School of Communication

Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Communication (3-year)

Programme Director: Prof Ringo Ma

The Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Communication degree prepares students either for a career in the communication professions and media or for postgraduate study. It provides students with the opportunity to choose among five areas of specialization: (1) Cinema and Television; (2) Digital Graphic Communication; (3) Journalism; (4) Organizational Communication; and (5) Public Relations and Advertising. The Journalism Option is offered in three concentrations: Broadcast Journalism, Chinese Journalism and International Journalism. The Communication programme is designed to develop each student‘s potential for critical thinking and creative ability, in accordance with the University‘s overall philosophy of ”whole person” education. Objectives specific to the Communication programme are these:

1.	To provide students with a systematic analysis of communication and media in contemporary society, with a primary focus on China, including Hong Kong;
2.	To educate competent communication professionals to meet the needs of a community undergoing rapid socio-political and technological changes; and
3.	To help students to cultivate a proper sense of social consciousness and ethical responsibility as they prepare for careers in professions which have a profound impact for good or ill upon the contemporary world.

Structure

The Communication programme is planned to achieve a systematic progression from the introductory to the advanced and from the general to the more specific. In the first year, the emphasis is on liberal education, basic communication concepts, and an introduction to the specific communication discipline in the student‘s chosen option. In the second year, students engage more fully in the study of their discipline (option) while continuing to develop a broad background in communication theory or mass communication theory and research methods. During the third year, students undertake major projects under the guidance of personal advisers. Projects are of different types, and earn different credits, either as practicum or as part of the honours project, based on the specific needs of students in each option. The Communication programme consists of 96 to 99 units of academic work distributed in four basic components: (1) Communication Core Courses (9 units); (2) Option Studies Courses, including honours project (51-54 units); (3) Complementary Studies Core Requirements (15 units); and (4) Complementary Studies Distribution Requirements (21 units).

Communication Core Courses (9 units)

Communication Core Courses provide an overview of the area of study, laying the theoretical and conceptual groundwork for professional education. Together they form the context for the Option Studies Courses.

Option Studies Courses, including honours project (51-54 units)

Besides the courses carrying the prefix of the Option itself, courses of other options and departments are included to highlight that they are as useful to the Option as the courses with the prefix of the Option itself. Since the Option chosen represents the specific discipline in which the student has chosen to become a specialist, each is described below and all requirements are summarized in the Option study schedules.

Complementary Studies Core Requirements (15 units)

These courses reflect the University‘s commitment to ”whole person” education and are designed to provide students with a broad cultural context. Complementary Studies courses also develop sound reasoning abilities, critical faculties, and social skills so that students receive a truly liberal as well as a professional education.

Complementary Studies Distribution Requirements (21 units)

By advisement, students will take a non-Communication second area of concentration or a minor. A second area of concentration is any 15 units offered by one programme/department while a minor is 15 units of courses specified by the offering programme/department. Students may apply for admission into a minor programme from the offering programme/department.

Requirements

Communication Core Courses

9 units

COMM

1160

Introduction to Communication

3 units

For Cinema and Television Option

COMM

2350

Communication Research Method (Cinema & Television)

)

COMM

2360

Communication Theory (Cinema & Television)

)

For Journalism Option

COMM

2380

Communication Theory (Journalism)

)

COMM

2390

Communication Research Method (Journalism)

)

6 units

For other options

COMM

2310

Communication Theory (Communication Studies)

)

COMM

2320

Communication Research Method (Communication Studies)

)

Option Studies Courses (see each option)

45-51 units

Honours Project

3-6 units

Complementary Studies Courses				36 units
	Core Requirements
	I.T.	1180	Information Management Techology	3 units
	LANG	1480	University Chinese	3 units
	LANG	1491-2	English I & II	6 units
	U.L.	1121-2	University Life	0 unit
	Physical Education Courses			0 unit
	Values and the Meaning of Life Course			3 units
	Distribution Requirements
	Any two courses outside Communication, of which one must be a Science course			6 units
	Any two non-major/option courses			6 units
	Free elective courses			9 units
				─────────
				96-100 units

*	Students take Communication Theory and Communication Research Method offered by their own department.

-	Cinema and Television Option
-	Digital Graphic Communication Option
-	Journalism Option
-	Organizational Communication Option
-	Public Relations and Advertising Option