CHANGE-OF-MAJOR APPLICATION:
COMMUNICATION STUDIES
Revised September 2015
ABOUT US
Thank you for your interest in pursuing a major in the Department of Communication Studies!
We strive to provide students the highest quality instruction and advising possible. To do this, we
maintain a department size (i.e., number of undergraduate majors) that makes the most effective
use of our faculty resources. As well, we are committed to teaching accomplished, motivated,
creative students in rigorous, practical, and relatively small courses.
We provide a broad communication studies education, but tailor our programs to individual
students’ interests and talents. This requires our undergraduate students to have clear, compelling
reasons for majoring in Communication Studies, while pursuing a variety of minors. As a
potential applicant, you should carefully consider whether a Communication Studies minor
(which requires no application) or major is right for you.
We accept approximately 30 or fewer high-quality applicants for transfer into the major each
academic year. The change-of-major process is very competitive in our department as we receive
a high number of applications. This document provides detailed instructions and information for
composing an application to change your major.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO APPLY
Thought carefully about whether the
Communication Studies major or minor
is right for you
Completed COMM2010 with C or better
Current GPR of 2.5 or higher
Completed and submitted application
for transfer to Communication Studies
Completed ENGL1030 with C or better
Completed more than 15 credit hours
Meeting the minimum requirements to apply to transfer to the major does not guarantee your
admission to the Communication Studies program. Admission to the major is very competitive.
Students accepted into the major regularly have a very high GPR (well above a 3.0); an excellent
grade in COMM2010; have previous creative, extracurricular, or work experience in a
communication-related field; provide excellent application materials; and are able to articulate
compelling reasons for majoring in Communication Studies, in particular. Students who do not
possess this academic profile should pursue their interests through a Communication Studies
minor.
APPLICATION TIMELINE
Semester
Fall
Spring
Application Deadline
September 15 @ 4:30 p.m.
February 15 @ 4:30 p.m.
Decision Announced
October 1
March 1
Late and/or incomplete applications will not be considered. As well, applications not submitted
in the form and manner described below will not be considered. You are encouraged to submit
your application well in advance of the deadline. A committee of Communication Studies faculty
independently reviews applications. Their reviews are confidential and will not be shared with
the applicant or any other person except Clemson University employees responsible for
managing the application process. Notification of acceptance or rejection will be e-mailed to
students on or about the decision announcement date above. Hard copy letters will also be sent
via postal mail.
REQUIRED ELEMENTS OF YOUR APPLICATION
Formatting Requirements
o Your application should be typed and printed on white paper.
o All individual elements of your application should include your name.
o All individual elements of your application should be clearly titled/labeled (e.g., your
statement of purpose should have “Statement of Purpose” at the top of the document).
o All individual elements of your application that are more than one page in length (e.g.,
your writing sample) should have their pages stapled together.
o All individual elements of your application should be organized in the order shown
below.
o All elements of your application should be gathered together with a binder clip. Please do
not bind your materials together in any other way.
Content Requirements
1. A cover page with only the following information (template provided at the end of this
document):
 your full name
 whether you are applying to doublemajor in Communication Studies
 your CUID number
 the semester during which you are
 your Clemson University
applying
email address
 your telephone number
 your mailing address
2. A statement of purpose no longer than 500 words. Your statement should make a
detailed, compelling argument for your admission that addresses:
 your reasons for applying to the Communication Studies major
 your coursework, employment, extracurricular activity, and/or community service
in Communication Studies or related fields to date
 your professional and/or personal aspirations that would be well-served by a
Communication Studies education
 your plan of study if admitted to the major (i.e., courses of interest to you)
 your unique contributions to the Department, if admitted
3. A writing sample (often an assignment completed in COMM2011) that demonstrates:
 your knowledge of an aspect of communication studies
 your ability to think conceptually, critically, and creatively
 your ability to make a supported, thorough, logical argument
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 your ability to produce high-quality writing
Note: if you submit a writing sample produced for a course not in the Communication
Studies department, you may want to provide a very short explanation of the sample’s
relevance to our discipline at the top of the document.
4. A current resume that:
 is attractively designed/composed and logically organized
 reflects at minimum, your education, extracurricular/community engagement, and
employment history
 draws attention to your communication-related activities and skills developed to
date
5. A current copy of your Degree Progress Report (DPR).
6. A completed change-of-major form, which must have all fields completed except for the
signatures to be provided by Communication Studies administrators.
Note: the change-of-major form will be processed only if you are accepted to the
Communication Studies major. Students will not be penalized or “dropped” from
their current major when applying for transfer to or if not admitted to the Department
of Communication Studies.
SUBMITTING YOUR COMPLETED APPLICATION
Completed cover page
Current resume
500-word statement of purpose
Writing sample
Degree Progress Report (DPR)
Completed change-of-major form
o Ensure that your application is complete and meets the formatting requirements described
above.
o Your application should contain no additional material (e.g., do not include unsolicited
letters of reference).
o Return your application to Strode Tower 408 by 4:30 p.m. on September 15 or February
15. If the application deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline will be the last
business day before the 15th of the month.
o Late applications will not be considered; you are encouraged to submit your application
well before the deadline.
Students should wait until after the decision announcement date to inquire about the status of
their application. Questions about your coursework during the semester you are applying to the
Communication Studies major should be directed to your current academic advisor;
recommended courses of study, general education requirements, and potential minors can be
found in your Undergraduate Announcements (i.e., “ the Clemson catalog”). Questions about the
application guidelines and process may be directed to our Associate Department Chair, Dr.
Joseph Mazer: 864-656-5254 or jmazer@clemson.edu.
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TEMPLATE FOR APPLICATION COVER PAGE
Clemson University Department of Communication Studies Change-of-Major Application
Cover Page
Name: Jane Q. Doe
CUID #: 1234765
Clemson University Email Address: jqdoe1@clemson.edu
Primary Telephone Number: 864-867-5309
Current Mailing Address: 408 Strode Tower Lane #101, Clemson, SC 29634
Applying to: Communication Studies
Applying to Double-Major: Yes/No
Current Semester: Fall 1999
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