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Professional Communication

Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
Program Website: procom.ryerson.ca (opens in new window) 
Administered by: School of Professional Communication
Program Format: Full-time, four-year program.

Professional Communication studies the written, oral, visual and digital media communication practices within organizations or fields such as healthcare, law, government, business, advertising, science and technology.

O.S.S.D. with six Grade 12 U/M courses including Grade 12 U English.
 
Notes:

  1. ENG4U/EAE4U is the preferred English.
  2. A grade of 70 percent or higher will be required in Grade 12 U English. 
  3. Subject to competition, candidates may be required to present averages/grades above the minimum.

Ryerson’s BA in Professional Communication (ProCom) provides students with solid grounding in research, analysis and practice so that they can pursue careers as savvy improvisers and reflective communication practitioners. Students in the ProCom BA develop critical and analytical skills for understanding the role of communication on personal, interpersonal and global levels. Through instruction on theory, methods of inquiry and critical thinking, students are exposed to a variety of topics, including communication technologies, social identities, professional practices and intercultural communication. Additionally, to prepare students to communicate creatively and thoughtfully in the digital and global age, experiential learning is a fundamental aspect of the ProCom BA.

The School of Professional Communication has connections to local organizations and industries, and these connections are integrated into classroom learning. Combining those experiences with theories and applications related to language, image, sound and media, students graduate prepared to assume responsibility for communication in areas such as public relations, internal communications and digital media development.

In the first year students receive a foundation in communication theory and practice, which will act as an underpinning for the entire program. The second and third years focus on further integration of theory and practice in oral, written and digital modes. Students also learn how to apply their learning to areas such as governance, health care, new media, and profit and nonprofit organizations. The fourth year provides a capstone experience with students researching and conducting their own projects within organizations.

Courses cover a range of topics, with students having the flexibility to focus their studies in the following streams:

  • Organizational/corporate/nonprofit charitable stream
  • New media/technical communication stream
  • Governance/public policy/international communication stream
  • Science/health communication stream
     

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the BA in Professional Communication will be able to enter a number of professions such as public relations, corporate communications, governance, public policy, project management, research, event planning, and website creation and maintenance. A BA in Professional Communication can also lead to post-graduate degrees in fields such as law, education and professional communication.

Liberal Studies

Students must take three lower level liberal studies courses and three upper level liberal studies courses to graduate. Students must not choose courses that are restricted for their program or major.

Please refer to the liberal studies chapter of this calendar for more information on the Liberal Studies Policy. Further information on liberal studies can also be found at the Faculty of Arts' Liberal Studies website (opens in new window) .

Table B - Upper Level Restrictions

CMN courses are not available for credit.

Minors

Students may pursue any Minor offered by Ryerson (with some exceptions). Please refer to the Minors chapter of this calendar for further information on individual Minor requirements and exclusions.

The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education Certificates

Undergraduate students wishing to pursue a continuing education certificate program should be aware of possible program exclusions. Please refer to the Certificate Registration section of the Curriculum Advising website (opens in new window)  for complete details.

1st & 2nd Semester

Revised 2017-2018.

1st Semester

REQUIRED:

CMN 200 The Craft of Professional Writing
CMN 210 Text, Image and Sound

PROFESSIONALLY-RELATED: One course from Table II.

OPEN ELECTIVES: Two courses from Open Elective Table.

2nd Semester

REQUIRED:

CMN 216 Communication Revolutions

PROFESSIONAL: One course from Table I.

PROFESSIONALLY-RELATED: One course from Table II.

OPEN ELECTIVES: One course from Open Elective Table.

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

  

3rd & 4th Semester

Last offered 2017-2018 for students admitted Fall 2016.

REQUIRED:

CMN 215 Messages, Modalities and Media
CMN 216 Communication Revolutions
CMN 222 Digital Discourse and Design
CMN 314 Professional Presentations
CMN 448 Introduction to Visual Communication

PROFESSIONAL: One course from Table I.

PROFESSIONALLY-RELATED: One course from Table II.

OPEN ELECTIVES: One course from Open Elective Table.

LIBERAL STUDIES: Two courses from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

Revised curriculum begins 2018-2019 for students admitted Fall 2017 and after.

REQUIRED:

CMN 215 Messages, Modalities and Media
CMN 222 Digital Discourse and Design
CMN 314 Professional Presentations
CMN 448 Introduction to Visual Communication

PROFESSIONAL: Two courses from Table I.

PROFESSIONALLY-RELATED: One course from Table II.

OPEN ELECTIVES: One course from Open Elective Table.

LIBERAL STUDIES: Two courses from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

  

5th & 6th Semester

REQUIRED:

CMN 315 Issues in Communication and the Contemporary Workplace
CMN 323 Introduction to Professional Practice
CMN 324 Strategic Storytelling in Industry
CMN 325 Communication and the Digital Enterprise

PROFESSIONAL: Two courses from Table I.

OPEN ELECTIVES: Two courses from Open Elective Table.

LIBERAL STUDIES:
Two courses from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

  

7th & 8th Semester

REQUIRED:

CMN 402 Theorizing Communication
CMN 480 Research Methods in ProCom I
CMN 490 Research Methods in ProCom II

PROFESSIONAL: Three courses from Table I.

OPEN ELECTIVES: Three courses from Open Elective Table.

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

A Program Advisory Council (PAC) is a group of volunteers that provides expert advice to a school or department on program related matters such as curriculum, program review, technology and trends in the industry, discipline or profession. For more information, see  (PDF file) Senate Policy #158 (Program Advisory Councils).

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