Advising & Registration

For general advising, students should make an appointment with LAS Advising once a year in 809 UH. In addition, LAS Advising can assist students with declaring the major and minor, and planning an appropriate course of study toward gradation with a major in Communication. Interested students should schedule an appointment with an LAS Academic Advisor who specializes in Communication. Students can schedule an appointment online: LAS Advising.

Each semester, Communication faculty post and hold regular office hours. They are also available for informal advising by appointment about:

  • Available resources and support
  • Student applications for scholarships
  • Outside learning opportunities

Email and the Internet allow students to communicate with faculty beyond class meetings and office hours.

Internships

Professor Diem-My Bui is available by appointment only to discuss internships and independent study opportunities. Please contact her by email to schedule an appointment. The Department calculates credit hours eligible for internships based on the follow formula:

60 work hours = 1 credit hour.
Number of work hours per week x Number of weeks in semester = n; Number of total work hours. Then, n / 60 = Total number of Credit Hours earned.

Please send her the following:

  1. Your UIN:
  2. Internship Title and Location:
  3. Duties of internship: 
  4. Hours per week: 15-25
  5. Name & Contact info of Supervisor for this internship:
  6. Start Date and End Date:
  7. Proof of Internship Offer (email, offer letter, etc)

Program Completion

All courses carry three semester hours of credit, and a full-time student can complete the program on the following schedule:

  • Freshman and sophomore years include the three survey courses.
  • Junior year includes the technology course (200) and the Quantitative Reasoning (often COMM 201), along with the research methods course (301) and a 300-level analysis elective.
  • Senior year includes the remaining electives and the senior seminar (490 or 491, not both).

The major requires a total of 33 hours to complete the program. By registering for the 100-level courses during their first two years of study and two courses during their junior and senior years, students can complete the major in five to six semesters.

Transfer students can complete the program in two years, but usually must take three courses in the program each term or extend their studies into the summer or an additional semester.

The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences advisors have developed a standard form to guide students through the program in a timely manner.

Departmental Requirements Heading link

UIC Requirements to fulfill Communication as either a Major or Minor

The Communication page of the UIC Undergraduate Catalog lists the most current major requirements. The major has two components, core courses and electives. The core includes courses that all majors must complete across the levels of the Communication curriculum. The electives are required courses that majors select.

The core courses introduce students to fundamental concepts, theories, issues, and research methods in communication. It emphasizes students’ acquisition of a broad base of knowledge of the field and of a cognitive framework that will assist them in their selection of advanced courses and their career opportunities. Core courses address:

  • Underlying principles that govern communication in a variety of settings
  • General definitions, theory, and applications of communication
  • Skills in library research, critical thinking, and argumentative writing and speaking

Students should acquire, an understanding of the processes that govern communication in a world that is shaped by, and depends on, information.

Electives combine analysis and research. Two electives in the major must be at the 400 level (in addition to either 490 or 491, the required capstone experience).

The Communication page of the UIC Undergraduate Catalog lists the current minor requirements. The minor is open to students in other majors who want to add a broad understanding of communication to their college experience. Like the major, the minor includes required and elective courses, and minors have some flexibility in fulfilling prerequisites, with department approval.

Students can plan their schedule of classes each semester using the on-line Class Schedule and UIC Course Descriptions. Most Communication courses require department approval for registration, and so each semester students make an appointment with the department Advisor.

For the advising session, come prepared to discuss not only specific plans for the next semester’s courses, but also planning for Internships, Study Abroad, and Careers.