Now that you know being a comm major is the best thing ever, the next step is to choose an emphasis and a module. Like in every other academic major at BYU-Idaho, there are specific core classes that all comm students are required to take. Some of these courses include COMM 100 (Intro to Communication), COMM 111 (Writing for Communication Careers), COMM 102 (Public Speaking) as well as many others. In order to obtain a communication degree, you must also select and complete the courses for one emphasis and one module. But the cool part is that you get to choose your own emphasis and module!
An emphasis is your main course of study outside of the required core classes. Here are the six communication emphases for you to choose from:
- Advertising
- Public Relations
- News/Journalism
- Organizational Communication and Advocacy
- Video Production
- Visual Communication
How to Choose an Emphasis
Selecting an emphasis will give you direction during your time as a comm major at BYU-I. Consider these questions when deciding which area of study you want to pursue.
- What am I passionate about?
- Is there a specific company or industry that I want to work in when I graduate?
- What hobbies or talents do I have that could translate into a career?
- What kind of work do I want to do for my future career?
- Which emphasis would best be paired with the module I am going to choose?
Fortunately, no one chooses your emphasis or module for you—just you!
A module is your secondary course of study in addition to your emphasis and required core classes. Here are the nine communication modules for you to choose from:
- Advertising
- Public Relations
- News/Journalism
- Video
- Visual Communication
- Communication Management
- Media Sales
- Digital Media
- Anchor and Reporter Performance
How to Choose a Module
Ideally, your module should complement whichever emphasis you select. For example, if you want to go into advertising then a media sales module might be useful. Or, if you decided to do the news/journalism emphasis then you might choose a video module to gain skills that will make you a more marketable journalist. It is important to remember that a module may not overlap your emphasis and courses may not be double-counted.
Having both an emphasis and a module will help you to develop a more diverse range of skill sets. Employers in the communication industry aren’t just looking for employees who are only good at one thing. Instead, they are searching for those candidates who have a variety of skills and can best contribute to a company.
Additional Resources
For additional help on deciding which emphasis or module to choose, contact and meet with your communication faculty mentor. He or she can answer questions and help you choose the best fit for the path you want to take as a comm major. It is also strongly recommended that you pick up a 2015-2016 Communication Academic Plan brochure in the folders next to the door of the Communication Department Office located in the Spori 229. You can also view communication academic plans online for via this link: http://www.byui.edu/communication/academic-plan. Good luck!
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