Degree Requirements
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What does ARR stand for?
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Academic Requirements Report
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What information is included on the ARR?
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Gen Ed requirements, College requirements, Major(s) requirements
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How many credits does a student need to graduate?
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120 credits (dual degree students need 150)
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What are the 5 Comm Intro courses?
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1. Comm 118: Intro to Interpersonal Communication and Culture 2. Comm 121: Intro to Media and Culture 3. Comm 122: 4. Comm 125: Intro to Rhetoric and Performance Studies 5. Comm 140: Intro to Film Studies
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How many Intro Comm courses does a Comm major need to graduate
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3 (you need 2 to apply to the major, but 3 to graduate as a Comm major)
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How many Comm credits do Comm majors need at the 400 or above level?
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Comm majors need 6 credits at the 400 level or above
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What does IE stand for?
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Integrative Experience course
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True or False? A student with a double major needs an IE course in both the primary and secondary major
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False: students must take one IE course in their PRIMARY major
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True or False? All new Comm majors must take Comm 101.
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False: only Fall Direct Admit first year Comm majors take Comm 101. On-campus transfers DO NOT take Comm 101. Spring Direct Admit Comm majors do not take Comm 101.
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Who must complete the Global Education Requirement?
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All students with a primary (or only) major in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS). Also, any student with a Dual Degree in Communication and another major.
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What college does the Department of Communication belong to?
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College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS)
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What are the requirements to minor in Communication?
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Sorry...trick question! There is no minor in Communication.
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What is the required Overall GPA to be accepted into the Comm major?
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2.7 or above Overall GPA
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What is the required Comm GPA to be accepted into the Comm major?
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2.9 or above Comm GPA
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How does a student declare their track or concentration within the Communication major?
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There are no declared tracks or concentrations in the Comm major, although many students choose to cluster their courses in a particular area of study.
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What is the typical Global Ed requirement (i.e., not an individualized option)?
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1. Minimum of 6 credits in one foreign language (110 & 120 or 230 & 240) 2. Minimum of 9 additional credits - either in additional language courses, or culture courses, or any combination - in the area where that language is spoken
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True or False? Comm majors need 4 courses at the 200 or above level.
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False. The requirement is 12 credits at the 200 level or above. In most cases, this will mean that Comm majors will need 4 courses at the 200+ level, but if they take one or more 4-credit courses at the 300 level or above, those \"extra\" credits will be used toward the 200-level requirement.
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How many credits do Comm majors need at the 300 or above level?
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6 credits
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True or False? Students wishing to major in Comm should apply by the end of their sophomore year.
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True: Although students may enter the Comm major in their junior year, they may need to take summer courses, one or two \"heavy\" semesters, or an additional semester to graduate.
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True or False? Internships can be counted toward Comm major requirements.
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False: Although all Comm majors are urged to conduct one or more internships, credited internships are taken as UMass 298Y and count toward elective credit, not Comm credit. There are absolutely no exceptions.
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How many Comm credits are Comm majors required to take?
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36 for on-campus transfers or spring direct admits 38 for fall direct admits (36 + Comm 101 + Comm 191)
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True or False? The top section of the ARR includes only the number of credits already completed?
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True: The top section of the ARR only includes credits for which a student has already earned a passing grade. It does NOT include courses in which the student is currently enrolled.
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How many Comm courses can you \"double dip\" with Gen Ed?
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Comm majors can double dip one course between the Comm major and Gen Ed
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Name the one Comm course that cannot be counted toward the Comm major.
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Comm 250: Interpersonal Communication cannot be counted toward the Comm major. This is a Gen Ed course for nonmajors only.
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What is the purpose of Gen Ed?
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The Gen Ed requirement is intended to ensure that all UMass students pursue a liberal arts education that introduces them to a broad, interdisciplinary curriculum in addition to their major.
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What is the purpose of Global Ed?
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The Global Ed requirement reflects the College's (SBS) belief that all social science majors should be globally aware and have an appreciation of language and culture beyond where they live.
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I did not enter UMass as a Comm major. How soon can I declare the major?
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Students may apply to the Comm major once they have taken at least 2 Intro Comm courses. If a student is currently enrolled in an Intro course but has not yet received a grade, the student may submit an application, but it will not be processed until the end of the semester, when grades are posted.
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What grades must I earn in Comm courses in order to be considered for the major?
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Applicants must earn a C- or higher in all Comm courses in order to be accepted into the major. All Comm courses must be taken for a letter grade (no P/F). Any Incomplete in a Comm course must be resolved before an application can be considered.
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Why might a student's application to the Comm major be denied?
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1. Overall GPA < 2.7 2. Comm GPA < 2.9 3. A Comm course grade of D+ D, F, I, or IF 4. Student has not taken 2 Comm courses 5. Application is not complete
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How do I know who my Comm advisor is?
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Your advisor's name and contact info are listed on the bottom, right-hand side of the student homepage of your ARR.
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I am pursuing a Dual Degree. Do I need to take the IE and Junior Writing in both majors?
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No. The IE and Junior Year writing are Gen Ed requirements and Duel Degree students are not required to complete two sets of Gen Ed requirements.
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What is the Integrative Experience (IE) course about?
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The IE allows students to reflect on their own learning and explore connections between the broader interdisciplinary curriculum (Gen Eds) and more focused learning in their major.
