Major in Communication
Declaration Process
In order to declare the Communication major, students must have completed, or be currently enrolled in, one of the following:
1. COMM 1A – Mass Media, Society, and Democracy, or Comm 1B – Media, Culture, and Society
2. COMM 106 – Communication Research Methods
3. COMM 108 – Media Processes and Effects
Once the prerequisites have been met, prospective majors should declare via Axess and then email the Student Services Manager to set up an appointment to complete the minimal paperwork, to be assigned an advisor and to discuss any questions they may have.
Transfer Students
Required Communication courses usually must be taken at Stanford. No more than 10 units of transfer credit may be applied to meet departmental requirements for majors, and no more than 5 credits for minors.
The Office of Undergraduate Admissions asks transfer students to furnish an official transcript, which is evaluated by the University. Students who transfer to Stanford and enter the Department of Communication should know that the only Communication courses likely to be waived are Communication 1A or Communication 1B.
Combined and Multiple Majors
Formal options exist for all Stanford undergraduates who are interested in pursuing more than one academic discipline. Students should refer to the Stanford Bulletin and the Academic Standing office. Remember that participation in any multiple major program requires declaration of each major.
Students pursuing this option must complete a Multiple Major Form indicating which courses they plan to apply toward each major and/or minor.
Major Curriculum
1. Five core courses
1. Communication 1A: Mass Media, Society, and Democracy, or Communication 1B: Media, Culture, and Society
2. Communication 106: Communication Research Methods (prerequisite – Statistics)
3. Communication 108: Media Processes and Effects
4. Communication WIM (writing in the major) Courses: COMM 104W, Reporting, Writing, and Understanding the News, COMM 120W, Digital Media in Society, COMM 137W, The Dialogue of Democracy, COMM 142W Media Economics, or COMM 143W Communication Policy & Regulation
5. Statistics 60 (does not count toward the 60 units in the major)
2. Students must take a minimum of four courses in the following two areas, including at least one course from each area, as specified below
Area I: Communication Processes and Effects
Communication 121: Behavior and Social Media
Communication 122: Content Analysis – Studying Communication Artifacts
Communication 124: Digital Deception
Communication 135: Deliberative Democracy and its Critics
Communication 137W: The Dialogue of Democracy
Communication 160: The Press and the Political Process
Communication 162: Campaigns, Voting, Media and Elections
Communication 164: The Psychology of Communication About Politics in America
Communication 166: Virtual People
Communication 172: Media Psychology
Communication 326: Advanced Topics in Human Virtual Representation
Area II: Communication Systems & Institutions
Communication 104W: Reporting, Writing, and Understanding the News
Communication 113: Computational Methods in the Civic Sphere
Communication 116: Journalism Law
Communication 120W: Digital Media in Society
Communication 125: Perspectives on American Journalism
Communication 131: Media Ethics and Responsibility
Communication 140: New Media Entrepreneurship
Communication 142W: Media Economics
Communication 143W: Communication Policy and Regulation
Communication 151: The First Amendment: Freedom of Speech and Press
Communication 152: Constitutional Law
Communication 157: Information Control in Authoritarian Regimes
Communication 177A: Computational Journalism
Communication 177I: Becoming a Watchdog
3. Elective credit
The remainder of the 60 required units may be fulfilled with any elective communication courses, or a combination of communication courses and up to 10 units of pre-approved courses in other departments.
Approved Outside Electives for Communication Majors/Minors
Communication majors may take up to 10 units outside of the department. All outside electives must be taken for a letter grade if offered. If a course also meets a WAYS requirement, it may still be used towards the major. However, a course may not be used for two majors or a major and a minor. It is the student’s responsibility to determine scheduling of these courses. Not all of the listed courses are offered every year.
Taking SOC 180A instead of COMM 106 will count towards the units outside of the department.
Majors have the option to petition for approval of a course that is not listed, but are restricted to one approved petition for the duration of their undergraduate career. To petition, please email the syllabus to the Student Services Manager.