Communications Studies

Mission

The mission of the Communication Studies program of study and minor are to build a framework that 1) fundamentally advocates the significance of communication—as a constitutive force—in the ongoing, processual construction of life, 2) exemplifies a variety of ways in which communication functions not as a resource for describing reality, but as a tool for creating it, including relational communication, intercultural communication, rhetorical practice and discourse, performance, and mediated/digital communication, 3) challenges and nuances student understandings of communication processes in ways that are beneficial to both themselves and others across diverse contexts, and 4) enhances students’ major program of study by making more mindful and reflexive their orientation to and participation within it.

About the Communications Studies Minor

Upon completion of requirements for the minor students will be prepared for graduate and professional study in the field of Communication Studies or related fields and/or suited to enter the professional workforce equipped with the necessary skillsets and tools needed for participating in, navigating, and sensemaking an increasingly diverse, interconnected social landscape.

What is Communication Studies?

Once commonly known as “Speech,” Communication Studies broadly encompasses a wide breadth of communication practices, domains, and contexts which function as distinct subfields within the discipline. These subfields include (but are not limited to): professional and business communication, interpersonal/relational communication, intercultural communication, rhetoric, public relations (PR) and marketing, mass communications and (social) media, game studies, and communication education/pedagogy. Undergraduate degrees (BS or BA) in Communication/Communication Studies consistently rank among the ten most popular among college students, with recipients earning average salaries exceeding those with degrees in general education, psychology, sociology, English, or history.

Why Communications Studies?

Those with degrees (undergraduate, Masters, or PhDs) in Communication/Studies have an exceptionally adaptable, transferable, and important skill set that proves invaluable across many professional fields. Degree holders often go on to work in the areas of media (radio, television, film, journalism), marketing, education, state/national associations, politics, various industries including technology, business (management, ownership, etc.), public communications, counseling and support services, the arts, fundraising, sales, consulting, training and development, and nonprofits. Among the most common jobs for communication majors are communications director (mid-career pay: $80,300), social media strategist (mid-career pay: $64,300), and digital strategist (mid-career pay: $70,900). Graduates also regularly create startup companies and/or pursue graduate education in fields such as law, business, psychology, sociology, social work, and communication.

Required Courses: