GOALS OF THE UNDERGRADUATE MAJOR IN
COMMUNICATION ARTS AND SCIENCES

In the broadest terms, the objectives of the undergraduate CAS program are to enable students to understand the principles and ideas that underlie effective communication whatever its setting, and to develop communicative competencies in all settings.

The systematic study of human communication originated in ancient Greece over 2500 years ago.  Since that time, this study has been a central element in the education of young men and women for citizenship and civic involvement, professional competence, and personal development.  The undergraduate major in the department of CAS is grounded in this tradition, and it approaches the study of communication from humanistic/rhetorical and social-scientific/empirical perspectives.

The undergraduate curriculum reflects the following specific goals.

Goal 1:  Students will gain an understanding of multiple theoretical perspectives and diverse intellectual underpinnings in the study of communication.

• Students will complete a theory-based assignment in a required communication course

Goal 2: Students will achieve competence in systematic inquiry (the process of asking questions and systematically attempting to answer them, and understanding the limitations of the conclusions reached.)   

• Students will take the communication research methods course required for the major: CAS 204
• Students will accomplish a major research assignment in a required course.

Goal 3: Students will achieve competency in a communication skill.

• Students will complete CAS 100 with a grade of "C" or better.
• Students will complete one skills course from the menu of 200 level courses with a grade of "C" or better