Frequently Asked Questions
| General Department Information |
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- Our major is Communication (no "S" and no "Studies")
- The degree is a BA (Bachelor of Arts) in Communication.
- COMM majors have an assigned academic advisor in COMM; check the "demographic" information on Hokie Spa to learn that name, or check your file in the main advising office, Shanks 152.
- Graduation Checksheet is available in Shanks 154 and 152 as well as on line at undergraduate section of our dept. website
- Our major requires 42 hours of graded COMM courses, as well as a minor or cognate, which is usually 18. The CORE varies with each student, but it’s around 40 or so. That adds up to 100 hours---so most students will need AT LEAST 20 hours of free electives in their career here. Students who bring in AP credit, those who take courses in the CORE that also count in the major (such as COMM 1014, 1015-16, 2054, and 2064) will end up with more elective hours. We recommend that students selective free elective course from outside the COMM department. The goal is to add breadth to your major; if you’re interested in public relations, what business/industry might you go into? If you’re in mass comm and plan to be a journalist, what will you write about? Free electives give you the chance to explore these areas and gain insight into contexts beyond your major.
- No course that is required (meeting a requirement in CORE, Major, or Cognate/Minor) may be taken pass-fail.
- The Undergraduate Handbook is available on line at http://www.comm.vt.edu in the "undergraduate" section.
| Web Registration for Next Semester's Classes |
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- The dates for web registration are available on the main VT calendar, available on the VT homepage
- You should be contacted by your assigned academic advisor via e-mail as to when appointment will begin. Please make sure to meet with your COMM advisor as you plan your schedule.
- The Timetable contains listings of all available university CORE courses. Go to the main timetable page and find the screen on the right hand side (7th line down) that says "Core Curriculum." You can have the computer display a specific area that way.
- It doesn’t matter when you get on line to register; nothing happens until web closes down, and then requests are scheduled in an order (athletes, disabled, honors, seniors, juniors, sophomores, freshmen).
- Put "hardest to get/most needed" class first when registering. That’s what program reads. For instance, if computer can’t get student into Media Writing section requested, it will bounce student into next available one. That may conflict with time given in second requested course; it’s a domino effect. Leave large section classes for last; seats more likely to resume.
- Your schedule will be made available about 2-3 weeks after web registration via Hokie Spa. We will take force-add requests after that (e-mail announcement will announce procedure).
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- We recommend that you not register for a large number of COMM courses. Our recommendation is that FR-SO should try for no more than two; JR-SR no more than three. If you even follow those guides, at the end of your senior year you end up with 60 hours in COMM, and you only need 42. If students take 2 COMM courses every semester, you’ll STILL end up with 48 hours!
- When students try to sign up for a bunch hoping they’ll get some (like signing up for 1024, 2024, 2034, and 2084), someone isn’t going to get anything and someone will get all four, which they absolutely don’t need at one time. The goal here is to make a gradual progression through the curriculum, building courses upon each other.
- In the same vein, students will often try to take 3-4 of their "area" courses in one semester. Not only is this foolish, but it’s a recipe for major stress. No one should take Org COMM, PR Cases, and Issue Management (for example) in one semester; they won’t get the learning advantages that the courses offer.
- Students should click on the CRN on the timetable to check restrictions for all courses before registering. For instance, COMM 3144 (Advanced media writing) reveals the following information:
2024 IS PREREQUISITE
MUST ATTEND BOTH FIRST AND SECOND
CLASSES OR WILL BE DROPPED
COMPUTER TYPE B
COMM MAJORS ONLY. 45 HRS COMPLETED
This means that only current COMM majors who have 45 hours done as of right now (not what they will have at the start of next semester) and who have passed or are currently taking and will pass COMM 2024, Media Writing, should sign up for this course. There are many courses we check prerequisites on and will drop students who haven’t met them.
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| Academic Levels (By Hours) |
Remember: You are registering based on the number of hours you have completed as of the start of this semester, not what you will have completed by the end of this semester.
FR: 0-30 hours
SO: 31-59 hours
JR: 60-89 hours
SR: 90-120 hours
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- Students may take courses in the CORE that will also count in the major (1014 Area 3; 1015-16 Area 1; 2064 Area 2; 2054 Area 6).
- Some CORE courses appear on the lists in two areas but can only be counted as fulfilling the requirement in one area (such as TA 2014, which can be counted as EITHER Area 2 OR Area 6 but appears on the list for both areas). The only area of the CORE that allows "double dipping" is Area 7. There are a few courses that can be counted in two places at the same time; please check the CORE guide for those few exceptions (the most likely one our students would take is GEOS 1024 Resource Geology, which will count in BOTH Areas 4 and 7).
- COMM majors must take at least one three hour Area 6 course (there are some one hour courses in Area 6. They may NOT take three one-hour courses).
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- Students should apply for graduation at the beginning of the junior year (after deciding on a minor or cognate) by filling out an Application for Degree, available on Hokie Spa. Here's how to do this (and when you view it, please note that it will include the courses you're taking this fall semester).
Log on to Hokie Spa
Select Degree Menu
Select Application for Degree
Select Undergraduate
Select the major you wish to register/update
Select the correct anticipated graduation date
Ensure all other information is correct
Submit.
- The Registrar prepares an analysis of all course work, listing the courses taken, those left to take, and any deficiency in GPA. This is the DARS report available on Hokie Spa. Applying early ensures that each student will have time to take courses that may have been overlooked, and it allows the student to correct the Registrar’s analysis if errors have been made.
- Mrs. Dodson will normally ALL COMM majors who have declared the upcoming semester as their graduation dates, sending them an e-mail listing the requirements that are left. A copy of that e-mail should be in the student’s file. It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to make sure you are on track for your expected graduation date.
- Even if students are uncertain as to exactly when they will graduate, they should still apply for graduation at the beginning of the junior year and make a reasonable guess as to their graduation date. The graduation analysis does not commit to graduation, but it serves as an excellent tool by reviewing the requirements left to complete. Students should view it as a planning guide for the senior year.
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| Taking Courses at Another College or University |
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Some students take courses at other colleges or universities. There are a few considerations to keep in mind:
Policies governing transfer of credit to Virginia Tech:
- Courses must be taken at an accredited college or university
- Correspondence courses will not transfer (on-line courses will transfer).
- Only courses with a grade of "C" or better will transfer.
- If possible, take only courses for which VT offers an equivalent course (see Transfer Equivalency Data base below for info)
- Courses must be college-parallel, not terminal courses in a vocational program.
- Only credits transfer; grades do not transfer.
- Of the last 45 hours before graduation, only 18 semester hours will transfer.
- Courses taken elsewhere while a student is on VT suspension will not transfer to Virginia Tech.
Procedure for securing approval of transfer courses:
- If you decide to take a course somewhere else, you need to check the VT Transfer Equivalency Database (TEDB) to see if the course you plan to take elsewhere will transfer back to Tech in the manner you anticipate.
a. If attending a Virginia Community College refer to the VCCS Transfer Guide. ONLY classes listed in the current guide are approved to transfer for the current year; No other courses will be considered at this time.
b. If attending a 4-year institution in Virginia or any out-of-state institution, refer to the Transfer Equivalency Database ("TEDB") Authorization will be based on the TEDB at this point in time and the TEDB is subject to change.
- Then, go to the CLAHS website and download the form that you will need to complete. Failure to complete this form means that you do not have permission to take a course for transfer back to Tech.
- Turn completed form into 238 Wallace Hall for Dean’s Office approval PRIOR to taking courses. The form requires your COMM advisor’s signature (this affirms that you have talked with your advisor about your intent). Please allow a minimum of 2 weeks for approval process. A copy of this form will be returned to student at the address provided on this form. The copy will indicate Dean’s Office approval or provide further information if course equivalency is not approved.
- IMPORTANT: Upon completion of the course(s), request that an official transcript be sent to University Registrar – Virginia Tech, 250 Student Services Building (0134), Blacksburg, VA 24061. If a transcript doesn’t get to the Registrar, you cannot get credit for the course.
- Once transfer credit is awarded, students must confirm on Hokie Spa that it is consistent with what is on this form. If there are inconsistencies, please contact Tracey Drowne (tproco@vt.edu) or Karen Watson (watsonk@vt.edu) or call 231-6770.
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