Communication Studies Minor
A minor in communication studies requires 18 hours of course work in communication studies beyond the General Education requirement, including SCOM 240 , SCOM 240L and a minimum of nine hours at the 300 level and three hours at the 400 level. Before a student begins a minor in communication studies, the school director and the student’s adviser must approve his/her planned program of study.
Admission to the Minor
Admission to JMU does not guarantee admission to a minor in the School of Communication Studies. All students interested in minoring in the program must apply for a limited number of spaces while first completing SCOM 240 and SCOM 240L . In order to register for these classes, students must first declare the SCOM minor online. The School of Communication Studies reviews applications for admission to the minor each semester. Students must submit their applications (which can be accessed from the SCOM website and submitted by email) in the semester in which they are completing the SCOM 240 and SCOM 240L requirements. Applications are due by November 15 (fall semester) and April 15 (spring semester). Students who have applied will be notified of the department’s admission decision at the end of the semester in which they complete the SCOM 240 and SCOM 240L requirements.
Admission to an SCOM minor is based on availability to the most qualified students as determined by performance in SCOM 240 and SCOM 240L .
Students who are not admitted may file one more additional application in the next regular semester. Students reapplying must apply in two consecutive semesters of enrollment at the university. If a student reapplies after retaking SCOM 240 and SCOM 240L (whether repeat or repeat/forgive), the school will look only at their highest grades earned when evaluating their second application.
Successful completion of any minor in the School of Communication Studies requires, at the very least, a minimum of two semesters after a student is fully admitted to the School. Depending upon the student’s particular circumstances and degree progress, more than two semesters may be required for completing the minor. Once admitted to the School of Communication Studies, a student cannot retroactively apply more than nine hours of SCOM courses, including SCOM 240 and SCOM 240L , to his/her minor. Also, once admitted to an SCOM minor, a student cannot automatically transfer into the SCOM major without reapplying in a subsequent semester, and there is no guarantee of acceptance.
