Liberal Arts (Code 583-201)

University Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS FOR BACCALAUREATE DEGREE
Credit Requirements
Minimum total for graduation 1		120
Upper division credits (courses numbered 300 and higher)		39
Liberal Education Core		36
Academic Concentrations
Grade Point Requirements 2
Total		2.00 average
Resident		2.00 average
Major		2.00 average
Minor		2.00 average
Certificate		2.00 average
University Residency Requirements
Minimum total		30
Senior year		23
Major, Standard, upper division in residence		12
Major, Comprehensive, upper division in residence		21
Certificate		25 percent of credits
Procedures Required for Graduation
Obtain admission to the degree program and/or the College offering it.
Apply for graduation on CampS.

¹

Certain programs exceed this minimum.

²

See special requirements in each College.

Applicability of Credits Toward Graduation

Junior College or Two-Year College Credits. A maximum of 72 semester credits earned in a junior college or two-year college will be accepted as degree credits at UW-Eau Claire.

Extension Credits. Credits earned in credit outreach courses offered by UW-Eau Claire are treated as resident credits. Credits earned in extension courses offered by other units of the University of Wisconsin System are treated as transfer credits. All other (non-UW) extension and correspondence credits are normally limited to one-fourth of the total required for graduation from any curriculum.

WTCS Credits. A maximum of 72 semester credits earned in college parallel programs at Madison Area Technical College, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Nicolet Area Technical College, or Chippewa Valley Technical College may be accepted as degree credits at UW-Eau Claire. A set number of general education courses will be accepted from other technical schools. Occupational and technical courses may also be considered for transfer if the quality and content of the course work from the technical college is judged to be comparable to course work at UW-Eau Claire. Refer to the Transfer Credit Wizard or contact the UW-Eau Claire Admissions Office for information about the current transfer policy.

USAFI Credit. UW-Eau Claire will accept up to 32 semester credits for work done through the United States Armed Forces Institute, under the provision for non-UW correspondence credit (see Extension Credits above).

Activity Credit (band, chorus, drama, KINS 100-184 courses) Students may count toward graduation no more than one credit of KINS 110-184 courses. Students may count toward graduation no more than four credits earned in any single activity course and no more than 12 credits resulting from any combination of activity courses (excluding KINS 110-184 courses). 

Other Restricted Credits. For other University restrictions, see the following: Cooperative Education; Credit by Examination; Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Registration; Transfer of Credits. College or departmental restrictions may also be placed on Independent Study (399-499 courses), Directed Study (395-495), and other types of credits.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
APPLICABILITY OF CREDITS TOWARD GRADUATION		Credit Restrictions
Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Total degree credit		maximum 12
Major, Standard		maximum 1 course
Major, Comprehensive		maximum 2 courses
Minor		maximum 1 course
Credit by Examination
Total degree credit		maximum ¼ of total
Major or minor		maximum ½ of total
Two-Year College Credits
Total degree credit		maximum 72 credits
Activity credit (band, chorus, drama, KINS 100-184)
Total KINS 100-184		maximum 1 credit
Total Band, chorus, drama		maximum 12 credits
Single course band, chorus, drama		maximum 4 credits
Extension credits
UW-System		no maximum
Other extension/correspondence		maximum ¼ of total
USAFI
USAFI		maximum 32 credits

Liberal Education Core

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire measures learning outcomes to ensure that its graduates have achieved a liberal education and prepared themselves to contribute to a complex society. Upon graduation, each undergraduate will have met the five learning goals of our liberal education core and the 12 learning outcomes they comprise. 

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
LIBERAL EDUCATION CORE REQUIREMENTS		a minimum of 36 credits
Knowledge Goal
Knowledge Outcome 1 (K1): Natural Sciences		Two (2) learning experiences
One experience in laboratory science must be selected from either K1 or K2.
Knowledge Outcome 2 (K2): Social Sciences		Two (2) learning experiences
One experience in laboratory science must be selected from either K1 or K2.
Knowledge Outcome 3 (K3): Humanities		Two (2) learning experiences
Knowledge Outcome 4 (K4): Fine Arts		One (1) learning experience
Skills Goal
Skills Outcome 1 (S1): Written and Oral Communication		Two (2) learning experiences
One S1 must meet the University Writing Requirement
Skills Outcome 2 (S2): Mathematics		One (1) learning experience
One S2 to meet the University Mathematics Requirement
Skills Outcome 3 (S3): Creativity		One (1) learning experience
Responsibility Goal
Responsibility Outcome 1 (R1): Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity		Two (2) learning experiences
One R1 must satisfy Design for Diversity
Responsibility Outcome 2 (R2): Global Perspectives		One (1) learning experience
Responsibility Outcome 3 (R3): Civic and Environmental Issues		One (1) learning experience
Integration Goal
Integration Outcome 1 (I1): Integration		Two (2) learning experiences
Service-Learning Goal
Service-Learning		30 hours

College Degree Requirements

Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science Degree (B.A./B.S.)

University Graduation Requirements. All candidates for degrees must fulfill the requirements for credits, curriculum, GPA, and University residency as specified in the section of this catalog titled University Graduation Requirements.

College Graduation Requirements: Grade Point Averages. All candidates for degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences must earn minimum resident and total GPAs of 2.00 in the major, the minor, and the certificate. The resident and total GPAs for the major are computed using all attempted credits applicable to the major including those offered by departments other than the major department. The resident and total GPAs for the minor and the certificate are computed similarly.

Major-Minor and Major-Certificate Requirements. A standard major (a minimum of 36 credits) must be supplemented by a minor (a minimum of 24 credits) or by a certificate (12 to 18 credits) to meet graduation requirements for completing a first and second degree program. No minor or certificate is required with a Comprehensive Major (60 or more credits) or with two majors of 36 or more credits each.

Certain degree programs, which include Comprehensive Majors, may require more than the minimum of 120 credits for graduation.

Acceptable academic program combinations are determined at the college level. A major and a minor or a major and certificate or two majors (if available) may not be elected in the same department or program, except in the approved combinations listed here.

College Credits. Earn at least 90 credits in courses offered by the College of Arts and Sciences.

Bachelor of Arts Degree in the College of Arts and Sciences (B.A.)

Fulfillment of all University Graduation Requirements (which includes the Liberal Education Core); all College-level degree requirements (major and minor/certificate emphases, GPAs, earning at least 90 credits in Arts and Sciences course work); foreign language competency at the 102 level.  Foreign language competency may be met in one of two ways:  (1) Achieve a score on the foreign language placement test that qualifies the student to enter the 201-level course in a foreign language.  (2) Earn a grade of at least C (not C-) or a mark of S in a 102-level foreign language course (or AIS 112 or AIS 122 or CSD 103).

Bachelor of Science Degree in the College of Arts and Sciences (B.S.)

Fulfillment of all University Graduation Requirements (which includes the Liberal Education Core); all College-level degree requirements (major and minor/certificate emphases, GPAs, earning at least 90 credits in Arts and Sciences course work); mathematics competency at the MATH 111, MATH 112 or MATH 113 level.  Mathematics competency can be met in one of three ways:  (1) Achieve a score on the mathematics placement test that qualifies the student to enter MATH 114.  (2) Earn a grade of at least C (not C-) or a mark of S in MATH 111, MATH 112, or MATH 113.  (3) Achieve a satisfactory score on the MATH 112 competency test.  This test may be attempted no more than two times.

Major Requirements

Liberal Arts (Code 583-201)

This emphasis teaches students to analyze and enhance human communication through courses in theory, research, and practice. After completing a common core of courses, majors in this emphasis select a variety of electives including courses focused on how communication builds and maintains relationships and how messages in political and popular culture influence society.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Thirty-six semester credits, including:
Communication Studies Core (18 credits)
CJ 201	Introduction to Interpersonal Communication	3
CJ 202	Fundamentals of Speech	3
CJ 206	Human Communication Theory	3
CJ 207	Introduction to Rhetoric and Society	3
CJ 300	Research Methods	3
CJ 459	Communication Research Seminar	3
Communication Studies Electives (12 credits, at least 9 must be at the 300-level or higher):		12
CJ 205	Listening
CJ 250	Introduction to Organizational Communication
CJ 301	Intercultural Communication
CJ 306	Topics in Advanced Interpersonal Communication
CJ 307	Small Group Communication
CJ 312	Communication and Gender
CJ 314	Mass Media and Popular Culture
CJ/WGSS 317	Diversity & Communication: Organizational & Media Contexts
CJ 318	Topics in Communication and Social Advocacy
CJ 357	Professional Communication
CJ 406	Persuasion
CJ 407	Leadership Communication
CJ 498	Internship
General Communication and Journalism Electives: (6 credits from any course with a CJ prefix with the exception of CJ 203 which may not be used as credit toward a communication studies major. Students may choose courses from the list of communication studies electives above but no course may be used twice in the major.)

Note:  No major or minor credit may be earned under the S/U option. 

Program Learning Outcomes

Students completing this program will be expected to meet the following learning outcomes:

• Explain what it means to communicate ethically.
• Describe the role of communication in a variety of contexts.
• Make and support claims about communication artifacts.
• Apply discipline-specific theories in order to explain human communication/behavior and make suggestions for corrective actions where needed.
• Conduct a communication research project using recognized quantitative, qualitative, or critical methodologies.
• Explain the relationship between research and theory in the study of communication.
• Prepare and deliver oral presentations.
• Utilize communication to embrace difference.

Communication, Communication Studies Emphasis, Major, B.A.

The following is a sample degree plan, based on the current catalog. It is based on the 120-credit graduation requirement and assumes no transferred credits, no requirements waived by placement tests, no courses taken in the summer or winter, no repeated courses, and no remedial courses that may be required. This sample degree plan is intended for first-year students entering UW-Eau Claire in the fall semester. Your own degree plan may differ depending on the course of study selected (second major, minor, etc.). UW-Eau Claire cannot guarantee all courses will be offered as shown, but will provide a range of courses that may enable prepared students to fulfill their requirements in a timely period. This sample degree plan is just a guide. Please consult your advisor, your degree audit, and the catalog to create your own degree plan. Note: In order to earn the required minimum of 120 credits for the degree in four years, you should plan to take 15 credits each semester or 30 credits each year.

To earn a degree, students must fulfill all University Graduation Requirements, including the Liberal Education (LE) Core.  LE Core course work in the following sample degree plan uses abbreviations such as LE-K1, LE-S2, LE-R3, and LE-I1 to represent the learning outcomes students will meet via completion of their liberal education course work.  Please click here for a description of the Liberal Education Core outcomes and requirements. Note that the LE Core may be completed through both course and non-course experiences.

Students in this major have the option to pursue either a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree.  The degrees are distinguished by foreign language competency for the B.A. and a higher level of mathematics competency for the B.S

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
FIRST YEAR
SOME TIME IN THE FIRST YEAR
CJ 202	Fundamentals of Speech (LE-S1)	3
WRIT 114	Intensive Blugold Seminar in Critical Reading and Writing (LE-S1)	5
OR
WRIT 116	Blugold Seminar in Critical Reading and Writing (LE-S1)
MATH 104	Finite Mathematics with Applications (LE-S2)	4
OR
MATH 106	Introduction to Mathematical Thinking (LE-S2)
OR
MATH 108	Earth Algebra (LE-S2)
LE Option: Responsibility 1 (LE-R1) Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity		3
CJ 201	Introduction to Interpersonal Communication (LE-K2, LE-S1)	3
LE Option: Knowledge 1 (LE-K1) Natural Sciences		3
LE Option: Knowledge 3 (LE-K3) Humanities		3
LE Option: Integration (LE-I1)		3
Any 3-credit Elective Course		3
TOTAL FIRST YEAR		30
SECOND YEAR
FIRST SEMESTER
Language 101 (BA Requirement, LE-S1)		4
CJ 206	Human Communication Theory	3
SECOND SEMESTER
CJ 300	Research Methods	3
Language 102 (BA Requirement)		4
CJ 207	Introduction to Rhetoric and Society (LE-K3, LE-R3)	3
SOME TIME IN THE SECOND YEAR
LE Option: Knowledge 4 (LE-K4) Fine Arts		3
LE Option: Knowledge 1 (LE-K1L) Natural Sciences with Lab		4
Any 3-credit Elective Course		3
Course in minor		3
TOTAL SECOND YEAR		30
THIRD YEAR
SOME TIME IN THE THIRD YEAR
Communication Studies Elective-Choose from list in degree audit/catalog		3
Communication and Journalism Elective - Choice of any course w/CJ prefix not included in major program		3
Course in minor		3
Course in minor		3
Any 3-credit Elective Course		3
Communication Studies Elective - Choose from list in degree audit/catalog *		3
Communication and Journalism Elective - Choice of any course w/CJ prefix not included in major program		3
LE Option: Responsibility 1 (LE-R1, DDIV) Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity with Design for Diversity		3
Course in minor		3
Any 3-credit Elective Course		3
TOTAL THIRD YEAR		30
FOURTH YEAR
SOME TIME IN THE FOURTH YEAR
CJ 459	Communication Research Seminar (LE-S3, LE-I1)	3
LE Option: Knowledge 2 (LE-K2) Social Sciences		3
LE Option: Responsibility 2 (LE-R2) Global Perspectives		3
Course in minor		3
Communication Studies Elective - Choose from list in degree audit/catalog *		3
Course in minor		3
Course in minor		3
Course in minor		3
Any 3-credit Elective Course		3
Communication Studies Elective - Choose from list in degree audit/catalog		3
TOTAL FOURTH YEAR		30

 Minimum total for the baccalaureate degree = 120 credits

*

9 of 12 credits in the “Communication Studies Electives” must be taken at the 300 level or above. 

Notes 

• Students must complete 39 credits in courses above the 300 level in order to complete their degree. Those credits may be accumulated in major courses, minor courses, liberal education electives or general elective credits. Levels of major elective, minor elective, liberal education and general elective credits are not indicated on this guide. The student and advisor will monitor progress toward that requirement. 

• If a student selects a certificate rather than a minor, there will be fewer required credits in the second program than are reflected on this guide. 

• Depending on selection of electives and second program courses, some liberal education requirements may be satisfied by a major or second program course. The student and advisor will monitor those opportunities. 

• Students must complete 120 credits in order to complete their degree. The low range of credits on this guide does not total 120. 

• All students must complete the 30-hour Service-Learning Requirement via a non-credit or credit option (see University Graduation Requirements).

Course Information 
Upper division electives in Communication Studies will be offered as CJ 318: Topics in Communication & Social Advocacy and CJ 306: Topics in Advanced Interpersonal Communication.  Students can take each of these courses up to three times provided that the topic of the course is different each time they enroll. CJ 318 topics include Rhetorical Criticism, Environmental Rhetoric, and Political Communication. CJ 306 topics include Family Communication and Communication and Conflict. The department is committed to offering one rhetoric/social advocacy elective course during fall semesters and one advanced interpersonal elective course during spring semesters. Please note that CJ 312: Gender and Communication is considered an upper division interpersonal elective and will be offered in the spring of even numbered years.
Students are not obligated to choose upper division electives only in a specific track (e.g., a student could take CJ 318 twice and CJ 306 once), but students should take note that they would need to take an upper division elective during their second year if they wanted to take each available iteration of either topics course.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HIGH IMPACT PRACTICES (HIPs)
The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire encourages all students to participate in High Impact Practices.  The following information identifies any specific recommendations that faculty in this major have concerning which HIPs might be most beneficial to students, and any recommendations about when those HIPs best fit into the degree plan. Students should also consult their faculty advisor for information on HIPs. There are many additional high impact opportunities available. Talk to your academic advisor for more information about incorporating HIPs like Study Abroad, Intercultural Immersion, Internship, and/or Student/Faculty Collaborative Research into your time at UW-Eau Claire.