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Undergraduate Programs


DEGREES

The college awards four undergraduate degrees: Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication Design, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication Design and Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Mass Communication and also in Photo-Illustration. Programs leading to the combined Bachelor of Science/Master of Fine Arts in Visual Communication Design, Master of Arts, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Library and Information Science, Master of Science in Information Architecture and Knowledge Management and Doctor of Philosophy degrees also are offered in the college.

PROGRAMS OFFERED

 

ACCREDITATION

Individual undergraduate programs are accredited or approved by:

  • Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
  • National Association of Schools of Art and Design
 

ADMISSION

Selective admission criteria are used in some programs in the college. It is imperative that the student contact the individual school for detailed information.

Students with an interest in a program for which they are not qualified are admitted into the communication and information general category until requirements are met. 

 

ACADEMIC ADVISING

Regular consultation with an academic advisor is an essential aspect of all students’ personal academic management and planning. Consultation at least once each semester for scheduling advice and assistance with registration procedures is the minimum expectation.

Academic advising for students in the College of Communication and Information is provided in each of the school offices (Communication Studies majors, 135 Taylor Hall; Journalism and Mass Communication majors, 334 Franklin Hall; Visual Communication Design and Photo Illustration majors, 231 Art Building). Students who are CCI General [CCIG] majors or those not sure which field in Communication to choose are advised in Communication Studies. The school offices provide advising for transfer students and intervention and referral programs for students on academic probation that include small group and individual counseling. Students may schedule an appointment with an academic advisor online through the website, http://cci.kent.edu/advising and/or individual school websites.

It is the student’s responsibility to seek out and use the advising resources available.

Requirement Audit
Upon completion of 60 semester hours, students are strongly advised to contact an academic advisor in their respective school to obtain a current evaluation of all progress toward completion of the chosen degree program. Requirement evaluations are not a substitute for meeting with an advisor. Questions about GPS degree audits can be answered in the school advising offices.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR MEETING ALL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS rests with students. The various advising services provided by the schools and the college are an effort to support and assist students in meeting this responsibility. Students’ failure to comply with all duly publicized academic requirements, however, is not the responsibility of the university.

Transfer Advising
Students transferring into the college from another university should make an appointment in their respective school advising office to determine applicability of transfer credits to their program before registering for classes. Those seeking admission to schools or programs with specialized admissions requirements should check the school’s section of this Catalog for special requirements.

GENERAL ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

Scholastic Requirements
All candidates for a degree in the College of Communication and Information must meet all requirements listed under the program of their major in this Catalog. In addition, students must meet the following scholastic qualifications:

  • A cumulative overall GPA of at least 2.00 (C) for all courses taken at Kent State University. (Some programs require a higher overall GPA.)
  • A cumulative GPA of at least 2.25 in the major and, where applicable, the minor. Certain programs require higher GPAs. Consult the degree requirements for the major as listed in this Catalog.
  • Successful completion of at least 39 upper-division hours of coursework. Upper-division courses are numbered 30000-49999.


Course Substitutions
Students who desire to substitute a course for one required in their program must secure written approval from their school academic or faculty advisor prior to enrolling in the substitute course.

PEB—ROTC
No more than 4 credit hours of PEB activities courses or the first 16 credit hours of ROTC courses may apply to the 121 semester hours required for graduation.

Veterans who have completed a minimum of one year of active duty may receive PEB credit for military basic training according to branch of service, as follows: Army and Marine Corps, 3 credit hours; Navy and Coast Guard, 2 hours; Air Force, 1 hour.

Natural Sciences
Credit toward fulfilling the natural science requirement is not given for the following combinations:
• PHY 11660 and the CHEM 10050 series, the CHEM 10060 series and/or the PHY 13001 series;
• both the CHEM 10050 series and the CHEM 10060 series;
• both the PHY 13001 series and the PHY 23101 series.

Minors
Students who seek the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in some programs may be required to complete a minor. In certain circumstances, an individually planned minor may be approved upon recommendation of the director of the school in which the students are enrolled and the chairperson of the department in which the minors are proposed. However, an individualized minor is not officially recognized. Consult the program descriptions listed by the schools to determine if a minor is required.

Students may elect a minor outside or within the College of Communication and Information. Where major and minor requirements overlap, students may apply courses in both areas.