BSIS: Strategic Communications

Basic Requirements – 18 units

All WashU Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS) undergraduate students must satisfy the same general-education requirements.

• Analytical Writing (U11 111)*
• Critical and Researched Writing (U11 203)*
• One additional 3-unit advanced writing course, which may be chosen from EComp 304 Exposition, EComp 3120 Argumentation, EComp 324 Writing for Public Speaking, or EComp 331 Technical Writing.*
• One 3-unit course in numerical applications with a minimum grade of C-
• One 3-unit course in moral reasoning
• One 3-unit course in cultural diversity: Courses that satisfy the cultural diversity requirement explore issues of global human diversity and the interactions among cultures.

These requirements are effective as of Spring 2023. Students admitted to CAPS programs prior to Spring 2023 are expected to fulfill the requirements in place at the time of their admission.

This program is offered either mostly or fully online. Students entering the U.S. on an F-1 or J-1 Visa must enroll in a program full time. F-1 students are only permitted to enroll in one online course per semester and J-1 students may only enroll in non-credit online courses that do not count toward their degree program. CAPS cannot guarantee face-to-face enrollment options each semester of full time enrollment, therefore cannot issue an I-20 or DS 2019 to F-1 and J-1 students for this program. If you are an F-1 or J-1 student and wish to enroll in a CAPS program while here on a Visa, please contact our recruitment team to discuss your options for face-to-face program enrollment. F-1 and J-1 students should not enroll in online courses or programs without first consulting the university’s Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS).

*Students who receive a grade lower than a C- in EComp 111 Analytical Writing taken at CAPS must repeat the course. Students who receive a grade lower than a C- in EComp 203 Critical and Researched Writing taken at CAPS must, in consultation with the Department of English and CAPS, choose between two options to satisfy the requirement: (1) repeat the course; or (2) complete a 3-unit composition tutorial with a grade of C or higher. Students who have completed English composition courses at another college or university should be well prepared for the required writing courses at CAPS, and transfer credit will be awarded for this work according to our regular transfer credit policies. However, new students will begin with EComp 111 in CAPS. Students who feel they have a strong writing background may petition to take a placement test to demonstrate the skills needed to begin with EComp 203 instead. All students will complete EComp 203 and a 300-level writing course at CAPS.

Distribution Requirements – 27 units

27 units, 9 units in each area noted below.  Field-of-study courses also may fulfill basic and distribution requirements; however, each distribution area must include course work from at least two disciplines:

• Humanities: (9 credits) Courses from Art History, Classics, History, Literature, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Creative Writing, Film Studies, Foreign Languages, Music, and Speech
• Social Sciences: (9 credits) Courses from Anthropology; Economics; Political Science; Psychology; Sociology; and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
• Natural Sciences & Mathematics: (9 credits) Courses from Biology, Chemistry, Earth & Planetary Sciences, Physics, General Science, and Mathematics & Statistics

These requirements are effective as of Summer 2023. Students admitted to CAPS programs prior to Summer 2023 are expected to fulfill the requirements in place at the time of their admission.

Additional Information

Advanced Courses

At least 30 units of advanced courses must be completed at WashU.

Residency Requirement

Students working toward the Bachelor of Science degree at WashU must complete the final 36 units of course work at WashU. At least half of the units for the major must be completed at WashU.

Additional Elective Courses

Students must complete a total of 120 credit units of course work for the degree by taking additional courses in either the liberal arts or professional areas. No more than 10 percent of a student’s course work may be in independent work (including internships, directed readings), and no more than 60 units in one department may count toward the degree.

Grade Requirements

To receive the Bachelor of Science degree, you must maintain a 2.0 GPA in all courses taken and receive a grade of C- or better in all courses applied to your major.

Field of Study Requirements – 18 units

Students in BSIS programs must complete certificates, tailoring their degrees to their educational and professional goals. Students in BSIS programs each must also complete a Community Engagement course. A designated course in the Strategic Communications program will fulfill this requirement.

• Comm 203 – Writing for Business Communication (3 units)
• Comm 217 – Oral Communication (3 units)
• Comm 234 – Foundations of Communications (3 units)
• Comm 262 – Integrated Strategic Communications (3 units)
• Comm 3031 – Organizational Communication (3 units)
• ISLA 352 – Integrated Studies: Professional Track (3 units)
  • Students may choose to complete an internship in Communications in lieu of the capstone.

Note: At least 15 units in the field of study must be in upper-level (300-level and higher) courses.

Elective Requirements – 12 units

Students choose from among the following:

• Comm 305 – Market Research and Communications Strategies (3 units)
• Comm 350 – Public Relations Principles and Practices (3 units)
• Comm 372 – Crisis Communications (3 units)
• Comm 378 – Communications Technology and New Media (3 units)
• Comm 385 – Digital Communications Analytics (3 units)
• Comm 4160 – Communications Ethics and the Law (3 units)
• JRN 345 – Effective Editing (3 units)
• JRN 327 – Audio Storytelling: from Podcasts to Newscasts (3 units)