For the bachelor of arts degree in Communication Arts and Sciences (formerly known as Speech Communication), a minimum of 124 credits is required in the following areas:
- Learning to Learn:
Courses in education and psychology - Reading, Writing, and Computation:
Courses in reading, writing, math, and statistics - Listening and Oral Communication:
Courses in music and speech communication - Creative Thinking/Problem Solving:
Courses in philosophy, art, and speech communication - Self-Esteem/Goal-Setting/Motivation Career Development:
Courses in psychology, management, speech communication, and career counseling - Interpersonal Relations/Teamwork/Negotiation:
Courses in psychology, management, speech communication, and career counseling - Organizational Effectiveness/Leadership:
Courses in speech communication, psychology, sociology, and management
Program Requirements
Recommended Academic Plan including 4-year course grid (requires Acrobat Reader)
- General Education: 45 credits
- Basic Skills: 15 credits
Writing/Speaking and Quantification
- Health Education and Exercise Science: 4 credits
- Distribution component: 27 credits
Science, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arts, and Humanities
- Basic Skills: 15 credits
- Degree Requirements: 12 to 24 credits
- Foreign Language, Arts, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Non-Western Cultures
- Major Requirements: 30 credits
Communication Arts and Sciences
A Four-Year B.A. Degree Program Offered at Penn State Brandywine
Major Requirements: (All courses are 3 credits each)
PRESCRIBED COURSES: Core courses required for all majors (9 credits):
CAS 201: Rhetorical Theory
CAS 202: Communication Theory
CAS 204: Communication Research Methods
SKILLS COURSE: Select one course from the following list (3 credits):
CAS 203: Interpersonal Communication
CAS 250: Small Group Communication
CAS 252: Professional and Business Communication
300-LEVEL CAS COURSE (3 credits)
CAS 352: Organizational Communication
SUPPORTING COURSES:
(15 Credits: 12 credits at the 400 level; 3 credits at either 300- or 400-level)
CAS 402: Speech and Human Behavior
CAS 403: Interpersonal Communication Theory and Research
CAS 415: Rhetoric of Film and Television
CAS 450W: Group Communication Theory and Research
CAS 452 or 452W: Organizational Communication Theory and Research
CAS 455: Gender Roles in Communication
CAS 470: Nonverbal Communication
CAS 471: Intercultural Communication Theory and Research
CAS 495: Internship
Communication Arts and Sciences
CAS 200: Language, Culture, and Communication. Introduction to language, language development, cultural literacy, culture, and intercultural communication
CAS 201: Rhetorical Theory. History and theory of public advocacy and civic discourse.
CAS 202: Communication Theory. Survey of human communication studies in relational, interpersonal, group, organizational, intercultural, health, technology and mass communication systems.
CAS 203: Interpersonal Communication. Explore aspects of competent communication and learn the skills necessary to manage friend, romantic, family, and professional relationships.
CAS 204: Communication Research Methods. On overview of the skills necessary to evaluate numeric and text-based communication research. There is an applied emphasis on increasing student skills as a critical consumer of commonly reported data such as opinion polls and employee assessments.
CAS 205: Voice and Its Use. Emphasis on procedures to improve vocal effectiveness in personal and professional communication.
CAS 250: Small Group Communication. Participation in decision-making groups. Emphasis on skills of group discussion, leadership, teamwork, organization, and evaluation.
CAS 252: Business and Professional Communication. Interviewing, briefing, conferring, and decision making; analyzing and evaluating formal and informal patterns of communication in organizations.
CAS 321: Rhetoric and Law. A survey of the literature on the role of persuasion in law, including trial advocacy, appellate argument, and judicial reasoning.
CAS 352: Organizational Communication. This course examines the function and structure of communication in both formal and informal situations.
CAS 402: Speech and Human Behavior. Introduction to general semantics, thought, and human behavior.
CAS 403: Interpersonal Communication Theory and Research. Examining behavior within interpersonal encounters, with an emphasis on both theoretical and applied explanations for how and why people act during such interactions.
CAS 415: Rhetoric of Film and Television. Rhetorical analysis of the artistic forms and cultural structures of film and television; intensive study of selected examples.
CAS 450W: Group Communication Theory and Research. Selected theories of problem solving through group discussion, emphasizing participation and leadership.
CAS 452 and 452W: Organizational Communication Theory and Research. Explores the nature and functions of communication in organizations; emphasis on writing and exploring concepts, tools, and skills for effective management of communication.
CAS 455: Gender Roles in Communication. Explores the literature on gender research in the discipline of human communication.
CAS 470: Nonverbal Communication. Examines the ways in which nonverbal messages, such as gestures, posture, vocal intonation, and facial expressions, affect us on a daily basis.
CAS 471: Intercultural Communication Theory and Research. Explores intercultural and cross-cultural communication research theory and practice as applied within and across national boundaries.
CAS 495: Internship. Directed and supervised practicum in professional setting.
Electives: 25 credits Previous college credits that do not meet the criteria in general education, degree, or major requirements can be used as electives. -