Communication Studies, Associate of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts

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Communication Studies, an option of the Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts degree program, prepares students to transfer into the junior year at four-year colleges in speech communication, communication studies, media production, and journalism. It also prepares students for entry-level jobs in some communication fields such as video production, journalism, and media communication. This program includes required courses in speech, communication theory, intercultural communication and mass media, as well as electives in specialized fields such as interpersonal communication, journalism, public relations, social media, film studies, and video production. At the same time, this program offers students a solid liberal arts education.

Communication students are encouraged to pursue an experiential component in their studies by participating in a co-op, internship, or service-learning project in a communication field.

*Students also have an opportunity to earn a certificate in one of the following areas (if they choose to take electives and specializations that align with the Communication Studies degree): Social Media Specialist, Event Planning/Meeting management, and Digital Video Production.

Graduates are able to:

organize and deliver effective oral presentations
identify and apply basic models of verbal and nonverbal communication to various communication contexts
identify and analyze the impact of mass media on society and self
use communication theory to analyze communication situations within and across cultures

Raritan Valley Community College Associate of Arts (AA) and Associate of Science (AS) degree programs are designed to comply with the New Jersey Community Colleges General Education Foundation which supports transfer of courses to NJ Public four-year colleges and university can further improve the transfer of courses by using the Recommended Transfer Program (RTP) feature in NJTransfer.org

NOTE: Students considering transfer to Rutgers University should choose a Global & Cultural Awareness (GCA) General Education course not replicated elsewhere in their curriculum. Students who have already fulfilled the GCA requirement for their Associates of Arts (AA) degree should select an additional Social Science or Humanities General Education Course.

Curriculum – A.A. Degree

First Semester

ENGL 111 - English Composition I 3 Credits
Humanities 3 Credits ¹
Mathematics 3 Credits ¹, ²
Foreign Language 3 Credits ³
COMM 102 - Introduction to Communication Theory 3 Credits

Second Semester

ENGL 112 - English Composition II 3 Credits
Foreign Language 3 Credits ³
COMM 101 - Speech 3 Credits
COMM 120 - Introduction to Mass Communication 3 Credits
COMM 125 - Media Literacy and New Technology 2 Credits

Third Semester

Science (lab) 4 Credits ^1,⁵
Social Science 3 Credits ¹
History 3 Credits ¹

COMM 201 - Intercultural Communication 3 Credits
Communication Specialization Elective 3 Credits ⁴

Fourth Semester

Social Science 3 Credits ¹
Communication Specialization Elective 3 Credits ⁴
Communication Specialization Elective 3 Credits ⁴
Free Elective 3 Credits ⁶
Free Elective 3 Credits ⁶

Total Credits 60

¹ Select a course from the appropriate category of the General Education list.

² Mathematics by official placement. Students may not take courses below placement level except by permission of department chair.

³ A two-semester sequence is required. Placement by examination is required for students who wish to continue studying a language previously studied. Students may not take courses below their placement level. For more information, see Foreign Language Placement & Degree Requirements .

⁴ Specialization Electives in Communication Studies: COMM 110 Interpersonal Communication , COMM 115 Organizational and Technical Communication , COMM 130 Events Planning/Meeting Management , COMM 135 Event Production , COMM 150 Writing for the Media , COMM 160 Social Media Theory , COMM 202 Social Media Production , COMM 203 Presentational and Professional Speaking , COMM 250 Screenwriting , COMM 292 Communication/Speech Cooperative Education , FILM 101 Art of the Movies: Film Appreciation and Analysis , FILM 122 Survey of American Film , FILM 261 Light, Optics & Lighting , FILM 266 Introduction to Video Production-Aesthetics , FILM 267 Digital Video Production: Narrative & Documentary , FILM 278 Advanced Video Editing .

⁵ Students are advised to select from the following one-semester Science courses: BIOL 111 Principles of Biology , BIOL 120 Human Biology , BIOL 150 Plants, Humans & the Environment , CHEM 102 Introduction to Chemistry , GEOL 157 Introduction to Geology , PHYS 112 Concepts of Physics , PHYS 130 Astronomy .

⁶ Any college-level course. A course that meets the certificate outcomes for Social Media Specialist, Event Planning/Meeting Management, and Digital Video Production is recommended.