The Department of Communication offers a major which seeks to produce theoretically informed graduates with the necessary practical and analytical skills for successful professional careers, including the ability to: think critically and express ideas clearly and creatively; perform close textual analysis of various forms of communication (written, visual, nonverbal); analyze historical and contemporary forces behind cultural identities and relationships; and, finally, analyze the structures and institutions that inform the relationship between media, technology and society. The major consists of ten courses with a minimum of 30 credits.

Students pursuing this bachelor’s degree must earn a minimum of 30 credit hours in the Newcomb-Tulane College core curriculum, 120 credit hours in their degree and a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.000. More information on degree and core curriculum requirements can be found here.

See Sample Plan of Study below.

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Course List

Course ID	Title	Credits
Introductory Courses		3
One introductory course at the 1000 level
COMM 1150 Introduction to Cinema
COMM 1250 Introduction to Television
COMM 1350 Introduction to Cultural Studies
COMM 1450 Introduction to Global Media
COMM 1550 Introduction to New Media and Internet Studies
COMM 1650 Introduction to Media Studies
Required Core Courses 1		9
Identities and Relationships:
COMM 3130	Topics in Media & Comm Cultures Analysis This new course is expected to be offered in Spring 2027.
Texts and Representation. Select one of the following:
COMM 3150	Film Analysis
COMM 3250	Rhetorical Analysis
COMM 3350	New Media Analysis
Structures and Institutions. Select one of the following:
COMM 3260	Media Industry Analysis
COMM 3160	Technology Analysis
Select six elective courses in consultation with the Communication advisor 2		18
Total Credit Hours		30

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Core Courses: Majors must complete three core courses, one in each area of the curriculum, preferably by the end of junior year. Students who have an overall GPA of less than 2.50 when they declare the major must complete a 1000 or 2000 level course with a grade of C- or better before they will be able to enroll in a core course. 

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Electives: Of the six electives, two (2) must be completed at the 3000 level or above and two (2) must be completed at the 4000 level or above. The remaining two (2) must be completed at the 2000 level or higher. If students take two courses in one core area (i.e. two courses in texts and representations), the second course counts towards an elective.

Transfer Credits: Students should be aware that they can take only two of the six electives for the Communication Major outside of the department. This limit includes credit transfers from other institutions in the US and from study abroad courses. Introductory courses (COMM 1150, COMM 1250, COMM 1350, COMM 1450 COMM 1550, or COMM 1650) and core courses (COMM 3130, COMM 3140, COMM 3150, COMM 3160, COMM 3250, COMM 3260, or COMM 3350) cannot be taken outside of Tulane University's Department of Communication. Majors planning to study abroad should seek departmental advice as early as possible.

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Sample Plan of Study

This example plan of study for the BA in Communications represents a fall semester start and encompasses all program requirements. Students are responsible for reviewing university, school, and program requirements, along with prerequisites and the sequencing of courses in coordination with their academic and major advisors.

Plan of Study Grid

Year 1
Fall		Credit Hours
Select one introductory COMM elective at 1000-level		3
NTC Core and General Elective		13
	Credit Hours	16
Spring
Select one COMM elective at any level		3
NTC Core and General Elective		12
	Credit Hours	15
Year 2
Fall
Select one Communication Core Course		3
NTC Core and General Elective		12
	Credit Hours	15
Spring
Select one COMM elective at any level		3
NTC Core and General Elective		12
	Credit Hours	15
Year 3
Fall
Select one Communication Core Course		3-4
Select one COMM elective at 3000-level or above		3
NTC Core and General Electives		10
	Credit Hours	16-17
Spring
Select one Communication Core Course		3
Select one COMM elective at 3000-level or above		3
NTC Core and General Elective		10
	Credit Hours	16
Year 4
Fall
Select one COMM elective at 4000-level or above		3
NTC Core and General Elective		12
	Credit Hours	15
Spring
Select one COMM elective at 4000-level or above		3
NTC Core and General Elective		9
	Credit Hours	12
	Total Credit Hours	120-121

^{Program String and Field of Study: LABA_UG, COMM}

For more information, contact the School of Liberal Arts.