A major goal of the Communication Studies program is to impart the communication skills necessary to enable the student to think critically, speak eloquently, write effectively, interact cooperatively, and listen empathically.
Communication Studies
The Communication Studies curriculum provides and integrative view of communication and a critical understanding of the role of communication in culture and society. Important underlying strands of a liberal arts education are woven together to create a strong foundation for the Communication Studies curriculum.
The student is provided with educational tools needed to function effectively and compete successfully in today's culturally diverse employment environments in a rapidly changing society. These skills cut across all professions, playing a major role in impacting our information-driven economy.
The National Association of Colleges and Employers identifies the skills and qualities most sought in job candidates. The number one personality quality looked for in job candidates is communications skills, with teamwork skills, leadership skills, and interpersonal communications skills all listed within the top ten.
Courses required in the Communication Studies program are firmly grounded in humanistic, social scientific, and/or scientific research to allow for a well-rounded education. Major courses of study include argument and debate, communication theory, health communication, intercultural communication, interpersonal communication, small group communication, persuasion, public speaking, and rhetorical theory.
Some key examples of employment opportunities with a degree in Communication Studies include crisis management specialist, communication educator/scholar, intercultural business consultant, health communication specialist, and lobbyist/political campaign consultant. The Communication Studies major also prepares students for advanced professional education, such as law school, social work, counseling, public administration, public education, and the ministry. Some would say that good communicators are efffective and valued in every occupation.