Humanities Communication Minor Cal State Monterey Bay

The Humanities & Communication minor prepares you to meet the realities of 21st-century life and work. Blending a variety of humanities disciplines with communication studies, students learn to think critically and creatively, and communicate ethically and effectively to address humanity's problems and potential.

This interdisciplinary 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 ONE course in each of the four following areas:

Area 1 ~ Ethical and Effective Communication

  • HCOM 304: Relational Ethics (4 units)
  • HCOM 305: Introduction to Mass Communication (4 units)
  • HCOM 309: Interracial Communication (4 units)
  • HCOM 310: Free Speech & Responsibility (4 units)
  • HCOM 312: Deliberation and Advocacy (4 units)
  • HCOM 315: Media for Social Change (4 units)
  • HCOM 316: Media Ethics (4 units)
  • HCOM 317S: Advanced Composition, Composition Theories, Service Learning (6 units)
  • HCOM 319: Global Communication and Culture (4 units)
  • HCOM 320: Grammar, Usage, and Power (4 units)
  • HCOM 321: Introduction to Rhetoric and Culture (4 units)
  • HCOM 349: Environmental Philosophy and Communication (4 units)
  • HCOM 383: Genres of Social Justice Writing (4 units)
  • HCOM 403: Professional Ethics and Communication (4 units)
  • HCOM 410: Public Relations Ethics and Practices (4 units)
  • HCOM 412: Multicultural Conflict Resolution (4 units)
  • HCOM 420: Advanced Studies in Rhetorical Theory (4 units)
  • HCOM 422: SelTop Multicultural Rhetorics (4 units)
  • HCOM 423: Rhetoric of Religion (4 units)
  • HCOM 440: Leadership and Multicultural Communities (4 units)

Area 2 ~ Social and Cultural Analysis

  • HCOM 343: Race and Gender Justice (4 units)
  • HCOM 344: Chicana/Latina Experiences (4 units)
  • HCOM 345: Chicanx Life & Culture (4 units)
  • HCOM 346: African American Life/History (4 units)
  • HCOM 348: Race, Colonialism, and Film (4 units)
  • HCOM 369: Asian American History (4 units)
  • HCOM 426: Travel Narratives (4 units)
  • HCOM 445: Slavery & Race in the Americas (4 units)

Area 3 ~ Engaged Creative Practice

  • HCOM 328: Latina Life Stories (4 units)
  • HCOM 329: Auto/Biografias (4 units)
  • HCOM 330: Intro Creative Writing (4 units)
  • HCOM 332: Poetry Writing Workshop (4 units)
  • HCOM 333: Women's Writing Workshop (4 units)
  • HCOM 334: Fiction/Creative NonFiction Writing (4 units)
  • HCOM 339S: Creative Writing and Service Learning (6 units)
  • HCOM 371: Community Journalism Studies (4 units)
  • HCOM 385: Reporting (4 units)
  • HCOM 390: Magazine Writing (4 units)
  • HCOM 432: Social Action Writing (4 units)
  • HCOM 433: Life Histories & Creative Narrative (4 units)
  • HCOM 434: Creative Publishing and Critical Storytelling (4 units)
  • HCOM 435: Community Media Project (4 units)
  • HCOM 488: Investigative Reporting (4 units)

Area 4 ~ Humanistic Inquiry

  • HCOM 301: Ways Of Knowing (4 units)
  • HCOM 323: American Drama (4 units)
  • HCOM 325: 20th Cent Narr Amer Immgr (4 units)
  • HCOM 327: Survey American Literature (4 units)
  • HCOM 353: California At Crossroads (4 units)
  • HCOM 359: Sexuality, Law and History (4 units)
  • HCOM 360: Constitutional History (4 units)
  • HCOM 404: Restorative Justice (4 units)
  • HCOM 406: Philosophy According to Movies (4 units)

Learning Outcomes

Ethical and Effective Communication

Understand communication theories and apply them to create and interpret messages and evaluate their ethics and effectiveness in diverse contexts.

Social and Cultural Analysis

Understand and evaluate how social identities including ethnicity, race, class, religion, gender, sexuality, and/or ability might influence [relate to] people's lived experiences, their cultural production and practices, and the social problems that shape their contexts.

Engaged Creative Practice

Develop competency in creative practice, such as creative writing, journalism, and/or media projects and community storytelling that responds to a social issue and engages the public.

Humanistic Inquiry

Apply inquiry based methods informed by humanistic traditions to investigate, interpret, and critique diverse ideas and text.