Courses in Category A approach communication as symbolic interaction, examining the formulation and complexities of those interactions. Students learn how to discover, evaluate, and report information, how to reason inductively and deductively, how to distinguish fact from judgment or  opinion. Courses in Categories A1 and A2 emphasize the content and form of both oral and written English. They explore the psychological basis and the social significance of communication, as well as the ways language works in diverse situations. Through active participation in written and oral communication, students develop the skills necessary for effective speaking, comprehension, writing, and reasoning. Modes of argument, rhetorical perspectives, and the relationship of language to logic are stressed in all Category A courses.

Students must take a minimum of one course in each of the three sub-categories.

Category A-1: Oral Communication 
Category A-2: English Writing  
Category A-3: Critical Thinking