Communication (BA or BS) Military Pathway
Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science
For Catalog Years 2026-2029
Military Pathway Information
This military pathway outlines degree requirements that may be satisfied by military training and experience or exams, as well as requirements that must be satisfied through courses taken at Old Dominion University.
Download a PDF of the Communication (BA or BS) pathway
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Requirements Potentially Met Outside the Classroom
Where indicated, a passing CLEP or DSST examination score will satisfy the ODU course requirement.
- CLEP Exams - College Board
- DSST Exams - GetCollegeCredit.com
- ODU CLEP and DSST Credits
- CLEP Preparation - ModernStates.org
A student may forego the CLEP or DSST option and satisfy the requirements by taking the actual courses. If a course is taken elsewhere, check first for transfer equivalency in ODU's Transfer Equivalency Tool.
Prior learning credit is also available in specific situations at a cost of 20-50% of the current tuition rate. Prior learning credit may not be paid for by military tuition assistance (TA). Prior learning credit cannot exceed 60 credit hours.
Lower Division General Education Requirements
| Military Course, Certification, Experience or Exam | ODU Equivalent Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CLEP College Composition (not Modular) | ENGL 110C English Composition | 3 |
| DSST Technical Writing | ENGL 231C Writing, Rhetoric, and Research: Special Topics | 3 |
| Select specialties | COMM 101R Public Speaking | 3 |
| CLEP College Mathematics, College Algebra, or Precalculus | MATH 101M, 102M, or 162M (BA only) | 3 |
| DSST Principles of Statistics | STAT 130M Elementary Statistics (BS only) | 3 |
| CLEP Foreign Languages or military linguist or DLIFLC grad | Language and Culture requirement* (CLEP for 201 & 202 may meet additional 6 credits for BA only) | 6 (6) |
| CLEP Any Social Sciences exam except Educational Psych | Human Behavior requirement | 3 |
| CLEP Any History exam | Interpreting the Past requirement | 3 |
| CLEP American or Analyzing & Interpreting Literature | Literature requirement | 3 |
| CLEP Biology | Nature of Science requirement | 8 |
| Subtotal: 35 credits | ||
*ODU’s Language and Culture requirement can be satisfied by three years of a foreign language or two years of two foreign languages in high school. Students whose native language is not English are exempt from taking a foreign language for general education.
Department or Major Requirements
| Military Course, Certification, Experience or Exam | ODU Equivalent Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select specialties | COMM 200S Introduction to Human Communication | 3 |
| Select specialties | COMM 260 Understanding Media | 3 |
| Select specialties | COMM 272G Digital Literacy (meets Information Literacy & Research req.) | 3 |
| Select specialties | COMM 303 Introduction to Strategic Communications | 3 |
| Select specialties | COMM 323 Leadership and Events Management | 3 |
| Select specialties | COMM 351 Interpersonal Communication in Organizations | 3 |
| Select specialties | COMM 355 Organizational Communication | 3 |
| Select specialties serving in communication-related billets | COMM 368 Internship (requires department approval) | 3 |
| Current or previous E6-E9 or DSST Principles of Supervision | SEPS 302 Workforce Supervision | 3 |
| Current or previous E7-E9 or CLEP Principles of Management | MGMT 325 Contemporary Organizations & Management | 3 |
| Current or previous E8-E9 | MGMT elective | 3 |
| Current or previous E9 | MGMT 410 Leadership in Organizations | 3 |
| Subtotal: 36 credits | ||
Total requirements potentially met outside classroom: 71 credits
Requirements Met at ODU
A minimum of 30 credits must be taken at ODU and 120 credits gained in total to earn this degree.
Communication Studies Lower-Division General Education or Core Requirements
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| COMM 280T Entertainment Technologies or COMM 372T Intro to New Media Technologies (meets Impact of Technology requirement) | 3 |
| COMM 301 Critical Methodologies | 3 |
| COMM 302 Communication Research Methods I (BS only) | 3 |
| COMM 335W Rhetorical Criticism or COMM 445 Communication Analysis & Criticism (BA only) | 3 |
| One COMM "W" writing-intensive course | 3 |
| Select nine COMM foundations courses from catalog unless met elsewhere | 27 |
| Select one COMM elective course from catalog unless met elsewhere | 3 |
| Select two Social Science 300/400-level requirements (BS only) | 6 |
| Human Creativity requirement (cannot be COMM or THEA 270A) | 3 |
| Philosophy and Ethics requirement | 3 |
| Select up to two 300/400-level general elective requirements not met elsewhere | 0-6 |
Total requirements met at ODU: 54+ credits
Total credits for degree: 120+
Next Steps
Review Program Information
Learn more about our Communication bachelor's online degree program.
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Military Student Services
From credit for your experience to flexible learning options, ODUGlobal can help fit education into your life. Learn more about how we support active-duty military and veteran students.