roles in human resources, event planning, management, and media relations. All Organizational Communication graduates earn Leadership Skills Certification. The Public Relations program (ranked one of the "Top 100 PR Programs in the U.S.") prepares students for communication careers in corporate and organizational settings including health, education, entertainment, sports, and travel. Graduates assume roles ranging from communication director to media specialist to sports promoter. The Telecommunications & Film program teaches students the art and craft of television, radio, film management, and production. Graduate positions range from news anchor to station manager.

Communication Arts students have been recognized by a Resolution by the State of Florida House of Representatives, won the state advertising championship seven times and over 100 ADDY Awards for creative excellence, and won the National Forensic Association national championship. The department provides hands-on experiences including: Nautilus News, The Voyager, professional student organizations, projects, practica, and internships.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
In addition to general University requirements, students seeking the B.A. in Communication Arts must meet the requirements listed below.

A maximum of 6 sh of lower-division course work in communication may be applied to degree requirements. No grade below a "C-" in a communication arts course may be applied toward graduation. Internships for a maximum of 3 sh are available in a variety of settings.

Course descriptions are listed alphabetically by prefix in the back of this catalog.

General Studies (36 sh)
Students should take SPC 2016 to meet the contemporary values and expression component. For additional information see the General Studies section of this catalog.

Common Prerequisites (18 sh)
State mandated common prerequisites must be completed prior to graduation, but are not required for admission to the program.

Lower Division Electives (6-24 sh)
Sufficient 1000/2000 level electives to complete at least 60 semester hours in the lower division. Current UWF students may use elective courses at any level (1000-4999) to meet this elective requirement.

Recommended that these courses be taken at the lower division, since they are required for the degree.

ADVERTISING SPECIALIZATION

Students must complete a minor or its 15 sh equivalent in a field related to the student's career objectives and additional approved 3000/4000 level electives outside communication arts.

Upper Division Electives (0 sh)

JOURNALISM SPECIALIZATION

Major-Related (30-36 sh)
Students must complete a minor or its 15 sh equivalent in a field related to the student's career objectives and additional approved 3000/4000 level electives outside communication arts.

Upper Division Electives (0 sh)

ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION SPECIALIZATION

Upper Division Electives (0 sh)

PUBLIC RELATIONS SPECIALIZATION

Students must complete a minor or its 15 sh equivalent in a field related to the student's career objectives and additional approved 3000/4000 level electives outside communication arts.

Upper Division Electives (0 sh)

TELECOMMUNICATION & FILM SPECIALIZATION

Major-Related (30-33 sh)
Students must complete a minor or its 15 sh equivalent in a field related to the student's career objectives and additional approved 3000/4000 level electives outside communication arts.

Upper Division Electives (0 sh)

MINORS

General Communication (15 sh)
The department offers a Minor in Communication for students from other disciplines in which communication plays a vital role. The minor consists of at least 15 sh of communication arts courses. To fulfill the requirements for the minor, a student must complete 15 sh of the required courses in a program of study (advertising, journalism, organizational communication, public relations, telecommunication and film).

Leadership Communication (15 sh)
The Leadership Communication program promotes leadership communication competencies, self-confidence, ethical character, and service to others. Each course in the program involves a hands-on learning activity which empowers students to apply leadership characteristics in University projects and activities, professional environments, or service-learning work in the community. Students completing the Leadership Communication Minor will also earn their Service Learning Certification.