The College of Communication is part of a campus-wide program called the First-Year Interest Groups or FIG. The FIG is a cluster of classes organized around an area of interest or academic major. Each FIG group has twenty students, one academic advisor and a peer mentor (a returning UT student). All students who are registered for a FIG will have a cluster of classes that are all the same. Registering for a FIG is strictly on a volunteer basis.

The FIG seminar class will meet once a week. The FIG seminar classes help students learn about the academic resources on campus, major requirements, UT clubs and organizations and career opportunities. One of the most positive aspects of FIG is that students are part of a smaller group with shared interests. Students who participate in the First-Year Interest Group program find their freshman year to be one that is informative, enlightening, and fun. This helps students to get adjusted to the size of UT. Students who participate in FIG historically have higher GPAs. and report feeling more connected to the University and the College.

The College of Communication offers twenty five FIG groups. Each of the Communication FIG groups has at least one Communication course (ADV, PR, RTF, CMS, CSD or J) as one of the classes that the entire FIG cluster takes together. The two additional courses that are added as part of the FIG cluster typically fulfill a general education requirement that would be needed for any major. Students will have to select another course(s) of interest to round out their schedule. Academic Advisors and OAs can help students to pick a FIG cluster that is appropriate for them. Students will register for FIGs during Orientation and the steps to this process will be explained in detail by their Academic Advisor.