Dear Communications Students,
This year the Communications program at Greater Allegheny will be begin implementing a new rotation of Communications courses that will be offered regularly every fall and spring semester starting next year (2016-2017). While some courses will continue to be offered every semester, most other required courses for the Communications major at Greater Allegheny will only be offered once a year, either in the fall or in the spring (only).
Since this year will serve as a transition period for the new course rotation, there will be some required Communications courses offered this semester (Fall 2015) that will not be offered again until Spring 2017 (a year from this spring). These courses include:
- CAS 204 – Communication Research Methods
- CAS 252 – Business and Professional Communication
- COMM 471 – Public Relations Media and Methods
So what does this mean for you?
First, if you are planning on graduating from Greater Allegheny anytime before Spring 2017, it’s very important for you to take CAS 204, CAS 252 or COMM 471 this semester if you have not taken these courses already. If you fall into this category, your advisor has already been made aware of your situation and he or she will be contacting you shortly to help you make the necessary changes to your Fall 2015 schedule. I recognize that shuffling around your fall schedule late in the summer is inconvenient, but it shouldn’t take more than quick meeting or email exchange with your faculty advisor to help you get your schedule sorted out ASAP.
Second, it’s important for everyone to pay closer attention to both the schedule of courses and your degree audit so that you can complete all your required classes in a timely manner and graduate on time. This is especially important for juniors and seniors at Greater Allegheny, though it is also relevant to 2+2 students who will be transferring to University Park in the near future. The easiest way to do this is by simply meeting with your faculty advisor each semester and by paying attention to which communications courses will be offered in upcoming semesters. To assist everyone with this process, the full list of Communications courses offered this year has already been posted online, and the complete schedule of Communications courses for next year (2016-2017) will be posted by the end of September. You can access both documents by clicking on ‘Degree Guides’ in the menus above.
While you are here, please take a look around the website to find other useful materials including a reader-friendly version of the requirements for the major, a handy checklist for Comm majors, detailed information about communications internships, and lots of links to online resources (such as this Google map of cultural & educational resources in Pittsburgh). And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter (@PSUGAComm) for updates throughout the school year.
Again, please get in touch with your faculty advisor early this semester, especially if you have any questions about your schedule or your progress through the major. I hope you all enjoy the rest of summer and have an easy transition back into the school year.
Best regards,
Dr. Zack Furness
Communications Program Coordinator