Bachelor of Science in
Communication
Embry-Riddle offers a unique Bachelor of Science in Communication program that answers the demand for those who can integrate science and technology with solid communication fundamentals.
ERAU’s B.S. in Communication program offers focus and expertise to position the graduate for broad career opportunities in many areas of communication, emphasizing writing skills, creative thinking, and technology.
Students can tailor their degree to what most interests them, choosing from a long list of minor courses of study.
The B.S. in Communication program teaches aviation, aerospace, and technical vocabulary while fine-tuning reading and writing skills – all to help foster a technological perspective. This perspective prepares graduates for a career with traditional media or in corporate communication, aviation communication, or technical journalism.
Beyond the fundamentals of communication, students learn how scientists think, how research questions are framed, and how various methodologies are used to pursue scientific goals.
ERAU has an active radio station, a campus-wide TV station, an award-winning student newspaper, and an active public relations department where students can acquire hands-on experience.
DETAILS
This offering is available at the following campuses. Select a campus to learn more.
About Communication at the Daytona Beach, FL Campus
A growing number of aviation and aerospace businesses require specialists in both internal communications and media relations. The B.S. in Communication at ERAU’s Daytona Beach Campus gives students an opportunity to integrate knowledge of aviation, aerospace, science and technology with practice in communication.
By learning how scientists think and work, students develop skills to communicate scientific and technological information to a variety of audiences accurately and effectively. Students in this program have gone on to work as professional communicators at NASA, Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, Delta Airlines, the U.S. Department of State, Daytona International Speedway and many others. Housed in the Department of Humanities & Communication in the College of Arts and Sciences, the program culminates in an internship, where students can put theory into practice.
A typical first year might include core courses like Science and Technology Communication and Introduction to News Writing, plus courses in mass communication, law and ethics, and media relations, along with elective courses such as digital photography or web design.
- Our Daytona Beach Campus is situated near Kennedy Space Center and the bustling cities of Orlando and Jacksonville.
- The Daytona Beach area itself offers students opportunities to work in the communications field while they complete their degree, with nearby companies such as Daytona International Speedway, the Volusia Health Department and various local businesses and nonprofit organizations.
- Embry-Riddle offers a combined program that allows well-qualified students the chance to begin graduate work toward their Master of Business Administration (MBA) while finishing their B.S. in Communication. See this bachelor's-to-master's catalog page.
The Bachelor of Science in Communication requires students to integrate knowledge of science and technology with practice in communication. In this program, students learn how scientists think, how they frame research questions, and how they use various methodologies to pursue their goals. Communication students additionally practice gathering, analyzing, and disseminating scientific and technological information to a variety of audiences. A significant element of the program is the capstone experience, an internship in which students put theory into practice.
As modern society is increasingly influenced by developments in science and technology, the demand for skilled communicators in these fields continues to grow. Aviation, aerospace, and business industries, for example, require more internal communication specialists, as well as professionals in media and public relations, to relay information clearly and accurately. This program addresses that nationwide necessity.
News organizations rely on science communicators in various fields, including meteorology, medicine, technology, and the environment. Communication students have the opportunity to work in traditional media, such as newspapers, magazines, and broadcast media, as well as in digital formats on the web and social media. This program also offers a Broadcast Meteorology track for students who specifically want to become broadcast meteorologists.
The program’s focused, yet flexible, course of study requires students to hone specialized communication skills and positions them to enter career paths such as
- Communicating science information to specific and general audiences through a variety of mass media,
- Representing companies and organizations through media relations, using written, oral, and visual media,
- Communicating news to general audiences through print and electronic media, and
- Communicating weather-related information to general audiences as broadcast meteorologists.
Degree Requirements
The Bachelor of Science degree in Communication requires successful completion of a minimum of 120 credit hours, of which 40 credit hours must be upper-level courses (300-400 level)
The Communication program requires coursework in General Education, the Communication Core, Communication Specified Electives, a Minor or a declared track in Broadcast Meteorology, and Open Electives:
| General Education | 36 | |
| Communication Core Requirements | 45 | |
| Specified Electives | 15 | |
| Minor or Broadcast Meteorology Track | 15-18 | |
| Open Electives | 6-9 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
General Education Requirements
For a full description of Embry-Riddle General Education guidelines, please see the General Education section of this catalog. These minimum requirements are applicable to all degree programs.
| Communication Theory & Skills (COM 122, COM 219, COM 221) | 9 | |
| Humanities - Lower level | 3 | |
| Social Sciences - Lower level | 3 | |
| Humanities or Social Sciences - Lower or Upper level | 3 | |
| Humanities or Social Sciences - Upper level | 3 | |
| Computer Science | 3 | |
| Mathematics (MA 222*) | 6 | |
| Physical and Life Sciences - one course must include a lab (WX 201*) | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
*Students in the Broadcast Meteorology Track are advised to take MA 222 as one of their General Education math requirements as these students will use statistical analyses, and WX 201 as one of the science requirements.
Communication Core Requirements
The Communication core has three components: Required Communication Courses, Aviation and Aerospace Foundation Courses, and Science Foundation Courses.
| Required Courses | ||
| This component of the Communication Core requires students to complete eleven courses, including the following: | ||
| COM 225 | Science and Technology Communication | 3 |
| COM 260 | Introduction to Media | 3 |
| COM 265 | Introduction to News Writing | 3 |
| COM 270 | Communication Research Theory and Methods | 3 |
| COM 320 | Mass Communication Law and Ethics | 3 |
| COM 322 | Aviation and Aerospace Communication | 3 |
| COM 350 | Environmental Communication | 3 |
| COM 360 | Media Relations I | 3 |
| or COM 410 | Advanced Professional Writing | |
| COM 362 | Communication and Organizational Culture | 3 |
| COM 399/499 | Special Topics in Communication | 3 |
or CE 396/397 Cooperative Education | ||
| COM 415 | Nonverbal Communication | 3 |
| Aviation/Aerospace Foundation Courses | ||
| This component of the Communication Core requires students to complete two courses from among the following. | 6 | |
AS 120 | Principles of Aeronautical Science | |
AS 220 | Unmanned Aircraft Systems | |
SF 210 | Introduction to Aerospace Safety | |
SP 110 | Introduction to Space Flight | |
SP 200 | Planetary and Space Exploration | |
SP 210 | Space Transportation System | |
SS 130 | History of Aviation in America | |
WX 301 | Aviation Weather * | |
| Science Foundation Courses | ||
| This component of the Communication Core requires students to complete two courses from among the following. | 6 | |
AS 357 | Flight Physiology | |
BIO 142 | Intro to Environmental Science | |
HU 302 | Contemporary Issues in Science | |
HU 335 | Technology and Modern Civilization | |
PS 116 | Foundations in the Sciences | |
PS 224 | Astronomy | |
SS/PS 302 | Evolution of Scientific Thought | |
WX 201 | Survey of Meteorology * | |
| Total Credits | 45 | |
Specified Electives
To supplement coursework from the Communication Core, students complete five classes selected from among the following specified electives in Communication, Humanities, and Broadcast.
| Select five of the following: | 15 | |
COM 230 | Digital Photography | |
COM 268 | Sports Writing | |
COM 325 | Mass Media and Current Events | |
COM 326 | Social Media Communication (or COM 326HYB) | |
COM 364 | Visual Design | |
COM 411 | Web Design Workshop | |
COM 412 | Advanced Technical Writing | |
COM 460 | Media Relations II | |
HU 143 | Introduction to Rhetoric | |
HU 332 | Cross-Cultural Communication | |
HU 363 | Communication and Society | |
HU 375 | The Nature of Language | |
WX 280 | Introduction to Broadcast Meteorology * | |
COM 475 | Video Production | |
| Total Credits | 15 | |
| * | Course required for students in the Broadcast Meteorology Track. |
Minor
Students who are not in the Broadcast Meteorology Track select, in consultation with their advisor, a minor that enhances their knowledge base and increases their job prospects. Total credits in the minor vary, depending on the minor chosen. Suggested minors include:
| Minors | Required Credits |
|---|---|
| Aeronautical Studies | 18 |
| Aviation Safety | 18 |
| Business Administration | 18 |
| Foreign Languages | 15 |
| Human Factors Psychology | 15 |
| International Relations | 15 |
| Space Studies | 15 |
| Marketing | 15 |
| Total Credits | 15-18 |
Broadcast Meteorology Track
Students in the Broadcast Meteorology Track must complete the following courses in lieu of a minor:
| WX 261 | Applied Climatology | 3 |
| WX 327 | Operational Analysis and Forecasting | 3 |
| WX 363 | Thunderstorms | 3 |
| WX 365 | Satellite and Radar Weather Interpretation | 3 |
| WX 380 | Advanced Broadcast Meteorology | 3 |
| WX 361 | Global Climate Change | 3 |
| or WX 436 | Advanced Operational Forecasting | |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Open Electives
Students complete open electives, experiencing the breadth of curriculum offerings of the University or selecting an additional minor.
| Open Electives: Total Credits | 6-9 | |
| Total Degree Credits | 120 | |
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Summary
120 Credits
Estimate your tuition by using the Tuition Calculator
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Learn about our General Education
Find out about transferring credits to this degree
Learn more about our Veterans & Military benefits
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- Eagle Finds Family in African American Campus Community
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- Students Collaborate on Inventions that Support Industry, Hands-On Learning
- Eagle Alumna Wins NASA Trailblazer Award for Work on Manned Rocket Mission
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- Eagles, NASA Join Forces to Assess Weather for Drone Package Delivery, Taxis
- MicaPlex Firm Wins Grand Prize in Florida Startup Competition
About Communication at the Worldwide & Online Campus
The art of delivering information continues to evolve with each new medium, creating new opportunities across virtually every industry. Skilled communicators who can analyze complex information and deliver effective messages in print and digital formats are in demand from the newsroom to the boardroom. ERAU has focused its B.S. in Communication online degree on the specific needs of technical and science-minded students who want to gain the valuable knowledge not offered in a general communication degree program.
Choosing this degree can provide students with an advantage in understanding how to interpret, analyze, and report on technological and scientific topics across all types of media.
The B.S. in Communication degree can help prepare students — either entering college for the first time or working professionals seeking to enhance marketability — for a tomorrow steeped in technology, where media-rich communication will bring information to life in new ways.
ERAU Worldwide’s online programs enable students to take advantage of a flexible course structure and to learn when and where it’s convenient for them.
The program’s goals are to help students:
- Gain a strong foundation in the basic concepts of communicating in today’s technology-centric world.
- Become practiced in scientific and technical communication for aviation, aerospace, environmental science, and other technology-based industries.
- Analyze research techniques and the principles of scientific inquiry.
- Get hands-on experience with visual design, photography, news writing, and reporting.
- Explore new media communications including social media, blogging, website content, and more.
- Evaluate the laws, ethics, cultural, and societal aspects of mass communication.
The Bachelor of Science in Communication requires students to integrate knowledge of science and technology with practice in communication. In this program, students learn how scientists think, how they frame research questions, and how they use various methodologies to pursue their goals. Communication students additionally practice gathering, analyzing, and disseminating scientific and technological information to a variety of audiences. A significant element of the program is the capstone course, completing a senior project or an internship****.
As modern society is increasingly influenced by developments in science and technology, the demand for skilled communicators in these fields continues to grow. Aviation, aerospace, and technology industries, for example, require more internal communication specialists, as well as professionals in media and public relations, to relay information clearly and accurately. This program addresses that nationwide necessity.
News organizations rely on science communicators in various fields, including meteorology, environmentalism, medicine, and technology. Communication students work in traditional written media, such as newspapers, newsletters, magazines, and journals, as well as in cutting-edge information retrieval and delivery systems, including Web sites, networked blogs and social media.
This focused, yet flexible, course of study requires students to hone specialized communication skills and to assemble portfolios displaying those skills. These graduates, the next generation of communication specialists, are positioned to enter three specific career paths, including:
- Communicating science information to specific and general audiences through a variety of mass media,
- Representing companies and organizations through media relations, using written, oral, and visual media, and
- Communicating news to general audiences through print and electronic media.
The Bachelor of Science degree in Communication requires successful completion of a minimum of 120 credit hours, of which 40 credit hours must be upper-level courses (300-400 level).
The Communication program requires coursework in General Education, the Communication Core, Communication Specified Electives, a Minor, and Open Electives.
****Due to state authorization requirements, internships must be conducted in approved states only.
| General Education | ||
| Embry-Riddle courses in the general education categories of Communication Theory and Skills, and Humanities and Social Sciences may be chosen from those listed below, assuming prerequisites are met. Courses from other institutions are acceptable if they fall into these broad categories and are at the level specified. | ||
| Communication Theory and Skills | ||
| ENGL 123 | English Composition | 3 |
| ENGL 221 | Technical Report Writing | 3 |
| or ENGL 222 | Business Communication | |
| SPCH 219 | Speech | 3 |
| Humanities* | ||
| HUMN 330 | Values and Ethics | 3 |
| Humanities elective | 3 | |
| Social Sciences | ||
| ECON 210 | Microeconomics | 3 |
| or ECON 211 | Macroeconomics | |
| Social Science elective (History/Government/Social Science/Psychology/Economics) | 3 | |
| Physical and Life Science Lower-Level electives | ||
| Physics/Biology/Meteorology/Chemistry, etc. | 6 | |
| Mathematics | ||
| Take six (6) credit hours from any MATH series courses (excluding MATH 106) | 6 | |
| Computer Science | ||
| Take one of the following courses to satisfy Computer Science requirements. The course used to satisfy the General Education Computer Science requirement cannot also be used to satisfy a Core/Major or Minor requirement. | 3 | |
CSCI 109 | Introduction to Computers and Applications | |
CSCI 123 | Introduction to Computing for Data Analysis | |
CYBR 235 | Computer and Network Technologies | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
| Communication Core | 33 | |
| COMD 225 | Science and Technology Communication | 3 |
| COMD 260 | Introduction to Media | 3 |
| COMD 265 | Introduction to Newswriting and Reporting | 3 |
| COMD 320 | Mass Communication Law and Ethics | 3 |
| COMD 322 | Aviation and Aerospace Communication | 3 |
| COMD 335 | Technology and Modern Civilization | 3 |
| COMD 350 | Environmental Communication | 3 |
| COMD 360 | Media Relations I | 3 |
| COMD 362 | Communication and Organizational Culture | 3 |
| COMD 415 | Nonverbal Communication | 3 |
| COMD 495 | Senior Project | 3** |
| or COIN 496 | Co-Operative Education | |
**When taken as a part of the BS Communication degree, COIN 496 is a 3 credit hour course, and credit hours are approved by the Program Chair. | ||
| Aviation, Science, & Technology Foundation | 9 | |
Select three courses from the following options: | ||
| ASCI 202 | Introduction to Aeronautical Science | 3 |
| ASCI 254 | Aviation Legislation | 3 |
| ASCI 260 | Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Systems | 3 |
| PHYS 142 | Introduction to Environmental Science | 3 |
| SFTY 201 | Introduction to Health, Occupational, and Transportation Safety | 3 |
| SFTY 205 | Principles of Accident Investigation | 3 |
| WEAX 201 | Meteorology I | 3 |
| PHYS 123 | Science of Flight | 3 |
| Total Credits | 42 | |
Electives
| Communication Specified Electives | 9 | |
Select three courses from the following options: | ||
| COMD 230 | Digital Photography | 3 |
| COMD 295 | Rhetorical Strategies and Analysis | 3 |
| COMD 363 | Communication and Society | 3 |
| COMD 364 | Visual Design | 3 |
| COMD 420 | Applied Cross Cultural Communication | 3 |
| COMD 460 | Media Relations II | 3 |
(View Minors)
| Minor*** | 15-21 | |
| Select a minor, in consultation with your advisor. | ||
| ***For students in the Bachelor of Science in Communication degree program the RSCH 202 prerequisite for courses in a minor is waived since RSCH 202 is not required for the program. | ||
| Open Electives | 12-18 | |
| Open elective credits are dependent upon the selected minor. | ||
| Total Degree Requirements | 120 | |
| * | Minnesota student residents refer to State of Minnesota Course Requirement statement for Humanities requirements. |
Get Started Now:
Summary
120 Credits
Estimate your tuition by using the Tuition Calculator
View Financial Aid Information
Learn more about the benefits of an Online Degree
Learn about our General Education
Find out about transferring credits to this degree
Learn more about our Veterans & Military benefits
View our Academic Calendar
Search Courses for this degree
The Future Belongs to You!
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- U.S. News & World Report Ranks Embry-Riddle No. 1 for Online Bachelor’s Degrees, Online Programs for Vets
- Two Eagle Undergrads Score Cutting-Edge Internship Project Recreating Infamous Plane Crash
- Unlocking the Science of Atmospheric Waves Key to Improving Air Travel Safety, Climate Change Models
- Researchers Work to Build Stronger Aircraft Parts, Student Pathway to STEM
- Drone Integration the Goal of FAA-Funded Research at Embry-Riddle
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- Embry-Riddle Undergraduate Degree in Aerospace and Occupational Safety Earns Prestigious Recognition
- NTSB Chair Reflects on Investigating Accidents in a Virtual World