The Human Communication minor prepares you to meet the realities of 21st-century life and work. It integrates the traditional disciplines of literature, history, philosophy, rhetoric, communication, journalism, media studies and creative writing with the contemporary fields of ethnic studies (Chicana/o-Latina/o, African American, Asian American, Euro American, Native American), American studies, women's studies, cultural studies and media studies.

The interdisciplinary Human Communication minor complements any CSUMB major by accentuating fundamental communication, cross-cultural competency and reasoning skills. It prepares you specifically for careers in technology, business, education and science.

Required Courses

You must complete 16 units in the minor.

Complete the following:

Complete one course in three other areas of your choice.

Area 1

  • HCOM 312: Cooperative Argumentation-Theory and Practice
  • HCOM 317S: Advanced Composition, Composition Theories, Service Learning
  • HCOM 318: GWARAdvCompTheory/PracK-8Teach

Area 2

Or complete the following course after receiving consent from the instructor: HCOM 389: Otter Realm Workshop

Area 3

Area 4

Area 5

Area 6

Area 7

Or one of the following courses after receiving consent from the instructor:

Learning Outcomes

Critical Communication Skills

Ability to communicate critically and empathetically in both oral and written contexts, including reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

Media, Narrative, and Ethnographic Skills

Ability to responsibly gather, interpret critically, narrate, and disseminate the voices and stories of people, communities, or events by integrating ethnographic or journalistic field research methods, cultural or media analysis, narrative writing, and media production, including new digital media.

Relational Communication Skills

Ability to interact ethically and effectively in interpersonal and group communication and decision making processes.

Philosophical Analysis

Ability to understand why and how beliefs, values, assumptions, and communication practices interact to shape ways of being and knowing.

Critical Cultural Analysis

Ability to investigate and explain relationships among cultural ideologies and socio-historical experiences, interests, identities, and actions of specific cultural groups.

Comparative Literary Analysis

Ability to appreciate and analyze literature in a social, historical, and cultural context ~ ability to compare and contrast literature of at least three different cultural traditions, including non-Eurocentric traditions.

Historical Analysis

Ability to actively engage our complex multicultural pasts by integrating historical understanding with historical thinking skills.

Creative Writing and Social Action

Ability to acquire basic competency in creative writing ~ ability to apply this skill to the production and presentation of an art project that actively responds to a public issue ~ ability to sustain the creative process throughout a given project, taking it to completion.