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Communication Major Advising

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Contact Us!

Students can contact a Communication Department advisor:

  • Submit a question through Virtual Advising Center (VAC)
  • Via scheduled virtual drop-in advising (see section below)
  • Via a scheduled advising appointment (see section below)
  • If you have a form that needs review / signature, please email to: commugrad@ucsd.edu

We look forward to helping you!

Drop-In Advising

Drop-in advising is intended for quick questions and to help students finalize their schedules. 

We expect drop-in wait time to be approximately 5-20 minutes, with a longer wait time at the beginning of the session. An advisor will give you access from the waiting room when it is your turn.

Our next drop-in (Zoom) advising sessions will be held:


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Scheduled Advising Appointments

Appointments are 30 minutes and are available to address more detailed and complex questions, such as: 
  • Long-term quarter-by-quarter plan
  • Readmission Forms
  • SAP Appeal Forms
  • Academic Probation/Disqualification Concerns
  • Questions and referrals to other campus resources
Advising appointments for long-term planning will be available during week 3 - week 10 of each academic quarter. Please contact commugrad@ucsd.edu to schedule an appointment. 

Prospective (non-UCSD) Students 

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions advises all prospective UCSD undergraduate students. 

What kind of advisor should I see?

Navigating Academic Advising and Records at UC San Diego

College Academic Advisor

  • General Academic Support
  • College General Education Requirements (IGETC, TAG, writing courses)
  • Quarter by quarter planning for college general education & university requirements
  • Petition course for general education requirements
  • University Policies
  • Graduation and Unit Requirements
  • Assist with study abroad, financial aid, VA forms, International Center forms, student-athlete forms, and verifying
    completion of college and university requirements for graduation

Major / Minor Advisor

  • Advice on Major or Minor Requirements
  • Petitioning a course for credit towards a major/minor requirement
  • Double Major Petition
  • Application for Special Studies Course (Independent Research 198/199)

Career Center Advisor

  • Career exploration
  • Online and in-person career assessments
  • Employment search skills: resume and cover letter development, job applications, interviewing
  • Graduate school information, including how to apply and general requirements

Forms & Petitions

Undergraduate Student Petition

The Undergraduate Student Petition may be used for department substitution and exception requests.

Submit the completed petition to the Communication Department Advising Office  (commugrad@ucsd.edu) for review.

Academic Planning Worksheet

Develop your very own Academic Planning Worksheet! (Link to copy a Google sheet). Here you can outline the courses you plan to take to complete the major and other requirements.

Double Major Petition Forms

The Double Major Petition and the Academic Planning Worksheet (link to copy a Google sheet) must be completed as part of the process for declaring a double major. The process is detailed further on the How to Declare a Double Major webpage.

When completing these double major forms, please do not list specific elective courses that you have not yet enrolled in. (The department cannot guarantee that the specific course you list will be taught in a particular quarter, or that you will be able to enroll.) Please instead note  "COMM UD Elective (101-189)" or "COMM Adv Elective (120-189)".

Submit the completed double major forms to the Communication Department Advising Office  (commugrad@ucsd.edu) for review. 

Newly Admitted Students

Newly Admitted First-Year Students

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ADMISSION TO UCSD AND WELCOME TO THE COMMUNICATION MAJOR!

Communication at UC San Diego is a field of study that emphasizes the role of technologies and institutions of communication, from language to television, to the Internet and beyond, in mediating human experience. It draws from such social science disciplines as anthropology, psychology, sociology, and political science, and from the humanities and fine arts, including theatre, literature, and visual arts. Communication students will develop a critical awareness of the communicative forces that affect their everyday lives.

The Communication major at UC San Diego is not designed as a training program in advertising, journalism, production, or public relations. It provides students with a solid liberal arts background necessary for graduate studies in communication and other disciplines, and for professional work in a number of communication-related fields, including primary and secondary education.


Your Communication Major Advising Team

Undergraduate academic advising at UCSD is shared by two sets of advisors.

Your College Advising Office provides guidance and support on University and College requirements, including:

  -- College General Education Requirements (IGETC, TAG, writing courses)
  -- Quarter by quarter planning for College GE & University requirements
  -- Petition course for general education requirements
  -- University policies
  -- Graduation and unit requirements
  -- Review petitions and forms, including: study abroad, financial aid, VA forms, International Center forms, student athlete forms
  -- Verify completion of college and university requirements for graduation

Your Communication Department Advising Team is available to assist you with questions specific to the COMM major / minor, including:

  -- Major / minor requirements
  -- Petitioning a course for credit towards a major/minor requirement
  -- Review petitions and forms, including: study abroad, financial aid, VA forms, student athlete forms, double major petitions
  -- Communication Department Honors Program
  -- Verify completion of COMM major / minor requirements for graduation

Students will be able to ask their College and Major Advising Teams questions through New Triton Advising Portal starting August 8, 2024.


Resources to Help You Visualize the Communication Major 

What Will I Learn in the Communication Major?

COMM Major Requirements 

COMM Elective Courses by Area of Interest

Common Careers for COMM Majors


 Your First Year Course Plan

As a first-year student, most of your early planning as a newly admitted student will involve working closely with your College Advising Team. They will advise you on your courses in your first year, with a focus on General Education courses and College requirements. 

You can plan to enroll in COMM courses in your second (Sophomore) year, starting with COMM 10 (Introduction to Communication). COMM 10 is required for the major, and is a prerequisite course for upper division Communication courses.

Quarter by Quarter Plan for New First Year Students (4 Year Plan)


More Communication Major Information

Students are encouraged to consider all of the programmatic options that the COMM major supports, including Study AbroadAcademic Internships, the Speech and Debate Team, and the Communication Department Honors Program. The Undergraduate Communication Society also welcomes you!

Bookmark our COMM UG Newsletter for announcements of interest to COMM majors, including events, internships and jobs, scholarship opportunities, and more!

Newly Admitted Transfer Students

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ADMISSION TO UCSD AND WELCOME TO THE COMMUNICATION MAJOR!

Communication at UC San Diego is a field of study that emphasizes the role of technologies and institutions of communication, from language to television, to the Internet and beyond, in mediating human experience. It draws from such social science disciplines as anthropology, psychology, sociology, and political science, and from the humanities and fine arts, including theatre, literature, and visual arts. Communication students will develop a critical awareness of the communicative forces that affect their everyday lives.

The Communication major at UC San Diego is not designed as a training program in advertising, journalism, production, or public relations. It provides students with a solid liberal arts background necessary for graduate studies in communication and other disciplines, and for professional work in a number of communication-related fields, including primary and secondary education.


Your Communication Major Advising Team

Undergraduate academic advising at UCSD is shared by two sets of advisors.

Your College Advising Office provides guidance and support on University and College requirements, including:

  -- College General Education Requirements (IGETC, TAG, writing courses)
  -- Quarter by quarter planning for College GE & University requirements
  -- Petition course for general education requirements
  -- University policies
  -- Graduation and unit requirements
  -- Review petitions and forms, including: study abroad, financial aid, VA forms, International Center forms, student athlete forms
  -- Verify completion of college and university requirements for graduation

Your Communication Department Advising Team is available to assist you with questions specific to the COMM major / minor, including:

  -- Major / minor requirements
  -- Petitioning a course for credit towards a major/minor requirement
  -- Review petitions and forms, including: study abroad, financial aid, VA forms, student athlete forms, double major petitions
  -- Communication Department Honors Program
  -- Verify completion of COMM major / minor requirements for graduation

Students will be able to ask their College and Major Advising Teams questions through New Triton Advising Portal starting August 8, 2024.


We encourage you to review in advance of your College's orientation in August:



FALL QUARTER ENROLLMENT IN COMM COURSES 

An Enrollment Guidance page with placement information and academic resources will be viewable to students on August 7, 2024. 


FIRST ENROLLMENT PASS

Enroll in 2 Communication courses:

Course #1: 

  • On the first day of your first enrollment pass, enroll in COMM 10 (Introduction to Communication)
  • Note:  COMM 10 may look full if you look at the online Schedule of Classes before transfer orientation in August, but we are saving seats for transfer COMM majors to enroll.
  • If you are not able to enroll during first pass, enroll in the course on the first day of your second pass. 

Course #2:

  • On the first day of your first enrollment pass, enroll in COMM 100A (Communication, the Person, and Everyday Life)
  • Note:  COMM 100A may look full if you look at the online Schedule of Classes before transfer orientation in August, but we are saving seats for transfer COMM majors to enroll.
  • If you are not able to enroll during first pass, enroll in the course on the first day of your second pass.

SECOND ENROLLMENT PASS

Course #3: 
  • One Intermediate COMM Course (COMM 101 - 119)
    • Once you are enrolled (not waitlisted) in COMM 10, submit an Enrollment Authorization System (EASy) request to enroll in a specific Intermediate Elective (COMM 101 - 119).
    • Once your EASy request has been approved, return to WebReg and enroll in the Intermediate Elective course you requested.

and/or Course #4:

  • Choose a remaining college requirement course (if any) or a course of interest from a different department. 


The department recommends that transfer students enroll in no more than 3 Communication courses in their first quarter. 


More Communication Major Information

Students are encouraged to consider all of the programmatic options that the COMM major supports, including Study AbroadAcademic Internships, the Speech and Debate Team, and the Communication Department Honors Program. The Undergraduate Communication Society also welcomes you!

Bookmark our COMM UG Newsletter for announcements of interest to COMM majors, including events, internships and jobs, scholarship opportunities, and more!