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• Communication Studies (Major Courses, Minor Courses, Course Descriptions, Sample Syllabi, Faculty and Staff, After Graduation, Lambda Pi Eta) | Telecommunication Studies (Pre-Telecommunication Studies, 10-Hour Rule, Major Courses, Minor Courses, How to Pick a Minor, Course Descriptions, Sample Syllabi, Faculty and Staff, Facilities, Internships) | M.A. Interdisciplinary Communication (Admission Requirements, Mission Statement, Faculty [Dr Rebecca Curnalia Dr Adam Earnheardt Dr Kendra Fowler Dr Julia Gergits Dr Jay Gordon Dr Cary Wecht Dr Bruce Keillor Dr Karen Lee Dr George McCloud Dr Dan O'Neill Dr Mark Toncar Dr Jeff Tyus Dr Ying Wang], Courses)

Resources

• Lambda Pi Eta

• Telecommunication Studies
• Pre-Telecommunication Studies
• 10-Hour Rule
• Major Courses
• Minor Courses
• How to Pick a Minor
• Course Descriptions
• Sample Syllabi
• Faculty and Staff
• Facilities
• Internships

• Request to Transfer from Pre-Telecom to Telecom Studies (PDF - 31k)
• Download the "Guide to Becoming a Major" Brochure (PDF - 92k)
• Click here to download the Telecommunication Curriculum Sheet (PDF - 455k)

Declaring Pre-Telecommunication

When students declare an intent to major in Telecommunication Studies, they will be assigned to the "Pre-Telecommunication" (Pre-TCom) category.  Upon completion of 30 semester hours with a GPA of 3.0 or higher (4.0 scale, see below) for all courses taken while in the Pre-TCom category, students will be reassigned to "Telecommunication Studies" (TCom).  These 30 hours must include completion of the course TCom 1500 (Orientation) with a grade of C or higher.

Explanation: The purpose of the "Pre-TCom" category is to allow students to demonstrate that they can perform well academically while on the telecommunications track.   A “Request to Transfer from Pre-Telecom to Telecom Studies” form is available online or in the Communication department office.

Students may transfer to the Pre-TCom, but not TCom, category from another program at YSU or from another institution. Students who have completed associate- or bachelor-level degrees also may enter the Pre-TCom, but not Tcom, category.  Upon completion of 30 semester hours with a GPA of 3.0 or higher for all courses taken while in the Pre-TCom category, students will be reassigned to TCom.

Explanation: The sole way for a student to become a Telecommunication Studies major is through the Pre-TCom category.  Prior grade point average does not create an alternate path: having done well in another major or degree program is evidence that a student should do well in the Pre-TCom category.

A student who has interrupted his/her attendance at YSU for three consecutive semesters or more, even if a Telecommunication Studies major, will be assigned to the Pre-TCom category upon his/her return. After completing 30 semester hours with a GPA of 3.0 or higher for all courses taken while in the Pre-TCom category, he/she will be reassigned to Tcom. 

To qualify for graduation, students must move from Pre-Tcom to Telecommunication Studies.  "Pre-TCom" is not a degree-qualified baccalaureate major.  Students unable to move from Pre-TCom to Telecommunication Studies because of a low GPA must enter a different academic major to qualify for graduation.

Example Scenarios:

• A first-year student takes 15 semester hours in fall semester and 15 semester hours in spring semester, including TCom 1500,  all while in the Pre-TCom category.  The student receives a GPA of 3.6 in fall and a GPA of 3.2 in spring. 
  • The student is eligible to move into Telecommunication Studies.  He/she should fill out the “Request to Transfer” form.
• A first-year student takes 15 semester hours in fall semester and 15 semester hours in spring semester, including TCom 1500,  all while in the Pre-TCom category.  The student receives a GPA of 3.6 in fall and a GPA of 3.2 in spring, including a grade of “Incomplete” for one 3-hour course.
  • This student would not be eligible to move into Telecommunication Studies.  While the student enrolled for 30 SH while in Pre-TCom, he/she completed only 27.
• A student takes 15 SH in fall and 12 SH in spring, including TCom 1500, all while in the Pre-TCom category, with semester GPAs of 3.6 and 3.2.
  • The student is on the right track, but he/she must take an additional 3 SH to achieve the 30-hour minimum.  If he/she signs up for more than 3 SH, he/she would need to achieve a semester GPA that is high enough to keep the 3-semester composite GPA above 3.0.
• A Pre-TCom student takes 15 SH in fall and 12 SH in spring, including TCom 1500, with semester GPAs of 3.6 and 3.2.   He/she then takes 12 SH the next fall (four 3-hour courses).  He/she receives one A, one B and two Cs, for a fall semester GPA of 2.75.  
  • This student would be eligible to move into Telecommunication Studies.  The student has completed 30 SH while in the Pre-TCom category, has completed TCom 1500, and has achieved a 3-semester composite GPA of 3.22.
• A Pre-TCom student takes 15 SH in fall and 12 SH in spring, including TCom 1500, with semester GPAs of 3.2 and 3.1.  He/she then takes 12 SH the next fall.  He/she receives two Bs and two Cs, for a fall semester GPA of 2.5.
  • This student would not be eligible to move into Telecommunication Studies.  While the student completed more than 30 SH while in Pre-TCom (39 hours), the composite GPA for these hours is below the required 3.0 (GPA=2.95)
• A Pre-TCom student has completed 39 hours with a composite GPA of 2.95 for those hours.  He/she takes four 3-hour courses the next semester and receives two As and two Bs, for a semester GPA of 3.5 for those 12 hours.
  • The student would be eligible to move into Telecommunication Studies.  The student has completed (more than) 30 SH while in the Pre-TCom category, has completed TCom 1500, and has achieved a 4-semester composite GPA of 3.03.
• A Pre-TCom student has completed 39 hours with a composite GPA of 2.95 for those hours.  He/she takes four 3-hour courses the next semester and receives one A, one B and two Cs, for a semester GPA of 2.75 for those 12 hours.
  • The student would not be eligible to move into Telecommunication Studies.  While the student completed more than 30 SH in Pre-Tcom (51 hours), the composite GPA for these hours is below the required 3.0 (GPA=2.90).
• A Pre-TCOM student completed 39 hours with a composite GPA of 2.95 for those hours.  He/she then took four 3-hour courses and received one A, one B and two Cs, for a semester GPA of 2.75 for those 12 hours.   He/she asks, “Couldn’t I qualify to be moved to Telecommunication Studies because (1) I have completed more than 30 SH while in Pre-TCom, (2) I have completed TCom 1500, and (3) I got an A and a B for two of my final-semester courses?  If you count only those two courses, I’d have 45 hours with a GPA of 3.02 ! ”
  • The student would not be eligible to move into Telecommunication Studies.  Partial GPAs are not used to calculate eligibility

Grade Point Average

Your grade point average (GPA) is calculated by dividing the total amount of "grade points" or “quality points” earned by the total amount of credit hours attempted. You may use a standard online GPA calculator to determine current or future GPA or to calculate a future grades needed to achieve a particular GPA.  Be sure to verify results by manual calculation.

• University of North Texas (http://www.cas.unt.edu/advising/gpacalc.htm)
• Back to College Dot Com (http://www.back2college.com/gpa.htm)
• Fairleigh Dickinson University (http://www.fdu.edu/studentsvcs/gpacalc2.html)

A=4 grade points, B=3 grade points, C=2 grade points, D=1 grade point, F=0 grade points

A fictional semester’s result could look like this:

Course

SH

Grade

Grade Points

#1

3

A

(3x4=) 12

#2

3

B

(3x3=) 9

#3

3

C

(3x2=) 6

#4

3

D

(3x1=) 3

#5

3

F

(3x0=) 0

SHs = 15

Grade Points = 30

GPA = 30/15 = 2.00

Advisement

College advisement page

Mary Lou WeingartSenior Academic AdvisorBliss Hall #2310mlweingart AT ysu DOT edu330-941-3728

Dr. Amy CrawfordAssistant ProfessorBliss Hall #2104330-941-2342

Dr. Walter MathewsAssociate ProfessorBliss Hall #2025330-941-1847

Dr. Fred OwensProfessorBliss Hall #2010330-941-1855

Dr. Cary HorvathDepartment ChairBliss Hall #2000 330-941-3631

• Request to Transfer from Pre-Telecom to Telecom Studies (PDF - 31k)

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