Communication

Communication at UCSD is a field of study that emphasizes the role of technologies of communication in shaping human experience and relationships. It draws from a range of disciplines, including anthropology, psychology, sociology, political science, and visual arts.

Undergraduates learn interdisciplinary approaches to analyzing communication:

• Situated practices approaches emphasize language, bodily activities, and design shape consciousness and identity. This approach is the focus of Comm 10 and Comm 100A.
• Interpretive strategies approaches emphasize how to see, question, and remake the images, film, texts, and symbolbs we are immersed in everyday. This approach is the focus of Comm 10 and Comm 100B.
• Social forces emphasize the institutions, business models, and production processes that make the media and control content. This approach is the focus of Comm 10 and Comm 100C.

13 Courses Required, None of the courses can be taken on a P/NP basis.

1 Lower Division
12 Upper Division

• COMM 10 Introduction to Communication
• COMM 100A Situated Practices (Prereq: COMM 10)
• COMM 100B Interpretive Strategies (Prereq: COMM 10)
• COMM 100C Social Formations (Prereq: COMM 10)
• COMM 190 Junior Seminar (Prereq: Junior standing, COMM 10, at least one COMM 100 course)

*These courses must be taken at UCSD

8 Upper Division Electives:

No more than 6 from COMM 101 - 119 (Intermediate)
At least 2 from COMM 120-189 (Advanced)

If students choose to do a COMM 198, COMM 199 the grading option is Pass/No Pass and only ONE may be applied to the major to satisfy an upper-division elective.  If students choose to do an AIP 197 (an internship at an off campus agency), it must be petitioned for approval for the major.  Students can petition for a maximum of 2 courses taken outside of the department, (AIP 197, EAP, or other UC campus courses etc.)

Residency Requirement 
Students are required to complete at least ten classes of their overall work in the major at UC San Diego.  The following are the Communication classes required to be taken at UCSD.  See your college advisor for further residency requirements.

• COMM 10 Introduction to Communication
• COMM 100A Situated Practices
• COMM 100B Interpretive Strategies
• COMM 100C Social Formations
• COMM 190 Junior Seminar in Communication

Five upper-level electives in Communication

Requirements

UC College Preparatory Courses ("a-g" courses)

• Must be completed with a C grade or better.
• Complete at least 11 of the 15 courses before your senior year of high school.
• California residents: courses must be on your high school's UC-approved course list.
• There is no pre-approved course list for schools outside of California.
• International applicants: read the Freshman Admission for International Students webpage for additional information.

Scholarship Requirement (GPA you must earn)

• California residents: You must earn a GPA of 3.0 or better with no grade lower than C.
• Non-California residents: You must earn a GPA of 3.4 or better with no grade lower than C.

GPA is based on “a-g” courses taken during 10th and 11th grades. See Subject Requirement for “a-g” course explanation.

You must submit scores from either:

• ACT Plus Writing OR
• SAT Reasoning Test with critical reading, math and writing; scores must be from same sitting
• 2 SAT Subject Tests closely related to your major are recommended for engineering, biological or physical sciences majors. If taking math subject test, Math Level 2 is required. All tests must be taken by December of your senior year (the year before you plan to enroll).
• Only your highest scores from a single sitting will be considered.
• When you report your ACT or SAT scores to one campus they will be shared with every UC campus to which you've applied.
• Official test scores must be reported no later than January for students applying for the fall term.

Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate

• If you complete Advanced Placement courses, we recommend that you complete the related AP examination to demonstrate subject mastery.
• Similarly, International Baccalaureate scores can be used to showcase academic mastery.
• To receive unit credit toward the baccalaureate degree, you must submit an official copy of your AP or IB scores directly from the testing agency. This can be done in the summer following high school graduation.

Other Entrance Exams

• Entrance exams taken after high school graduation are not considered.

International Students

• If your native language is not English and your secondary/high school education was in a country where English is not the language of instruction, you must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination (academic modules) and have the scores reported to the UC San Diego Office of Admissions. A minimum score of 83 is required for the TOEFL, or a minimum score of 7 is required for the IELTS.

• Attestat/Certificate of (complete) General Secondary Education

Scholarships

• Regents Scholarship
• UCSD Athletic Scholarship
• Merit-based Scholarships