While deciding if Strategic Communication is the right major for you, we encourage you to read about the major and its faculty and graduates by visiting the Department of Strategic Communication website and read about the program requirements and course descriptions in our section of the Academic Undergraduate Catalog. The Center for Career and Professional Development offers many resources for exploring majors and related careers including a Career Counselor designated for consultations regarding TCU’s Bob Schieffer College of Communication.

Students majoring in strategic communication learn the theories and methods of advertising, public relations and new media to meet the strategic goals of organizations. Students learn to conduct research; write and create content for print, broadcast, online and mobile platforms; design; choose channels to place the message; and evaluate effectiveness.

Marketing revolves around the study of finding out what satisfies the consumer. Marketers plan and execute the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods, and services.

The Department of Strategic Communication is hoping to offer a minor in the near future but we don’t have a timetable that will likely benefit you.  You are welcome to watch for STCO course offerings that are open to non-majors; that information is listed in both Class Search and in our section of the Academic Undergraduate Catalog.

Any student who wants to change a major to Strategic Communication and who meets the requirements listed in our section of the Academic Undergraduate Catalog.

We hold application sessions twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring, no later than six weeks into the semester. Contact the school’s main office at stratcomm@tcu.edu or visit its website at www.stco.tcu.edu to determine dates and locations for these sessions for upcoming semesters.

Contact the department at stratcomm@tcu.edu or stop by Moudy South 211 and register to attend an application essay writing session once the session dates are set.

You cannot take any courses for the major until you are an admitted and declared Strategic Communication major. Until that time, you may take classes for your minor and continue to work on core classes.  One of our upper level courses requires Statistics (MATH 10043) if you haven’t taken math yet.

With regard to laptops, we recommend that you log onto TCU’s Information Technology (“IT”) website and/or speak with someone in that department to determine what might be best for you. Right now STCO classes meet in computer labs full of Macintosh computers. Most of our faculty use Macs and most students passing through our hallways have Macs in their backpacks. But TCU’s servers are Microsoft based and often people who have problems with online university forms and with malware are using Macs. Perhaps this information will be helpful to you as you discuss this matter with IT.

Each student will take four gateway courses: Writing and Editing, Diversity, Advertising and Public Relations (STCO 11103, STCO 16103, STCO 23113 and STCO 23123). Students will need a “C” or higher in each gateway course and a combined 2.5 GPA or better in these four courses before continuing in the major coursework.

Go to Frequently Asked Questions on TCU registrar’s page.

All TCU students who wish to earn a bachelor’s degree must earn 42 upper division hours.

Junior/Senior-level courses – 30000 and 40000 level.  But you can only count 3000- and 4000-level courses you took at TCU.  If you’re a transfer from UT, for instance, and you took a 30000-level course at that university, the course will probably transfer into TCU, but it will not count as one of the 3000- 40000- level courses you need.

All requests go through the Department of Strategic Communication office.  Strategic communication faculty do not let students in classes.  Contact Nancy Davis in the Strategic Communication office.  The Department of Strategic Communication policy does not allow extra students in classes except in extremely extenuating circumstances.  Example:  last class needed to graduate.

Email the Department of Strategic Communication office. Include who your current adviser is and the adviser you would like to have.  Also include a very brief statement about why you want to change advisers.

Advising signup sheets are posted on faculty doors or will be sent to you via email with a link to schedule online, typically one to two weeks before advising starts. Please see this list as soon as possible during advising week (advisers will usually send out an email) and sign up. You CANNOT schedule classes without first being advised. You need to take care of this during the two-week advising period – not after.

No. Faculty post the schedules on doors or use online scheduling systems so that students can see the whole range of times that are open and choose what is convenient for them.

You need to bring a printout of your transcript as well as completed versions of the advising forms available in the Strategic Communication office.  When completed, these forms should include a list of possible classes for you to take the following semester as well as some alternate choices.

It is in your best interest.  Your degree plan can be confusing and the Department of Strategic Communication wants you to stay on track for graduation.

Click on the catalog number on class search.

We cannot guarantee that you will graduate on time or in eight semesters.  However, if you are successful in all your classes and take full loads each semester you should be able to graduate on time. All TCU students need 124 hours to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree.  Divide 8 into 124.  It is more than 15 hours per semester.

A minor is 18 hours designated by the department where you get your minor.  Any minor is OK.  However, depending on your interests and major, one may be more appropriate than others for you.  This is something you should discuss with your adviser in person.

A portfolio is a collection of work you have done.  It can include class work and internship work.  If your degree plan requires Senior Seminar you must have a portfolio for that class. You will receive instructions on how to put it together in that class.

Yes to all the above. However, you must have 80 hours outside strategic communication. Many FTDM classes count as skills classes. Therefore, you would have to stay at TCU a minimum of an extra semester (probably more) to major or minor in these. A double major within the Department of Strategic Communication, for instance would probably mean you would take at least one extra year to graduate. You would graduate with well over the 124-hour minimum.

• Department of Strategic Communication Curriculum Guide