The Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies prepares students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to succeed in a technological, multicultural and global environment. Our mission is to teach students to think analytically, reason critically, communicate effectively, and lead responsibly. We strive to develop communicators who are adaptive and ethical citizens who will thrive in the workplace, in the community, and in careers in government, business, non-profit, and education. We strive to understand how communication affects identities, communities, and cultures. We offer hands-on skill development opportunities to prepare students for meaningful and fulfilling careers.
The Communication Studies major comprises the following concentrations:
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The Applied Communication concentration offers an interdisciplinary program of study in which students gain expertise in organizational communication, advanced presentational speaking, professional writing and visual design. Students are trained to integrate theoretical knowledge and technical skills in order to perform professional tasks such as conducting training sessions and seminars, creating web content, designing promotional materials, managing communication campaigns and writing press releases.
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The Communication Studies–General concentration features flexibility and choice. Students create a personalized plan of study tailored to their specific academic interests and career goals. This concentration is appropriate for those who have diverse academic interests.
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The Global Communication concentration prepares students to play a powerful role in redefining the way the world communicates. Globalization is the result of communication. Strategic, culturally sensitive, and critical communicators are the cornerstones of global economics, business, political establishments, institutions, and cultural interactions. Now that a majority of institutions, organizations, and industries operate globally, the demand for communication professionals with a global perspective who have the theoretical, analytical and practical skills to understand communication across cultures and in diverse environments has increased dramatically. By emphasizing an ethical, mindful, and sustainable global outlook, the concentration in global communication exposes students to information management, comparative media systems, intercultural competency, international business adeptness, democratic communication values, and transnational justice. In addition to gaining knowledge and skill sets through courses, students are encouraged to participate in study abroad experiences to strengthen their learning. Global Communication graduates are prepared to play a powerful role in redefining the way the world communicates.
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Communication in Media and Society is an essential part of everyday life and interaction. Individuals, groups, and organizations use multiple media platforms and communication strategies to inform and influence the public's judgments, perceptions, values, and actions. Students in the Media and Society concentration will learn to create and carry out strategic messaging, enhance their media literacy skills, and participate meaningfully in civic society and a range of careers. The Media and Society concentration provides students with an understanding of media use, processes, and effects that is critical for success in a competitive marketplace. Students in this concentration are prepared to enter a large number of careers, including advocacy, marketing, and other strategic communication professions, legal and political fields, as well as new and emerging fields in social media management and promotion.
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The Relational and Workplace Communication concentration teaches students how to understand, evaluate, and create messages to organize and relate in professional, social, and personal contexts. Additionally, students acquire skills to promote diversity, leadership, ethics, perspective-taking, social-support, teamwork, and conflict management, leading to greater effectiveness in the workplace and in personal relationships. Taken together, students develop comprehensive communication skills deemed essential by top employers in today's competitive marketplace.
Programs in the College of Communication and Information are, by nature, innovative, interdisciplinary and collaborative, which is critical to both professional and scholarly disciplines. Students are educated to work at the intersections of communication, information and technology. Through a core of diverse theory- and practice-based courses, students learn basic concepts that apply across the range of college programs and develop a sense of professional expectations and build toward interdisciplinary thinking and application.
