Political Communication Minor
Coordinator: Valerie A. Sulfaro
Email: sulfarva@jmu.edu
Phone: (540) 568-3997
Political Communication Minor Website
Program Description
The program in political communication is designed for those students wishing to supplement their major programs with an emphasis on communication skills, knowledge and abilities specifically relevant to participation in political environments.
Minor Requirements
All students must complete 25-26 credit hours for the minor. Students must complete a core set of courses, an internship in the field of political communication and a selection of electives. No course substitution will be permitted for any required course.
All political communication minors are required to take a PCOM internship in the Department of Political Science or the Department of Communication Studies. Before enrolling for a PCOM internship, students should have attained junior status, completed the PCOM core requirements and taken at least one upper level PCOM course. Some academic units may have additional prerequisites for their internship course. All SCOM majors with a minor in PCOM are required to take SCOM 495 for their PCOM internship requirement (and to have met the prerequisites for this course). POSC, INTA and PPA majors minoring in PCOM must complete POSC 493 to fulfill the internship requirement. All other majors may take either POSC 493 or SCOM 495 as a means of satisfying their internship. Before pursuing any internship, students must consult with the PCOM coordinator to ensure that the internship is suitable for the minor. All internships must incorporate political science and communication content.
SMAD majors may double count POSC 472/SCOM 472/SMAD 472 for the SMAD major and the PCOM minor.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| POSC 225 | U.S. Government [C4AE] | 4 |
| POSC/SCOM/SMAD 472 | Media and Politics | 3 |
| SCOM 353 | American Political Culture and Communication | 3 |
| Subtotal | 10 | |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| American Political Campaigning 1 | ||
| Elections and Voting Behavior 1 | ||
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| Communication and Social Movements 2 | ||
| Political Campaign Communication 2 | ||
| Choose two of the following: | 6 | |
| Politics and Film | ||
| Social Movements in the U.S. and Abroad | ||
| Political Behavior | ||
| Political Parties in America | ||
| Interest Groups, Lobbying and Public Policy | ||
| The Role of Religion in American Politics | ||
| Women and Politics in Comparative Perspective | ||
| Minority Group Politics | ||
| The U.S. Congress | ||
| The Appellate Process and Practice | ||
| Argument and Advocacy | ||
| Free Speech in America | ||
| Environmental Communication and Advocacy | ||
| Feminist Rhetorics | ||
| Legal Communication | ||
| Internship Requirement | ||
| POSC 493 | Political Communication Internship 3 | 3-4 |
| or SCOM 495 | Internship in Communication Studies | |
| Total Credits | 25-26 | |
- 1
If both POSC 365 and POSC 369 are taken, one may be counted as an elective.
- 2
If both SCOM 352 and SCOM 453 are taken, one may be counted as an elective.
- 3
POSC, PPA and INTA majors must take POSC 493 for 4 credits. SCOM majors must take SCOM 495 for 3 credits. All other majors must take either POSC 493 or SCOM 495 for 3-4 credits.