Courses

The Bachelor of Arts in Organizational and Professional Communication requires you to complete a minimum of 120 credits, including:

45 credits required for the major

21 credits prescribed core course credits
15 supporting course credits
24 Bachelor of Arts credits

45 General Education credits

16–18 elective credits

If you are a transfer student, the number of credits you must take will vary according to the courses that transfer into the program. Once you are admitted to the program, your assigned academic adviser can help you select the remaining required courses. A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the major.

Course List - Bachelor of Arts in Organizational and Professional Communication

Prescribed Courses (21 credits)
Abbreviation	Title	Description	Credits
CAS 204	Communication Research Methods	Overview of the skills necessary to evaluate commonly reported communication research.	3 credits
CAS 301	Rhetorical Theory	History and theory of public advocacy and civic discourse.	3 credits
CAS 303	Introduction to Communication Theory	This course is intended as a foundational course in communication theory for Communication Arts and Sciences majors and others interested in social science theory in general. It is designed to show how communication theory can be applied to understand and improve communication in your professional (and personal) life. The theories examined will span the range of communication contexts, including interpersonal, group, organizational, mediated, and cross-cultural interactions.	3 credits
CAS 390	Qualitative Research Methods	An understanding of both qualitative research methods and the theoretical frameworks that inform qualitative inquiry. Additionally, this course focuses on tools for data collection such as individual and focus-group interviewing and observing and recording interaction. This course provides practical experience for students in collecting and analyzing qualitative data with and without the use of technology and examines particular difficulties in the interpretation and reporting of qualitative findings. Qualitative Research Methods is course that bridges disciplinary boundaries and is useful to any student who will be investigating human interaction.	3 credits
CAS 426	Communication Ethics (WAC)	Ethical issues in public and private communication; role of communication in expressing and realizing individual and social values.	3 credits
LA 201	Experiential Learning Portfolio	Students will learn how to assemble a portfolio that reflects their progress, knowledge, and insight into college-level study.	3 credits
CAS 496	Independent Studies	Creative projects, including research and design, which are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses.	3 credits

Additional Courses (9 credits)
Description	Credits
Select three (3) credits in speaking and argumentation: CAS 212, CAS 215, CAS 252, CAS 340	3 credits
Select three (3) credits in interpersonal communication or conflict management: CAS 203, CAS 271, CAS 302, CAS 352	3 credits
Select three (3) credits in written communication: ENGL 418, ENGL 419, ENGL 420, ENGL 480	3 credits

Supporting Courses and Related Areas (15 credits)
Supporting Courses and Related Areas (15 credits, at least nine (9) at the 400-level)	Credits
CAS 203, CAS 212, CAS 215, CAS 252, CAS 271, CAS 302, CAS 340, CAS 352, CAS 404, CAS 452, CAS 455, CAS 475 COMM 428A ENGL 418, ENGL 419, ENGL 420 LER/OLEAD 464, LER/OLEAD 465 OLEAD 410	15 credits

This course is intended as a foundational course in communication theory for Communication Arts and Sciences majors and others interested in social science theory in general. It is designed to show how communication theory can be applied to understand and improve communication in your professional (and personal) life. The theories examined will span the range of communication contexts, including interpersonal, group, organizational, mediated, and cross-cultural interactions.

Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements (24 credits)
Description	Credits
Foreign Language (If foreign language proficiency is demonstrated by examination, these 0–12 credits may be completed from the electives)	12 credits
Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arts, Natural Sciences, Quantification	9 credits
Other Cultures	3 credits

For the Bachelor of Arts Degree requirements, 3 of the 24 credits may be from the requirements for the major, General Education, or electives.

General Education (45 credits**)
Description	Credits
Arts – GA	6 credits
Humanities – GH	6 credits
Health and Wellness – GHW	3 credits
Natural Sciences – GN	9 credits
Social and Behavioral Sciences – GS	6 credits
Writing and Speaking – GWS*	9 credits
Quantification – GQ*	6 credits
Integrative Studies	(6 credits)***

*A student enrolled in this course must receive a grade of C or better.

**12 credits are included in the requirements for the major.

***This requirement only applies to students starting in summer 2018 or later. Learn more about the Integrative Studies options and consult your academic adviser when choosing courses to fulfill these requirements.

Course Availability

If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search (opens in new window) to start planning ahead.

Penn State World Campus Student and Family

Ready to Learn More?

Get the resources you need to make informed decisions about your education. Request information on this program and other programs of interest by completing this form.