Undergraduate
FAQ
You can declare the Communication major two ways. The first way would be to make an appointment with a Communication advisor and declare the major during your appointment. You can see advisors’ availability through the “Advisor Appointments” section under the “Learning and Teaching Tools” tab in your myUSF.
The second way to declare the major would be to fill out this form through the College of Arts and Sciences website. The change is usually processed within 24-48 business hours.
You can declare the Communication minor by making an appointment with a Communication advisor and declaring the minor during your appointment. You can see advisors’ availability through the “Advisor Appointments” section under the “Learning and Teaching Tools” tab in your myUSF.
Yes, there is a foreign language exit requirement for the Bachelor of Arts in Communication. This requirement can be satisfied by the one of the following:
- Two semesters of the same foreign language (e.g., SPN 1120 and SPN 1121) or sign language for some majors with no less than a "D" in the first semester and no less than a "C" in the second semester. "S" or "P" grades may not be used.
- Completion of the second semester or higher of a foreign language with no less than a "C". (The first semester was not taken because of placement).
- Successfully passing the USF language placement test by placing into the third course or higher.
- Subject CLEP credit for two semesters.
- AP Credit for two semesters.
If you are fluent in German, French, or Spanish, you have the option of taking the CLEP exam and, depending on your score, satisfy the foreign language requirement. You can sign up with Testing Services to take the exam on campus.
If you are fluent in any other foreign languages and would like to test out of this requirement, you can contact the World Languages department to schedule a placement test.
If you successfully completed an AP or CLEP exam in the past, make sure to contact College Board and send an official copy of your scores to USF’s Admissions Office.
If you successfully completed an IB exam in the past, make sure to contact IBO and send an official copy of your scores to USF’s Admissions Office.
If you’ve completed any other exams that you think may help waive this requirement, check out this link to see what your score is equivalent to at USF.
No, our major does not have any pre-requisites or GPA requirements. If you are admitted to USF, you are welcome to declare the Communication major. We are not a limited access program.
If you are planning to transfer to USF in the future, we suggest that you take Public Speaking (SPC 2608) prior to transferring. If you have the room, you can also take care of your foreign language requirement prior to transferring. Make sure to verify that these language courses are transferrable prior to enrolling in them!
No, our classes are not sequenced so you may take our classes in the order convenient for your schedule. The only exception to this is our Communication Senior Capstone (COM 4958). This is a professional portfolio course, which requires completion of the other required core Communication classes (SPC 2608, COM 2000, SPC 3301, SPC 3544, and ORI 3004) prior to enrollment.
No, the Communication major is only offered at the Tampa campus.
Yes, we do offer some online and evening courses. IMPORTANT: we are NOT a fully online major so you will be required to come to campus for some of your major classes.
Law schools choose students from all academic majors as they are more focused on your GPA, LSAT score, campus involvement, internship experience, and so on. It’s recommended that you choose a major in which you excel so you can earn the highest GPA possible.
With that being said, the Communication major does offer an array of courses that will prepare you for law school and your legal career. Courses like Argumentation and Debate, Persuasion and Media, and Communication as a Performance are just a few examples of classes focused on refining your public speaking skills and ability to read individuals’ nonverbal communication.
If you are interested in pursuing law school, make sure to e-mail prelawadvise@usf.edu with your name and U number so you can be added to the pre-law Canvas group. You can also keep up with pre-law events by following Pre-Law Advising on BullsConnect.
Yes, you can major in Communication and still go to medical school or another health science related master’s program (e.g. speech therapy, physical therapy, public health) after graduation. Since you major is so short, most students have enough electives to use towards pre-requisites for these programs. Our department also offers classes focused on health communication, which are great options for students looking in these careers.
If you are interested in pursuing medical school or another health science related career, make sure to meet with the Health Professions advisors to discuss pre-requisite courses, career planning, and more!
Your first step will be to re-apply to the university through the Admissions website by the deadline for the semester in which you plan to return. If you are readmitted to the university, then an “AR” hold will be placed on your account before you can register for classes. If you haven’t already met with an advisor, you’ll be required to meet with one to have this hold removed and to discuss your graduation plan.
If you were on academic probation when you left the university and were academically dismissed, you’ll need to submit a petition through the College of Arts and Sciences Academic Regulations Committee as well as submit an application on the Admissions website. You can visit this link to learn more about this petition, you can visit this link. You will be required to meet with an academic advisor for your intended major as part of this process.
You can find your registration date and time each semester in the “Student” tab in OASIS. Once you click on “Student”, you can click “Registration” and then “Registration Status”. Remember, you won’t be able to register for classes until that assigned date and time.
You can check for holds on your account in the “Student” tab of your OASIS. Once you click on “Student”, click on “Student Records” and then “View holds”. You’ll be able to see what holds you have on your account and how to get them removed.
Academic probation is when your USF GPA falls below a 2.0. While you’re on probation, you’ll be required to meet with your academic advisor each semester to have that hold removed. To avoid getting dismissed from the university, you’ll need to earn a 2.0 term GPA each semester and not completely withdraw from all of your courses so make sure you plan out a balanced schedule with your academic advisor.
IT holds are placed on students’ accounts who haven’t completed the Academic Integrity Tutorial in their Canvas. Every new student at USF must complete this tutorial in their first semester before they will be allowed to register for the next semester. Failure to do so will result in a registration hold being placed on your account.
To have the hold removed, complete the tutorial by visiting your Canvas and clicking “All Courses”. The tutorial should appear in that section. This tutorial has five modules and you’ll need to complete every module. At the end of the 5th module, there will be a button to click to remove your hold. Once that button is clicked, your hold will be removed.
CC holds are placed on students who owe a balance to the university. To have this hold removed, you’ll need to speak with our Cashier’s Office. They can be contacted at this link.
Advisors are not allowed to override a closed class without an instructor’s written consent. If the professors approves your override into a closed class, please have the instructor e-mail communicationadvise@usf.edu with your name, U number, and a statement of their approval for this override. One of the advisors will then contact you via e-mail when your override has been processed.
If you need a permit for a Communication class due to a pre-requisite/test score error, please e-mail communicationadvise@usf.edu with your name, U number, and course that you want to add to your schedule. If it is not a Communication class, then you’ll need to contact the advisors for the department housing that class.
Yes, some language courses require a permit in order to enroll (e.g. Spanish, French). To get a permit for language courses, please visit this link.
Yes, Lambda Pi Eta is the national honor society for Communication majors. To be eligible to apply, students must have at least 60 total credit hours with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Additionally, you need to have completed at least 12 credit hours of Communication classes with a GPA of 3.5 or better. You can turn in the application to Dr. Navita James’ mailbox in CIS 3057.
While there isn’t a specific club for Communication majors, there’s lots of great clubs and organizations for you to join that are related to Communication! Historically, our Communication majors have been very involved with the following organizations:
- PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America)
- Advertising Club
- Online News Association
- KnoBull PR
- Toastmasters
- HR Club
- Ethics and Debate Club
- Her Campus
All of these organizations and clubs can be found on BullSync under the My Resources tab in myUSF.
No, we do not have an internship requirement for this major. While we do not require an internship for this major, we strongly encourage our students to complete at least 2-3 internships before graduating from USF. Networking and experience is pivotal in your next step after graduation!
There are many different ways to look for internships and jobs within our field. Our Career Services Office at USF is staffed with great career consultants that can help you with your resume and cover letters. To make an appointment with a career counselor, visit this link.
Career Services also posts internships through their Handshake website. You can access Handshake under your myUSF.
Make sure you are also checking our Communication Majors Canvas page! We post lots of internships and job opportunities through that site, too.
Networking is also a great way to find internships and job opportunities so make sure to join our Department of Communication LinkedIn group! You can network with our professors, alumni, and current students and see where they have worked. Join the group by clicking this link.
Our department does not offer internship credit that can be applied to your Communication major or minor. If you’d like to receive internship credit, you will need to speak with Career Services to see if your internship would qualify.
Due to the broad nature of our field, there are many different career options for Communication majors. Our Communication classes teach you how to be an effective communicator and how to apply those communication skills in your professional and personal lives. Our students have carried these great skills into many different career paths. Here is just a brief list of jobs held by our alumni:
- HR manager
- Lawyer
- Newspaper publisher
- Management consultant
- Publicist
- Recruiter
- Events coordinator
- T.V. producer
- News anchor
- Marketing Manager
- Public relations manager
- Sports broadcaster
- Social media manager
- Teacher
- Counselor
- Professor
- Customer service representative
- Entrepreneur
- Real estate agent
- Property manager
- …and many more!