Communication Minor

The Minor in Communication is open to all baccalaureate students outside the Professional Communications program, and consists of five courses for a total of 15 credits. Of the five courses, three are required and two are electives to be selected from any other available PCM courses at the 300 or 400-level. Students taking this minor will gain a solid foundation in Professional Communication, including an introduction to the various communication industries, the application of various methods and technologies for effective communication in organizations, and the ability to write, edit and produce various types of communications.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Students will improve their ability to create professional communication documents and presentations using Microsoft Office applications, designed according to the purpose, function, and venue for which these are intended.
Students will develop skill in writing for electronic media making use of industry-standard software programs in computer laboratories equipped with individual student stations.
Students will become proficient in the process of executing a communication project, from the development of the concept to the presentation of the final product.
Students will become familiar with a range of practical applications within the field of communication so that they are able to recognize the potential of each, and to select appropriate methods for accomplishing tasks as future employees of companies and organizations.

About Academic Minors

Farmingdale State College students are invited to enhance their studies with an "Academic Minor." A minor is a cluster of thematically related courses drawn from one or more departments. In addition to department based minors (e.g. computer programming & info systems), interdisciplinary minors are also available (e.g. legal studies).

Academic minors are approved by the College-Wide Curriculum Committee and the Provost. Students must make application for an academic minor through the department offering the minor in conjunction with the Registrar's Office Specific course work must be determined in consultation with a faculty member in the department offering the minor. A statement of successful completion of the academic minor will appear on the student's transcript at the time of graduation.

A minor is considered to be an optional supplement to a student's major program of study.
Completion of a minor is not a graduation requirement and is subject to the availability of the courses selected. However, if the requirements for a minor are not completed prior to certification of graduation in the major, it will be assumed that the minor has been dropped. Consequently, the student will only be certified for graduation in their primary major.
Only students in 4 year baccalaureate programs can apply for a minor.
A minor should consist of 15 to 21 credits.
At least 12 credits must be in courses at the 200 level or higher.
At least 9 credits must be residency credits.
Specific requirements for each minor are determined by the department granting the minor.
Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in their minor. Some minors may require a higher GPA.
Students are prohibited from declaring a minor in the same discipline as their major (e.g. one cannot combine an applied math minor with an applied math major). Academic minors may not apply to all curricula.
Students are permitted to double-count courses.
Students are only permitted to take more than one minor with appropriate written approval of their department chair or curriculum Dean.

Admission to Farmingdale State College - State University of New York is based on the qualifications of the applicant without regard to age, sex, marital or military status, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, disability or sexual orientation.

Professional Communications | Dr. Noël Brathwaite, Acting Chair | pcm@farmingdale.edu | 934-420-2321

Fall 2026

Subject to revision

Required Courses	(9 credits)
PCM 120 Human Communication	3
PCM 201 Foundations of Professional Communication OR
PCM 203 Media Literacy	3
PCM 313W Communications Theory	3

Choose any two additional courses from the following:

(6 credits)

PCM 305 Media in Communications

PCM 315 Research Techniques

PCM 320 Communication in Business

PCM 323 Strategic Writing & Editing

PCM 324W Technical Communications

PCM 326 Sport Writing

PCM 327 Rhetoric and Persuasion

PCM 333 Organizational Communication

PCM 334 Culture & Communication

PCM 335W Strategic Communication

PCM 410 Digital Media

PCM 411 Social Media Management

PCM 414W Digital Journalism

PCM 416 Writing for Health and Disease

PCM 417 Communication Campaign Development

PCM 418 Communications and Conflict Management

PCM 420W Advanced Technical Communications

Curriculum Summary

Total Required Credits: 15