天普大学

The Major of Distinction is an academically rigorous program for students who wish to construct an interdisciplinary curriculum that meets their individual interests across the Klein departments. In the Major of Distinction, each student works individually with a faculty advisor from a relevant Klein department to build a curriculum that goes beyond the offered tracks. The student completes five courses, four of which must be at the 3000 or 4000 level, and in the senior year completes a two-semester thesis. A student in the Major of Distinction must have completed three semesters of a foreign language (or equivalent with the approval of the Director of Communication Studies) by the time of graduation. If appropriate to the student's research, an advanced methods or theory course may be required by the student's faculty advisor.

Students apply for a Major of Distinction in the second semester of their sophomore year. To be considered, students must be on schedule to complete their Foundational and Core Communications courses by the end of their sophomore year. Also, students must have earned at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average (GPA) in their Foundational and Core Communications courses along with a 3.25 overall GPA. Students must submit an application to the Director of Communication Studies that includes a statement of student's interest, a proposed curriculum, and a support letter from a full-time Klein faculty member willing to act as student's faculty advisor.

This track focuses on citizen advocacy in the field of communication as related to and shaped by communication policy and regulation. Students are introduced to historical and recent examples of citizen advocacy in communication policy through the examination of social movements, civic journalism, art and performance, and special interest groups tied to issues of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and the environment.