PUBLIC SPEAKING (COMM 203)

Also visit Outloud Online, a site devoted completely to public speaking at Texas A&M

Find tips for Researching your speeches here.

As an introductory course in public speaking, COMM 203 helps students develop their abilities to compose and present well-organized and coherent speeches that impart substantial information and significant ideas in an interesting and compelling manner.

Course assignments include a series of two or three informative speeches and a series of two or three persuasive speeches. Each speech requires some ancillary materials, such as computer-generated visual aids, speech outlines and bibliographies.

All graded speeches are recorded digitally and posted in a secure, web-based system, so that speakers can view and analyze their own speeches. COMM 203 students write assessments of their own speeches as well as of speeches presented by other students. Students in COMM 203 also take a series of tests based on the textbook and class lectures.

COMM 203 is one of several basic speaking courses at Texas A&M University, with 100s of students enrolling in the course each semester. Students are encouraged to enroll in COMM 203 as early as possible in their undergraduate careers. COMM courses that fulfill the same requirement in the core curriculum as COMM 203, include COMM 205 and COMM 243. Students must consult with their College and their major to determine whether COMM 205 or COMM 243 are suitable options for them.

  Enrollment Management Policies

In an effort to make COMM 203 available to students in all classifications a few seats in each section are made available during every day of pre-registration. 

Every effort is made to accommodate graduating seniors. However, there is no guarantee that the sections they desire will be available. A graduating senior should attempt to register on his/her assigned day, and during general open registration. If these efforts fail he/she may request to be "forced" into the class. In order to be considered for "forcing" the student’s degree audit must show that COMM 203 is the only remaining requirement for graduation OR the student must have a letter from his/her advisor stating the date of graduation. Advisors may also e-mail the force request to Nancy Street at n-street@tamu.edu . Letters may be delivered to Bolton Hall, room 107. These force requests will be honored on a first come, first served basis. Forces will conclude on the Friday before classes start for any given semester or summer term at approximately 9:00 a.m. Any unused force seats will be released at that time.  

COMM 203 on the web: Outloud Online

This is an online supplement for COMM 203. The Outloud Online site will guide students through audience analysis, topic selection, visual aids, and more!