Completing Oral Communication

It is important that you complete the Oral Communication requirement early in your academic career. Oral Communication skills provide a foundation for many other skills you will develop, regardless of your major or program. Therefore, developing a solid base in creating persuasive and well-reasoned arguments and communicating in speech with an awareness of audience, topic, and purpose is a task you need to complete as soon as you can. For that reason, the University has implemented a policy that says you have to complete the Oral Communication requirement within your first 30 hours. If you haven't completed itby 45 hours, you will only be able to register for the appropriate Oral Communication class the next term, until the requirement is met. To avoid this, it's important to plan now to finish the requirement, and then to act on that plan!

Step 1: What class or classes will I need to complete?

  • Does my major require a specific course? See the Oral Communication requirements by major
  • If I don't yet know what my major will be, of the majors I'm looking at, is there a "safe" choice that will work for all/most/some of the majors I am considering?
  • Check the Degree Plans section of this website (check the plans for your catalog year) or the Catalog (select your catalg year) to see what majors are offered and if they require a specific course for Oral Communication

Step 2: How do I become eligible to take that class?

  • SPE 1010 Public Speaking and SPE 1710 Interpersonal Communication do not have any prerequisites, so any student may take them
  • Completing the requirement with a language course requires that you complete a second level course, which requires that you complete or demonstrate proficency in the first level (introductory) course
    • Take the first level course (for example, SPA 1010, FRE 1010, GER 1010, SLHS 1610), then continue on to the second level course (SPA 1020, FRE 1020, GER 1020, SLHS 1620)
    • If you have a background in that langauge, contact the Modern Languages Department about placement into an appropriate course

Step 3: What resources are available to me?

Step 4: Complete the Oral Communication requirement!