Communication: Culture & Society

University of Pennsylvania

United States of America, Philadelphia

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University of Pennsylvania

United States of America , Philadelphia

Key Facts

Program Level

Bachelor

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Application Fee

USD 75

Campuses

Main Site

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake Deadlines22-May-2023

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 4 year(s)

Tuition Fee

USD 63,452 / total

Next Intake 22-May-2023

Communication: Culture & Society

About

General Communication Degree Description:

Communication is an interdisciplinary field that draws from the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. The undergraduate Communication program focuses on the theoretical, critical, and empirical examination of fundamental communication systems, institutions, processes, and effects. Communication majors gain deep insight into how communication shapes our individual and collective social, political, economic, and cultural lives; both historical and contemporary, local and global. Our majors learn and employ a range of theories and research methods, including quantitative approaches such as survey research, experiments, content analysis, and computational science; and qualitative approaches such as historical, textual and discourse analysis, focus groups, and ethnographic fieldwork. In doing so, they produce scholarship that is rigorous, relevant, and multi-modal.

The major in Communication is granted by the College of Arts and Sciences, but the 14-credit major curriculum is designed, administered, and taught by the Annenberg School for Communication.

Majors may complete an optional concentration. Effective Fall 2020, Communication concentrations are as follows: Advocacy & Activism; Audiences & Persuasion; Culture & Society; Data & Network Science; and Politics & Policy. Alternatively, students may also choose to enroll in the Communication and Public Service (ComPS) program. Students interested in pursuing one of these concentrations or ComPS should make an appointment to meet with a member of the Communication Undergraduate Advising Team.

See separate details on requirements for a Communication major concentration or the Communication and Public Service program.

Communication students with a concentration complete the 14-credit major curriculum, including a total of 5 courses required to complete a concentration. Of the 5 courses required to complete a concentration, 3 courses are COMM courses, and 2 courses are non-COMM elective courses. A list of approved COMM Culture and Society concentration courses can be found on the Annenberg School for Communication website. Non-COMM elective courses require pre-approval from a member of the Communication Undergraduate Advising Team. Students may only complete one concentration.

In addition to concentrations, the Communication curriculum also offers opportunities for thesis research, independent study, internships, study abroad, and public service (through the Communication and Public Service Program).

Culture & Society

Courses in this concentration explore the complex relationships between communication and cultural practices. Through this concentration students will gain an understanding of the ways in which communication is central to the construction, maintenance, and transmission of culture, as well as to cultural resistance and change. Sample courses include: Media, Culture and Society in Contemporary China; Ritual Communication; History and Theory of Freedom of Expression; Critical Perspectives in Journalism; and Media Criticism.

The minimum total course units for graduation in this major is 34. Double majors may entail more course units.

Students must meet the following minimum course and GPA requirements as a condition of application to the major. Students may submit the application for the major after enrollment in the third required course. Meeting these requirements is not a guarantee of admission to the major.

The deadline for declaring the major, declaring a concentration, changing a concentration, and/or removing a concentration is the last day to add a course in the students' final semester.

Completion of at least two of the following introductory core survey courses:
Course List

Code Title Course Units

COMM 1230 Critical Approaches to Popular Culture 1

COMM 1250 Introduction to Communication Behavior 1

COMM 1300 Media Industries and Society 1
Completion of a third Communication course.
Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher in all University of Pennsylvania courses.

Course List
Code	Title	Course Units
COMM 1230	Critical Approaches to Popular Culture	1
COMM 1250	Introduction to Communication Behavior	1
COMM 1300	Media Industries and Society	1

Disciplines

School of Arts & Sciences

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Our admission decisions are made prior to the announcement of results for many national examinations (such as the A Levels or French Baccalaureate), but applicants are expected to be enrolled in programs that prepare them for these examinations. If you are enrolled in a program that will not release external examination results prior to our application deadlines, you must request that your school send us predictions of external examination results along with your grades.

Where national examinations are required for admission to a pre-university program (such as the IGCSE or the SPM), you should have received high marks on these examinations and should present certified copies of the results with your Penn application.

Students in our diverse global community have a wide range of passions, perspectives, and talents. Beyond academics, we would like to learn about your non-scholarly interests, extracurricular activities, and community service (though we recognize that patterns for non-academic involvement vary from country to country).

Fee Information

Tuition Fee

USD 63,452

Application Fee

USD 75

How to Apply

When applying to Penn, you will be asked to choose one of our four undergraduate schools or a coordinated dual-degree, accelerated, or specialized program that will serve as home base throughout your academic journey. Your application will be reviewed in the context of the school or program to which you have applied. Prior to preparing your application, we encourage you to learn more about our undergraduate schools and our coordinated dual degree programs and specialized programs. We also provide many ways to engage with these programs throughout the admissions cycle.

All admitted students will be admitted to the specific school or program for which they applied. Your admitted school or program will shape your curriculum, and your Penn degree will come from that specific school or program. That said, all undergraduate students at Penn will also gain a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences and have the ability to take classes across all four schools.

As you prepare for your application journey, we encourage you to explore your interests and to hear from current students as they share their personal journeys at Penn.