College of Communication and Information

Undergraduate Degree Programs

Programs of study leading to the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees are offered through the School of Communication Science and Disorders and the School of Communication. Each major within the Schools is part of a limited access program requiring a separate application. Admission to each major is competitive. Interested students should indicate their major preference on their University application and seek advising through the College of Communication and Information. See department entries in this General Bulletin and the College Web site, http://www.comm.fsu.edu, or http://ci.fsu.edu, for specific information regarding departmental application requirements. Candidates for the baccalaureate degrees also must comply with general University regulations governing these degrees and must complete the major and minor requirements of one of the departments identified above. (See departmental entries for specific area concentrations and requirements.) To be awarded the BA degree, the student must complete the specified university-wide requirements for that degree.

Requirements for the Second Baccalaureate Degree (Dual Certificate)

A student completing a second bachelor's degree in the Schools must complete at least thirty semester hours at Florida State University, in addition to the required hours for the first degree. The student must complete a new major and a new minor (with no overlap between these and the first major and minor).

Note: To distinguish between second baccalaureates and second majors (also known as double majors), see the appropriate paragraph under "Undergraduate Degree Requirements" in this General Bulletin.

Honors in the Major

Both Communication and Communication Science and Disorders offer an honors program in the major. It is designed to encourage talented juniors and seniors to undertake independent and original research as part of the undergraduate experience. For requirements and other information, see the "University Honors Office and Honor Societies" chapter of this General Bulletin.

Dean's List

Students who in any term carry a full-time course load of twelve or more letter-grade semester hours with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or above earn the distinction of being on the dean's list.

Graduate Degree Programs

Students making application for admission to one of the departmental graduate programs must also apply through the University Office of Admissions see http://admissions.fsu.edu for more information.

Communication Disorders

Programs of study leading to the Master of Science, Master of Arts, Advanced Master's, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in the School of Communication Science and Disorders are described in the Graduate Bulletin and on the Web site, http://www.comm.fsu.edu.

Communication

The graduate programs in Communication offer several specialized emphases leading to the Master of Arts, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees (see the departmental entry in the Graduate Bulletin and the Web site, http://www.comm.fsu.edu, for complete descriptions).

Research and Service Facilities

The Schools offer students enriched learning experiences through a variety of teaching, research, and/or service opportunities, including:

The communication science laboratories provide facilities for the study of physical and psychological aspects of sound, speech, voice, and language. The Speech-Voice Science Laboratory has specialized equipment enabling analyses of duration, intensity, spectral, and fundamental frequency aspects of speech. Instrumentation and procedures for the forensic study of speech enable the detection of signals of noise and speaker identification from recorded speech samples. Computer-interfaced instrumentation is available for measuring vocal intensity and pitch, aeromechanical aspects of voice and resonance, and physiological functioning of respiration and the vocal apparatus. The Emerging Language Laboratory includes equipment for recording, editing, and analyzing audio and video samples of speech and language discourse and social interactions. On-site recording facilities accommodate small groups of children and children with their parents. Portable equipment is available for field recordings. Software programs for analyzing language samples and summarizing results are available. The Adult Language Laboratory provides facilities for the study of social and communication problems associated with acquired brain injury and illness in adults. These facilities are equipped with evaluation instruments and materials, audio/video equipment, and computers to facilitate data analysis.

The Augmentative and Alternative Communication Laboratory provides student clinicians with opportunities to learn about the evaluation and treatment of children and adults with severe communication disorders. The facility includes dedicated electronic communication devices with voice output, switches, keyboards, software programs, and other computer-based systems. Computer laboratories available to students and faculty are equipped with a full array of software and peripherals necessary for word processing, spreadsheet applications, database management, statistical and graphic analysis, language sample analysis, instructional material development, desktop publishing, and nonlinear video editing.

The Language and Literacy Lab provides tests and materials available for assessing language and literacy development. Audio-video equipment, computers, and software are available for the development and evaluation of curriculum materials in the lab and in the field. Wireless headphone systems allow multiple instructional lessons to be delivered simultaneously in classrooms in investigations of vocabulary, phonological awareness, and phonics instruction.

The Neurolinguistic-Neurocognitive Research Center is an interdisciplinary laboratory located in the Rehabilitation Center of Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. A wide array of equipment and software is available to measure cognition and language. A GaitRite system assesses 30 parameters of gait in studies of the effects of cognitive load on posture, gait, and balance. A Biopac system is used to measure a variety of physiological parameters including EEG, EMG, EKG, respiratory, and cardiac function.

Teaching Facilities

Seminole Productions is the School of Communication's video production unit. Seminole Productions provides a variety of services to other campus departments. One major client is the athletic department. Seminole Productions also produces the weekly University sports highlight show, Seminole Uprising, which reaches over two million households in Florida via the Sunshine Network. Students have numerous opportunities to become involved with Seminole Productions.

The Production Center houses a variety of equipment and facilities: a fully equipped television studio; video-editing suites in several formats; field production cameras and recorders in each of those formats; computerized on and off-line editing, digital video effects, and computer animation capabilities; non-linear editing; and on-site engineering and management support. The facility was designed around the principle that students need maximum exposure to the equipment to develop the competency required in media production fields.

WVFS-FM (V-89) is Florida State University's student-operated college radio station. Communication students work at V-89 for college credit and are responsible for programming, announcing, news and sports coverage, and all other station operations. V-89 is "the Voice of Florida State," providing campus information and alternative music programming. V-89 has been the recipient of several national programming awards and is now available on the World Wide Web through streaming video at http://www.wvfs.fsu.edu.

The L. L. Schendel Speech and Hearing Clinic is the primary teaching laboratory for students enrolled in the communication disorders master's degree programs. This 40-room facility is the central focus of learning and service activity. Videotape laboratories, diagnostic audiology instrumentation, sound isolation rooms, electronic communication devices, and a complement of other clinical resources serve the program's needs for clinical management and instruction.

The Schools maintain six fully-equipped computer laboratories. While some labs serve specific program areas, others are available for general instruction and research. The labs are equipped with a full complement of personal computers and laser printers, all of which are connected to the College's network. Connectivity to the network allows faculty and students to share data and collaborate on projects.

The labs' personal computers include a full array of commercial software for word processing, spreadsheet development, database management, and academic applications for statistical and content analysis. Some of the labs serving the School of Communication include hardware and software for fully integrated desktop publishing, multimedia products and video applications. The School of Communication Science and Disorders offers labs equipped with hardware and software for language sample analysis, instructional material development, and desktop publishing. Certain labs also include hardware and software for nonlinear video editing.

In the emerging connected society, information and information technology are ubiquitous and influence almost all forms of human activity. Modern IT professionals use information and technology to support the goals and cultures of the people and organizations they serve. The School's Bachelor of Science in information technology (IT) program prepares graduates who can apply technology innovatively, manage information purposefully, communicate effectively, and work productively with people. Successful information technology professionals determine an organization's information needs and then design, create, and manage information systems to meet those needs. In the IT program students participate in hands-on learning experiences designed to develop and hone leadership skills in communication, technology, teamwork, information management, critical thinking, and problem solving.

The BS in IT program is a forty-two semester hour program, offering multiple concentrations such as the ones in information systems and services or in information organization and communication. The program requires six foundation courses, two capstone courses, and six concentration and elective courses. Students can focus on topics such as databases, networking, security, Web development and administration, information architecture, project management, and usability.

The demand for IT professionals continues to grow. The Bachelor of Science in IT offered by the School draws upon the service tradition of the early information fields to educate IT professionals who make a difference in the organizations for which they work and create value through the appropriate and judicious use of information technology. Specific careers include information architect, network administrator, technical editor/writer, usability analyst, content manager, systems analyst, technology coordinator, and Web developer/administrator.

In addition to the BS in information technology, the School offers a Master of Science (MS) degree in library and information studies, a specialist (S) degree, and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree.

The College of Information was established in 1947 as a professional school and is one of the top-ranked programs in the nation. The master's degree program is accredited by the American Library Association, and the College is a member of the Association for Library and Information Science Education.

Requirements for All Incoming Students

All new main campus undergraduate students who enter the School are required to provide their own laptop computer and the appropriate software. Specific information may be found on the Web site at http://ci.fsu.edu/.

Requirements for a Major

Students are eligible to major in information technology after completing a program of liberal studies with an overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or better. All students of Florida State University must fulfill the Liberal Studies Program requirements set forth in the "Undergraduate Degree Requirements" chapter of the General Bulletin.

Transfer students who have earned an Associate of Arts (AA) degree from a Florida public community college or state university will be considered to have met the liberal studies requirement.

Program Prerequisites are:

STA 2122 Introduction to Applied Statistics

ECO 2013 Principles of Macroeconomics

PSY 2012 General Psychology

CGS XXXX A database concepts course

COP XXXX A programming course

COP XXXX An object-oriented course

MAC XXXX Precalculus or Discrete Mathematics

PHI XXXX A general ethics course

For additional information concerning undergraduate degree programs, please refer to the Web site at http://ci.fsu.edu/.

Core Program

To major in information technology, a student must complete a minimum of forty-two semester hours in information technology including the six foundation and two capstone courses:

LIS 3021 Technical Communication for the Information Professional

LIS 3201 Research and Data Analysis for Information Professionals

LIS 3267 Information Science

LIS 3353 Technologies for Information Services

LIS 3706 Information Systems and Services

LIS 3784 Information Organization and Communication

LIS 4708 Perspectives on Information Technology

LIS 4910 Information Technology Project

Note: All courses must be completed with a minimum grade of "C–."

Requirements for a Minor

With the approval of the academic dean of the College of Communication and Information, a minor in information technology may be obtained upon completion of at least four of the six foundation courses (LIS 3021, LIS 3201, LIS 3267, LIS 3353, LIS 3706, and LIS 3784). All courses must be completed with a minimum grade of "C–."

Facilities

The School resides in the Louis Shores Building, which houses classrooms, computer laboratories, administrative offices, and the Goldstein Library. The New Technology (NT) Laboratory houses small-scale Local Area Networks in order to provide students with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in network and security administration. The Media Production Studio provides students, faculty, and staff with the resources needed to create and edit high-quality audio and video recordings for instruction or to document their work. The iSpace computer cluster and learning lab provides students with access to a modern Web development environment with scripting language and database access, media production facilities, and a flexible, Web accessible, virtual computer environment for experimenting with and using modern information technology tools. The Goldstein Library houses high-end computer systems with dual-monitor high performance graphics systems located within the School's Help Desk area. This facility provides students with access to the computing and software resources needed for individual and class projects.