An Innovative Curriculum

The School of Communications is recognized nationally for its deep and innovative curriculum that emphasizes engaged learning and serving the public good. The curriculum offers a balance among concepts that lead to strategic decision-making, skills to write and produce, and a liberal arts education to provide breadth of knowledge and insight.

Curriculum at a glance

Communications students choose among these COM majors:

Sport Management students take courses in the SPT major, which has a stand-alone curriculum.

The following applies to COM majors.

Accreditation rule

Elon is one of only 18 private colleges and universities in the nation to have an accredited communications program. Accreditation standards require that all Communications students complete at least 72 credit hours outside the major. Elon requires a minimum of 132 credit hours to graduate.

Required internship

All students must complete an off-campus professional internship in communications. Students enroll in COM 3985 Communications Internship for 1 or 2 credit hours, based on 80 work-hours per credit hour. Students may earn up to a total of 4 credit hours of COM 3985. (Co-op Work Experiences credit through the Career Services Office cannot count toward the major or toward the 72 hours required outside Communications.)

Required minor, double major or semester abroad

To promote academic depth, all students must complete a minor or double major outside of COM, CDE, CTA, JOU, MEA or STC, or complete a semester abroad (totaling 12 credit hours or more) in an Elon-approved program. Study USA programs do not qualify as a semester abroad. Note: CDE, CTA, JOU, MEA or STC majors can major or minor in sport management and meet the requirement. 

Double major

To encourage students to consider a double major, eight hours of COM, CDE, CTA, JOU, MEA or STC electives are waived for any student completing a double major outside one of these five majors. For example, a student double majoring in journalism and history would need a total of 44 hours instead of the normal 52 hours. This option is not available for those completing a BFA in Cinema and Television Arts.

Considering a Minor

Communications minor

The school offers a 20-hour minor in Communications consisting of COM 1000 Communications in a Global Age and 16 hours of additional COM courses, with at least four COM hours at the 3000 or 4000 level. Take a closer look at the requirements of the communications minor here.

Global Film & Cultures minor

The Global Film & Cultures (GFC) minor is centered around three facets of global film studies: history, industries, and theory/interpretation. Students will retain and implement a holistic view of film, including analysis and interrogations of important power structures, ideologies and global contexts that films and their attendant industries and cultures engage. Take a closer look at the requirements here.

Health Communications Minor

As a Health Communications minor, students will become the much-needed bridge of understanding between medical professionals or scientists and the communities they serve. Learn how to communicate complex health information in ways that everyone can understand. Take a closer look at the requirements here.