Communication Studies, Associate of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

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, 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 and mass media, as well as electives in specialized fields such as interpersonal and intercultural communications, journalism, public relations, 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.

Graduates are able to:

organize and deliver effective oral presentations
write clearly, coherently and convincingly
recognize and apply basic models of verbal and nonverbal communication
recognize where and how communication breaks down
recognize and analyze the impact of mass media on society
recognize and analyze the communicative power of images, whether in print or on film, video, and television

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 universities. Students who intend to transfer to a NJ college or 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 Sciences or Humanities General Education course.

Curriculum – A.A. Degree

First Semester

ENGL 111 - English Composition I 3 Credits
Humanities 3 Credits ¹
Mathematics 3-4 Credits ^2,3
Foreign Language 3 Credits ⁴
COMM 102 - Introduction to Communication Theory 3 Credits

Second Semester

ENGL 112 - English Composition II 3 Credits
Foreign Language 3 Credits ⁴
Technological Competency 3-4 Credits ³
COMM 101 - Speech 3 Credits
COMM 120 - Introduction to Mass Communication 3 Credits

Third Semester

Science (lab) 4 Credits ³
Social Science 3 Credits ¹
History 3 Credits ¹

COMM 201 - Intercultural Communication 3 Credits
Communication Specialization Elective 3 Credits ⁵

Fourth Semester

Social Science 3 Credits ¹
History 3 Credits ¹
Mathematics or Science 0-4 Credits ^3,6
Communication Specialization Elective 3 Credits ⁵
Free Elective 3 Credits ⁷

Total Credits 60 - 61

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

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

³ Select a course from the appropriate category of the General Education list. For the Math, Science and Technological Competency General Education requirements, students must take a minimum of 12 credits. This must include at least one lab science course, one math course and satisfaction of the technological competency requirement by either passing the technological competency test (no credit) or taking a technological competency general education course. If a student passes the technological competency test, another course must be selected from Math, Science or Technological Competency General Education, so that the student has earned at least 12 credits in those categories.

⁴ 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 .

⁵ Specialization Electives in Communication Studies: ARTS 212 Still Photography I , FILM 101 Art of the Movies: Film Appreciation and Analysis , FILM 122 Survey of American Film , ARTS 267 Introduction to Video Production , COMM 110 Interpersonal Communication , COMM 210 Introduction to Public Relations , COMM 267 Digital Video Production: Narrative & Documentary , COMM 130 Events Planning/Meeting Management ,COMM 292 Communication/Speech Cooperative Education ARTS 261 Light, Optics & Lighting , CISY 114 Interactive Multimedia I , ARTS 278 Advanced Video Editing , COMM 251 Writing for the Media , ARTH 223 History of Photography , COMM 120 Introduction to Mass Communication , COMM 135 Event Production .

⁶ If the student has already completed 12 credits in the Math, Science and Technological Competency categories, the student does not need to take a course here.

⁷ Any college-level course. A Visual and Performing Arts Studio course is recommended.