Useful Information
For additional Information Contact Dr. Brian R. Patterson

There are a number of "strategic planning" concerns that Communication Studies majors need to be concerned with. This page contains a number of them. Keep in mind, that any mistake made now will be completely painless in the short run. No one will come after you to tell you that a scheduling error has been made. You won't find out that you've even made a mistake until that fateful day when you go to the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences and ask that they approve you for graduation and they don't. So, here are a few of the common traps, pitfalls, and goofs that await you.

Remember...
1.) You need a minimum of 128 hours total to graduate.

2.) You need a minimum of 36 hours (24 in COMM) after you have been admitted to the department. If you are admitted as a major after the first day of classes in a given semester, that semester does NOT count towards the "hours after admission to the major" clause. Submit you application during the semester in which you will complete the department requirements so that when that semester ends, you can be processed for admission during the break between semesters.

3.) You may count a maximum of 42 hours from any one department (eg., Communication Studies) toward the 128 required for graduation. Thus, if you complete more than six (6) hours of teaching practicum (COMM 490), directed study (COMM 492) or other courses not counted toward the 36 COMM hours on your track, you will need more than 128 hours to graduate. COMM 491 (internship) may be counted above the 42 hour maximum. Please note, there are a great many graduates with more than 128 hours.

4.) You must earn at least a grade of "C" in any COMM course you intend to count toward meeting a departmental requirement. You must also maintain a GPA of 2.5 across all COMM coursework to qualify for graduation.

5.) Often courses required for your major are offered at the same time of day. COMM 405, 408, 404, and 202 are often at the same time of day. This is why the department stresses the advice that majors should plan on allowing at least FOUR SEMESTERS AFTER ADMISSION TO THE MAJOR to complete graduation requirements. Many upper division COMM courses are restricted to majors only and you cannot register for them until after you have benn admitted. This is why it is in your best interests to complete the admission requirements and apply for admission to the major by your sophomore year. If you are moving in toward junior status and have not been admitted to the major, it would be wise to get the non-COMM requirements for your intended program completed before admission so that you don't experience scheduling conflicts.

6.) Watch your priority registration dates! Don't miss them!!!! Freshman: 1-28 hours; Sophomore: 29-58 hours; Junior: 59-88 hours; Senior: 89+hours

7.) Permission to register for an overload (more than 19 hours in a semester) will not be granted unless you have a GPA of 3.0. Requests to take a required COMM course at another institution and have it accepted in transfer are generally not approved.

8.) Work closely with your advisor--but remember, you are the one who is ultimately in charge of your life and future. Be an educated consumer. Know what is required and keep track of your own progress toward graduation.

NOTE: There are other University and College requirements and rules that may affect your choices as you progress toward graduation. For example, there are limits on the number of ROTC hours that can count toward graduation, limits on taking courses Pass/Fail, restrictions on repeating courses, University policies on absences and missing final exams, and so forth. It may not be exciting reading, but it is essential that you become aware of the contents of the WVU Undergraduate Catalog. You should pay particular attention to the one that was issued to you when you first came to WVU. If push comes to shove and your trying to graduate, if it's in the catalog, it is assumed that you know it...so know it!

Don't despair...
There are also a number of convenient overlaps in terms of scheduling and getting through your degree program. At this point you need to know something about the University's Liberal Studies Program (LSP requirements) as well as the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences requirements. The following section shows how you can use COMM courses or major requirements to meet the WVU and or college requirements.

University Requirements
Writing (W) course: COMM 405, 408.
Math course: STAT 211.
Cluster A (Humanities and Fine Arts): COMM 305.
Cluster B (Behavioral Sciences): COMM 102, 104, 105, 308, 306, 212, 316, 317, 404.
Cluster C (Natural Sciences and Mathematics): 211.
Culture/Gender Studies: COMM 212, 316. Note: these can be counted under Cluster B and here.

College Requirements
Fine Arts: COMM 305. Note: this can only be counted as either a Cluster A or here. It cannot count for both.
Culture Studies: COMM 316. Note: this one can be counted in all three places for Cluster B, Culture/Gender Studies, and Culture Studies.