Advising

As a Communication Major, your academic advisor provides comprehensive guidance towards your graduation. It is critical for all students to schedule an appointment with their designated academic advisor prior to each semester course registration. In addition to the core courses, the department is also featuring several diverse special topics classes. Please see your advisor about additional information.

WebAdvisor

This electronic feature is designed to aid students in academic planning. WEBstudent cannot serve as a substitute for face-to-face academic advising. Personal academic information is available remotely through the office of registration and records at WEBstudent.

Current features of WebAdvisor include:

• Search for classes
• My class schedule
• Grades
• Grade point average
• Grade point average by term
• Transcript
• Academic Audit (unofficial)

Graduation Audit

Once you have applied to graduate via e-forms and receive your Graduation Audit, make an appointment to review your audit with your advisor. There may be errors in your audit that can be easily fixed.

Writing Intensive Courses

Communication students must successfully complete two writing intensive courses as part of their general education requirements. Since all communication students must take CO 301 (which is listed below) one more of the following must be taken.

• CO 215 News Writing
• CO 291 Media Ethics
• CO 301 Concepts of Communication
• CO 340 Writing the Review
• CO 342 Editorial Writing
• CO 360 Feature Writing
• CO 367 Media Analysis
• CO 375 Television Criticism
• CO 380 Organizational Communication
• CO 383 Gender, Race, and Media

Experiential Education

As a Freshman or a Transfer - discuss your options for fulfilling the Experiential Education University requirement. We offer four experiential classes, Storytelling, Real People, Reel Stories, Advanced Radio Production, and Civic Journalism. Of course, internships, co-ops, and service learning also fulfill the Experiential Education requirement.

Advising

Please contact your advisor at any point during the school year to set up an appointment should you have any questions or concerns regarding your academic progress. Be sure to bring a copy of your audit to the meeting.

Check your audit to see if you are listed for the correct concentration (Radio/TV, PR/Journalism, or Applied Communication). If it is incorrect, the registrar will believe you have not completed all of the required courses within the major. Without being changed, they will not issue a diploma.

When working on registration, search WebAdvisor for courses carefully and make up several tentative schedules that will work for you before you meet with your advisor.

Several courses in our department require instructor approval for registration. They may not be marked this way on WebStudent. Check the flyers posted in the Communication building to determine what you need to do to be considered for admission into these courses.

Advising FAQs 2008-2009

When is Registration?

Registration begins April 3 and runs through April 15.

How do I know when to register?

On WebStudent, “Registration Approvals and Blocks” will tell you your day and time to register as well as informing you of any blocks on your account. Your day and time to register is also listed at the top of Worksheet #2.

If your name is in RED, you have an administrative block. Contact the office listed, NOT your advisor.

I’m supposed to register today and my advisor isn’t here. What do I do?

Advisors in the CO department have had advising sign-up sheets on their doors for the past two to three weeks. It is your responsibility to meet with your advisor before your day and time to register. Check to see if the advisor still has a sign-up sheet on his or her door. If so, pick a time, print out your audit, and bring it to your meeting. If not, your advisor’s office hours will be listed. Send an e-mail to your advisor and set up an appointment. As the old saying goes, “lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.”

What if I didn’t pass CO 100, CO 155, or one of my program requirements with a B- or better? Do I have to take the class again before I take other classes within my program?

If you are in RTV or PRJ, yes. If you have trouble re-registering, contact Prof. Schmidt for an override.

Can I take classes at another college

Yes, but only electives. You cannot take general education or major requirements away from MU. You will need permission in advance from MU to take the course. This is done through E-forms. If you have attained junior status (57+ credits) you cannot take classes at a 2-year institution. If you are within 32 credits of graduating, you must finish your credits at MU.

How many credits can I take in the summer

You can take a total of 12 credits over the whole summer. HOWEVER, the general rule is that you may only take one (1) course per 4 week session, and two (2) classes per 6 week session.

Can I register for Summer '09 classes if I’m not taking the prerequisite until Fall '09?

Yes, however you will need to register one semester at a time. Your best bet is to go into Worksheet #2, register for (submit) Summer '09, go back into worksheet #2, register for Fall '09, and then go back into Worksheet #2 and register for Summer '09. This way the computer system will be able to read the prerequisites.

I need to take CO 301, Comm Theory, but the prerequisites say that I need to take CO 292, Research Methods, first but CO 292 is not on my audit. Do I still have to take CO 292?

The requirement for CO 292 is for incoming freshmen and transfer students, as well as for anyone who changes their majors OR program areas after this semester. If you are a current Comm major and have fulfilled the other prerequisites for CO 301 and WebStudent will still NOT let you register for it, contact Prof. Schmidt, Mrs. McQuay, or Mrs. DelBene in the main communication office, and if the course is still open you can be overridden into it.

My audit says that I need to take CO 245, Intro. to TV Production, but there aren’t any sections offered this year, what do I do?

The course number for CO 245 has changed to CO 145. Sign up for CO 145 and it will count on your audit as CO 245.

If I want to take a special topics class (CO 398) how will I know where it will count on my audit?

When you look at the course through the "Sections Offered by Term" screen, you will note that one of the columns is "Course Type." That indicates where the class can fall on your audit. An example of this is: if you are in RTV and need a production class it is listed as CORTP. You may need to fill out a substitution form in order for that to happen. Please talk to your advisor before doing that. Also, if you know you need a particular type of course but don’t know what classes fall in that category, again, on the "Sections Offered by Term" screen, you can go to the course type pull down menu and you will find all of the CO course types for your selected semester listed by program.

Do I still have to take math 100 if I scored high on the placement test?

Yes. There is a difference between scoring "high" on the placement test and being proficient in math. You can try to “test out” of math 100 provided you have scored within one or two points of proficiency on the placement test. Also, freshmen must retest for proficiency by the end of their first year. The math department requires a written request from your advisor before evaluating your status for retaking the proficiency test. Transfer students must take the placement test within one year of entering MU.

What if the classes I need (program requirements) are closed when I register?

You have the choice of putting yourself on the waitlist for the class, choosing another class, or speaking with the professor of the class for special permission to get in. If there is enough demand for a course, the department MAY add another section of the course.

Internships

If you are interested in signing up for your first internship, register for CO 483. You need to arrange for an internship placement before the first day of classes.

If you need help, see:

•  Dr. Dell for Broadcasting
• Professor Simoes for Journalism/PR
• Dr. Wien for Applied Communication

You can also contact the department Career Advisors and Planners (CAPS): Professor John Morano and Dr. Aaron Furgason.

Additionally, you might find the Ex Ed Web site helpful: Experiential Education.

Second internships can be arranged with individual faculty members.

Registration

Once again we will register for the entire school year this spring. That means you will not be sitting down with your advisor in November to work out a spring schedule. Students who have failed to register for the entire year take a big risk related to course availability.

In the spring, Priority Registration, for the next school year, begins on March 31. Check the Schedule of Courses to see when you are eligible to register based on the number of credits you have completed (not counting the courses you are taking now).

You may access the Schedule of Courses by using WEBstudent. MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO SEE YOUR ADVISOR IN THE WEEKS PRIOR TO DISCUSS YOUR SCHEDULE AND ANY OTHER CONCERNS YOU HAVE.

Free Electives

All communication students are encouraged to consider taking courses in other clusters and/or other majors in order to enhance their program of study. Majors who are concentrating on public relations are especially encouraged to take one or more of the marketing (BK) courses listed below.

Check the catalog to see how one or more of the following courses that are offered in departments all over the campus might work for you (as a free elective):

• AR 377 Computer Graphic Design for Non-Art Majors (if the course is full, get on the waitlist—they may add another section)
• BM 250 Management Organizational Behavior
• BM 404 Human Resources Management
• BK 250 Principles of Marketing
• BK 404 Consumer Behavior
• BK 411 Principles of Advertising
• CO 241 Introduction to Screen Studies
• CO 243 History of the Motion Picture
• SS/PO 210 Introduction to Policy Studies

Additionally, courses that are taught in the academic disciplines of sociology, anthropology, women’s studies, and information technology have been well received by many of our students. In the end, the choice is up to each individual student. Keep in mind that communication majors have more than 30 credits of free electives required for graduation. This allows each student to tailor a curriculum that best fits his or her career goals.

Check the course-offering booklet for prerequisite information.

Curriculum Substitution

Anyone who has taken a course in another cluster but has gotten permission for it to count as an elective in your cluster, must complete a curriculum substitution form with his or her advisor.

Department of Communication Minors

Review the registrar's Web page to obtain information about our communication, journalism, and public relations minors. While communication majors cannot officially minor in these areas, many choose to take the 18 credits required for a particular minor as free electives.

For the communication screen studies minor, Dr. Dell, Professor Dolphin, or Professor Morano would be happy to discuss this exciting new area of study with interested students.

Campus E-Mail

Communication students will need to check their campus e-mail for announcements (like new classes added or other advising issues that arise) and occasional reminders.

In keeping with technology and the need to access e-mail remotely, Webmail is available to Monmouth students. Webmail is a Web-based solution to access your Monmouth University e-mail. Webmail is simple to use. All you need is access to web browsing software such as Internet Explorer or Firefox.

Go to webmail.monmouth.edu to access your campus messages. If you have questions regarding the use of Webmail contact the help desk at 732-571-3539 or via e-mail at helpdesk@monmouth.edu (if you e-mail the help desk, be sure to include your student ID#)