Curriculum Revision
Reimagining our curriculum
For three years, the School of Communications and its dedicated teachers, scholars and mentors collaborated to reimagine our curriculum.
We have looked at communications industry trends now and what lies ahead. We have had difficult and challenging conversations about how we can best educate and prepare you – our students – for an industry moving at lightning speed. And we have thought about our accrediting bodies, the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications and the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation, and their standards, along with Elon and School of Communications values.
Every decision has been made collaboratively to serve you.
We are now ready to begin implementing the new curriculum, starting gradually in fall 2023.
So, what is this process and how will it affect you?
In short, new students beginning in fall 2023 will adhere to the new curriculum.
But returning students, who entered the School of Communications before fall 2023, have a choice, and a chance to decide which curriculum path is best for their academic journey. While the new curriculum offers disciplinary depth, the curriculum you started with has served us well since 2015, and we believe you will be prepared if you decide to stay on your current pathway.
Returning students can either proceed with the existing courses and your major as you’ve envisioned through your four-year plan. Or, you can switch to the new curriculum.
For those that choose to move to the new curriculum it means the following would apply to you:
- You would have new courses within the major. For more information on each of the majors, click on the department/program tab below that represents your primary major:
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Your COM core curriculum courses would change, including the addition of COM 2000: Inclusive Communication (2 credit hours). For more information, visit the COM core curriculum webpage outlining new changes.
- You would have to complete the university’s new Advancing Equity Requirement (AER). As part of the 4-credit course, students will explore and deepen their understanding of their own and others’ identities and learn about the historical, political and cultural causes of racism in our society.
Our faculty academic advisers are prepared to help you as we ease into the new curriculum, and we are all prepared to answer your questions. There is a lot to digest, so please read our communications carefully, beginning with FAQs below.
Once you have reviewed the changes and are ready to make a decision, please complete this survey where you can change your catalog year to 2023-2024 and your degree audit will reflect the new curriculum for your primary major.
If you are choosing to stay in the current curriculum, you do not need to take any action at this time.
Cinema & Television Arts
As a Cinema & Television Arts (CTA) major, you have a choice to either stay in the current curriculum and complete the major requirements provided in your degree audit or transition to the new curriculum, starting in August 2023. Between now and the start of the next academic year, we hope to provide guidance on what the best decision is for your situation. For your convenience we have provided the 2023-2024 Academic Catalog for the Cinema & Television Arts A.B and the Cinema & Television Arts BFA, as well as some answers to common questions students have about your possible transition.
What is the benefit of the new curriculum?
Opting into the new curriculum provides students more depth in the Cinema and Television Arts major. To do this, we have revised some of our CTA and COM core requirements and will no longer require the following courses for those that choose the new curriculum:
- CTA 2560 Entertainment Media and Society (4 credit hours)
- COM 2100 Web and Mobile Media (2 credit hours)
- COM 1100 Media Writing (4 credit hours)
- COM 4970 Great Ideas: Issues and Research (4 credit hours)
What courses are required as part of the new curriculum?
Please keep in mind that if you switch to the new curriculum for your primary major, you will have to complete the following courses as part of the new curriculum:
- COM 2000 Inclusive Communications (2 credit hours)
- CTA 2100 Introduction to Cinema and Television Arts (4 credit hours)
- CTA 3000 Entertainment Media Business and Practices (4 credit hours)
- CTA 4975 Entertainment Media Issues and Research (4 credit hours)
In addition, the new curriculum would require you to meet the university’s new Advancing Equity Requirement (4 credit course) as part of the Elon core curriculum change.
What steps should be taken if you would like to move to the new curriculum?
To explore the possibility of transitioning to the new curriculum, I would recommend speaking with your academic adviser to determine if the new curriculum is achievable in your graduation plan. For many students, particularly rising seniors and juniors, you may find it difficult to complete your required courses for the new curriculum. Please review the new curriculum with your adviser and determine the feasibility of the transition, including identifying courses for the fall semester.
How do you change to the new 2023-2024 curriculum?
Once the Academic Catalog and the Student Planning system is updated for the 2023-2024 academic year, we will provide clear instructions for how to modify your degree audit to reflect your desired change to the new curriculum. You will have to declare your intentions to move to the new curriculum by completing the Academic Advising major change form.
What happens if you want to stay in the current curriculum?
If you would like to stay in the current CTA curriculum, you do not have to take any action. Please work with your adviser to continue making progress toward meeting your major requirements.
If I move to the new curriculum and change my catalog year, does it also change the catalog year for my secondary major or minor?
No. The curriculum change would change the catalog year for your primary major and the university core requirements (including the AER credit). The secondary major and/or minor(s) do not have to be updated to the new catalog year.
Since COM 2100 is no longer offered, what happens if you are staying in the current curriculum?
Students that wish to stay in the current curriculum, and have not taken COM 2100, should plan to take COM 2000 Inclusive Communications, in place of COM 2100. If you have already taken COM 2100 and you wish to stay in the current curriculum, you do not need to take COM 2000. However, we would encourage you to consider taking COM 2000 as a COM elective as we believe the course content is important for all COM students.
CTA students interested in the new curriculum are required to complete the following survey.
For more information, contact your academic adviser or Staci Saltz, chair of the Department of Cinema & Television Arts Department.
Communication Design
As a Communication Design (CDE) major, you have a choice to either stay in the current curriculum and complete the major requirements provided in your degree audit or transition to the new curriculum, starting in August 2023. For your convenience we have provided the 2023-2024 Academic Catalog for the Communication Design A.B., as well as some answers to common questions students have about your possible transition.
What is the benefit of the new curriculum?
Opting into the new curriculum provides students more depth in the Communication Design major. To do this, we have shifted some of our COM core credits and will no longer require the following courses for those that choose the new curriculum:
- COM 1100 Media Writing (4 credit hours)
- COM 2100 Web and Mobile Media (2 credit hours)
- COM 4970 Great Ideas: Issues & Research (4 credit hours)
What courses are required as part of the new curriculum?
Please keep in mind that if you switch to the new curriculum for your primary major, you will have to complete the following courses:
- COM 2000 Inclusive Communications (2 credit hours)
- CDE 2600 Fundamentals of Typography (4 credit hours)
- CDE 3500 Web & Mobile Design (4 credit hours) OR CDE 3550 Design & Analytics (4 credit hours)
- CDE 3600 Contemporary Practices in Design (4 credit hours)
In addition, the new curriculum would require you to meet the new Advancing Equity Requirement (4 credit course) as part of the Elon core curriculum change. Therefore, you will have to complete 14 credits that do not appear in the current curriculum.
What steps should be taken if you would like to move to the new curriculum?
To explore the possibility of transitioning to the new curriculum, I would recommend speaking with your academic adviser to determine if the new curriculum is achievable in your graduation plan. For many students, particularly juniors and seniors, you may find it difficult to complete your required courses for the new curriculum. Please review the attached proposed curriculum with your adviser and determine the feasibility of the transition, including identifying courses for the fall semester.
How do you change to the new 2023-2024 curriculum?
Once the Academic Catalog and the Student Planning system is updated for 2023-2024 academic year, we will provide clear instructions for how to modify your degree audit to reflect your desired change to the new curriculum in August. You will have to declare your intentions to move to the new curriculum by completing the Academic Advising major change form.
If I move to the new curriculum and change my catalog year, does it also change the catalog year for my secondary major or minor?
No. The curriculum change would change the catalog year for your primary major and the university core requirements (including the AER credit). The secondary major or minor(s) does not have to be updated to the new catalog year.
What happens if you want to stay in the current curriculum?
If you would like to stay in the current CDE curriculum, you do not have to take any action. Please work with your adviser to continue making progress toward meeting your major requirements.
Since COM 2100 is no longer offered, what happens if you are staying in the current curriculum?
Students that wish to stay in the current curriculum, and have not taken COM 2100, should plan to take COM 2000 Inclusive Communications, in place of COM 2100. If you have already taken COM 2100 and you wish to stay in the current curriculum, you do not need to take COM 2000. We would encourage you to consider taking COM 2000 as a COM elective as we believe the course content is important for all COM students.
CDE students interested in the new curriculum are required to complete the following survey.
If you have questions, please work with your academic adviser or Ben Hannam, chair of the Department of Communication Design, to help determine your best path. This is a timely discussion, because you will need to meet with your academic adviser in the next few days to register for the fall semester. Make a point to talk about the new CDE curriculum if you have any questions.
Journalism
As a Journalism (JOU) major, you have a choice to either stay in the current curriculum and complete the major requirements provided in your degree audit or transition to the new curriculum, starting in fall 2023. For your convenience we have provided the 2023-2024 Academic Catalog for the Journalism A.B., as well as some answers to common questions students have about a possible transition.
What is the benefit of the new curriculum?
Opting into the new curriculum provides students more depth in the JOU major. To do this, To do this, we have revised some of our JOU and COM core requirements and will no longer require the following courses for those that choose the new curriculum:
- COM 1100 Media Writing (4 credit hours)
- COM 2100 Web and Mobile Media (2 credit hours)
- COM 4970 Great Ideas: Issues and Research (4 credit hours)
- JOU 4500 Multimedia Journalism (4 credit hours)
What other courses are required as part of the new curriculum?
We have created an introductory newswriting course to replace the more general Media Writing class, added new electives, and designed upper-level classes that prepare you for a digital news world. We will continue to build on this curriculum as AI and other innovations appear on the scene. Please keep in mind that if you switch to the new curriculum for your primary major, you will have to complete the following courses:
- COM 2000 Inclusive Communications (2 credit hours)
- JOU 1100 Newswriting and Reporting (4 credit hours)
- JOU 3200 Multiplatform News Editing (4 credit hours)
- JOU 3980 Reporting in Practice (4 credit hours)
- JOU 4970 Investigative Journalism: Reporting Capstone (4 credit hours)
- JOU 3450 or JOU XXXX
You also must enroll in a new Advancing Equity Requirement (AER 4 credit course) as part of the Elon core curriculum change. All future students will eventually be required to take an AER core class.
What steps should be taken if you would like to move to the new curriculum?
To explore transitioning to the new curriculum, speak with your adviser to determine if the new curriculum is achievable in your graduation plan. Many, particularly rising seniors and juniors, may find it difficult to complete the required courses for the new curriculum. Please review the attached proposed curriculum with your adviser and determine the feasibility of transition, including identifying courses for the fall semester.
How do you change to the new 2023-2024 curriculum?
Once the Academic Catalog and the Student Planning system is updated for 2023-2024, we will provide instructions for how to modify your audit to reflect a change to the new curriculum. You will have to declare your intentions to move to the new curriculum by completing the Academic Advising major change form.
What happens if you want to stay in the current curriculum?
If you would like to stay in the current JOU curriculum, you do not have to take any action. Please work with your adviser to continue making progress toward meeting your major requirements. If you have additional questions, please work with your adviser and/or me to help determine your best path.
JOU students interested in the new curriculum are required to complete the following survey.
If you have questions, please work with your academic adviser or Anthony Hatcher, chair of the Department of Journalism.
Media Analytics
As a Media Analytics (MEA) major, you have a choice to either stay in the current curriculum and complete the major requirements provided in your degree audit or transition to the new curriculum, starting in August 2023. For your convenience we have provided the 2023-2024 Academic Catalog for the Media Analytics A.B., as well as some answers to common questions students have about your possible transition.
The MEA curriculum change was minimal and thus the choice to change to the new curriculum would be based on the following changes:
What courses are no longer required as part of the new curriculum?
MEA majors that transition to the new curriculum would not have to take:
- COM 1100 Media Writing (4 credit hours)
- COM 2100 Web and Mobile Media (2 credit hours)
What courses are required as part of the new curriculum?
Please keep in mind that if you switch to the new curriculum for your primary major, you will have to complete the following courses:
- JOU 1100 Newswriting and Reporting (4 credit hours)
- COM 2000 Inclusive Communications (2 credit hours)
- Advancing Equity Requirement (AER) (4 credit hours): In addition, the new curriculum would require you to meet the university’s new Advancing Equity Requirement (4 credit course) as part of the Elon core curriculum change.
What steps should be taken if you would like to move to the new curriculum?
To explore the possibility of transitioning to the new curriculum, I would recommend speaking with your academic adviser to determine if the new curriculum is achievable in your graduation plan. For many students, particularly rising seniors and juniors, you may find it difficult to complete your required courses for the new curriculum. Please review the new curriculum with your adviser and determine the feasibility of the transition, including identifying courses for the fall semester.
How do you change to the new 2023-2024 curriculum?
Once the Academic Catalog and the Student Planning system is updated for the 2023-2024 academic year, we will provide clear instructions for how to modify your degree audit to reflect your desired change to the new curriculum. You will have to declare your intentions to move to the new curriculum by completing the Academic Advising major change form.
What happens if you want to stay in the current curriculum?
If you would like to stay in the current MEA curriculum, you do not have to take any action. Please work with your adviser to continue making progress toward meeting your major requirements.
If I move to the new curriculum and change my catalog year, does it also change the catalog year for my secondary major or minor?
No. The curriculum change would change the catalog year for your primary major and the university core requirements (including the AER credit). The secondary major and/or minor(s) do not have to be updated to the new catalog year.
Since COM 2100 is no longer offered, what happens if you are staying in the current curriculum?
Students that wish to stay in the current curriculum, and have not taken COM 2100, should plan to take COM 2000 Inclusive Communications, in place of COM 2100. If you have already taken COM 2100 and you wish to stay in the current curriculum, you do not need to take COM 2000. However, we would encourage you to consider taking COM 2000 as a COM elective as we believe the course content is important for all COM students.
MEA students interested in the new curriculum are required to complete the following survey.
If you have questions, contact your academic adviser or David Bockino, director of the Media Analytics program.
Sport Management
As a Sport Management (SPT) major, you have a choice to either stay in the current curriculum and complete the major requirements provided in your degree audit or transition to the new curriculum, starting in August 2023. For your convenience we have provided the 2023-2024 Academic Catalog for the Sport Management B.S., as well as some answers to common questions students have about your possible transition.
What is the benefit of the new SPT curriculum?
Opting into the new curriculum provides students with more depth in the Sport Management (SPT) major. To do this, we have shifted some of our SPT credits and will no longer require the following courses for those that choose the new curriculum:
- SPT 2260 Facility and Venue Management (4 credit hours)
- ACC 2010 Principles of Accounting (4 credit hours)
- MGT 3230 Principles of Management and Organizational Behavior (4 credit hours)
- BUS 2020 Business Communications (4 credit hours)
What courses are required as part of the new curriculum?
Required Courses
If you switch to the new curriculum for your primary major, you will have to complete the following courses:
- IDS 1150 Public Speaking (2 credit hours)
- ECO 1000 Principles of Economics (4 credit hours)
- Non-Sport Elective Courses (8 credit hours)* — See list below
- SPT 2120 Contemporary Sport Management (4 credit hours)
- SPT 2320 Sport Data and Research (4 credit hours)
- SPT 3050 Sport Law (4 credit hours)
- COM 3350 Sports and Media (4 credit hours)
- SPT 3510 Sport Marketing (4 credit hours)
- SPT 3520 Sport Sales and Promotion (4 credit hours)
- SPT 3985 Internship in Sport Management (4 credit hours)
- SPT 4120 Sport Finance (4 credit hours)
- Sport Elective Course (4 credit hours)* — See list below
- SPT 4270 Event and Venue Management (4 credit hours)
- SPT 4970 Sport Leadership and Ethics (4 credit hours)
Electives
Students will take 12 credit hours of electives for the sport management major. Eight credit hours of non-sport electives and 4 credit hours of a sport elective. Below is a list of electives that were approved by the University Curriculum Committee.
Non-Sport Electives (two courses from list below) (8 credit hours)
- COM 1000 Communications in a Global Age (4 credit hours)
- COM 2200 Creating Multimedia Content (4 credit hours)
- CSC 1100 Data Science and Visualization (4 credit hours)
- CSC 1300 Computer Science I (4 credit hours)
- ACC 2010 Principles of Accounting (4 credit hours)
- MGT 3230 Principles of Management (4 credit hours)
Sport Electives (one course from list below) (4 credit hours)
- ESS 3134 Sport Psychology (4 credit hours)
- JOU 3620 Sports Journalism (4 credit hours) (NEW course)
- COR 3060 Current Issues in College Athletics Administration
- CTA 3450 Sports Broadcasting (4 credit hours)
- GBL 2050 Through the Lens of ESPN (4 credit hours)
- GBL 2980 Baseball and the Tourism Industry (4 credit hours)
- SPT 2610 Professional Sport (4 credit hours)
- SPT 3810 Sport Analytics & Technology (4 credit hours) (NEW course)
- SPT 3820 Sport & Society (4 credit hours) (NEW course)
- SPT 4999 Undergraduate Research (4 credit hours)
In addition, the new curriculum would require you to meet the new Advancing Equity Requirement (4 credit course) as part of the Elon core curriculum change.
What steps should be taken if you would like to move to the new curriculum?
To explore the possibility of transitioning to the new curriculum, it is recommended that you speak with your academic adviser to determine if the new curriculum is achievable in your graduation plan. For many students, particularly rising seniors and juniors, you may find it difficult to complete your required courses for the new curriculum. Please review the SPT Major Checksheet with your adviser and determine the feasibility of the transition, including identifying courses for your academic plan.
How do you change to the new 2023-2024 curriculum?
Once the Academic Catalog and the Student Planning system is updated for 2023-2024 academic year, we will provide clear instructions for how to modify your degree audit to reflect your desired change to the new curriculum in fall 2023. You will have to declare your intentions to move to the new curriculum by completing the Academic Advising major change form. This process will happen in August 2023.
If you move to the new curriculum and change your catalog year, does it also change the catalog year for your secondary major or minor?
No. The curriculum change would change the catalog year for your primary major and the university core requirements (including the AER credit). The secondary major or minor(s) does not have to be updated to the new catalog year.
What happens if you want to stay in the current curriculum?
If you would like to stay in the current SPT curriculum, you do not have to take any action. Please work with your adviser to continue making progress toward meeting your major requirements.
Since SPT 2260 Facility and Venue Management will no longer be offered after the fall 2023 semester, what happens if you are staying in the current curriculum?
Students that wish to stay in the current curriculum, and have not taken SPT 2260, should plan on taking the course in the fall. After the fall 2023 semester, students that wish to stay on the current curriculum should work with Cara Lucia, chair of the Department of Sport Management, to plan on taking a designated SPT sport elective course in place of SPT 2260.
What happens if you change to the new curriculum but have taken SPT 2260?
Students that wish to change to the new curriculum, and have taken SPT 2260, should email a request to Cara Lucia, chair of the Department of Sport Management, to have SPT 2260 count as the Sport Management elective credits required for the major.
SPT students interested in the new curriculum are required to complete the following survey.
If you have additional questions, contact with your adviser or Cara Lucia, chair of the Department of Sport Management.
Strategic Communications
As a Strategic Communications (STC) major, you have a choice to either stay in the current curriculum and complete the major requirements provided in your degree audit or transition to the new curriculum, starting in August 2023. For your convenience we have provided the 2023-2024 Academic Catalog for the Strategic Communications A.B., as well as some answers to common questions students have about your possible transition.
What is the benefit of the new curriculum?
Opting into the new curriculum provides students more depth in the Strategic Communications major. To do this, we have shifted some of our COM core credits and will no longer require the following courses for those that choose the new curriculum:
- CDE 3250 Corporate Publishing (4 credit hours)
- COM 2100 Web and Mobile Media (2 credit hours)
What courses are required as part of the new curriculum?
Please keep in mind that if you switch to the new curriculum for your primary major, you will have to complete the following courses:
- COM 2000 Inclusive Communications (2 credit hours)
- STC 2600 Brand Identity (new course) (4 credit hours)
- MEA 3590 Strategies for Emerging Media (4 credit hours)
In addition, the new curriculum would require you to meet the new Advancing Equity Requirement (4 credit course) as part of the Elon core curriculum change. Therefore, you will have to complete 14 credits that do not appear in the current curriculum.
What steps should be taken if you would like to move to the new curriculum?
To explore the possibility of transitioning to the new curriculum, we recommend speaking with your academic adviser to determine if the new curriculum is achievable in your graduation plan. For many students, particularly rising seniors and juniors, you may find it difficult to complete your required courses for the new curriculum. Please review the attached proposed curriculum with your adviser and determine the feasibility of the transition, including identifying courses for the fall semester.
How do you change to the new 2023-2024 curriculum?
Once the Academic Catalog and the Student Planning system is updated for 2023-2024 academic year, we will provide clear instructions for how to modify your degree audit to reflect your desired change to the new curriculum. You will have to declare your intentions to move to the new curriculum by completing the Academic Advising major change form.
What happens if you want to stay in the current curriculum?
If you would like to stay in the current STC curriculum, you do not have to take any action. Please work with your adviser to continue making progress toward meeting your major requirements.
Since COM 2100 is no longer offered, what happens if you are staying in the current curriculum?
Students that wish to stay in the current curriculum, and have not taken COM 2100, should plan to take COM 2000 Inclusive Communications, in place of COM 2100. If you have already taken COM 2100 and you wish to stay in the current curriculum, you do not need to take COM 2000. We would encourage you to consider taking COM 2000 as a COM elective as we believe the course content is important for all COM students.
STC students interested in the new curriculum are required to complete the following survey.
If you have additional questions, contact with your adviser or Vanessa Bravo, chair of the Department of Strategic Communications.