Communication
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Are you someone who has always been interested in understanding the way humans communicate, the way technologies help and change our communication, how our day-to-day lives revolve around communication, and how communication impacts cultures and organizations, then obtaining a bachelor’s degree in communication might be the right path for you.
The B.A. in communication studies how humans use communication to produce cultures, institutions, and our sense of self. The study of communication asks how we do this, how our basic ability to communicate allows us to build connections between individuals, and within cultures and organizations. Students pursue such questions as: How do we use the power of language within personal relationships? How do the stories we tell provide meaning and significance to the identities we fashion for ourselves, or cultures? What communication practices do we engage in to maintain and build organizations? What rhetorical strategies do we employ to shape society and how we live together? How do technologies extend and alter our abilities and practices? By engaging these questions students understand and critically evaluate human communication in their lives and in their careers. Coursework and learning opportunities like internships and practicums will help you develop essential skills in writing, speaking, and researching.
The Department of Communication, which turned 100 in 2015, was one of the first of its kind in the country. Journalism began in 1948 and merged with communication in 1993. These programs are among the most popular on campus; the department is the second largest in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Part of that popularity is because these degree programs are flexible and pair well with many other minors and majors. Majors pursue secondary areas in art; business; English; environmental sciences; foreign languages; history; political science; professional writing; psychology; sociology; women’s, gender, and sexuality studies; and more. Communication is a fundamental part of human activity, and is relevant to any area of interest. Because of this communication allows people to have a variety of career choices.
Graduates work in all forms of organizations — public, private and academic — because communication is a fundamental part of human activity. Recent graduates have taken positions with sports teams, news agencies, businesses, banks, medical centers and nonprofits. Some graduates work in more traditional human resource or public relations areas, while others are involved in event planning, fundraising, political organizing, community development and entrepreneurship.
Communication
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Dunn Hall, Room 420
207.581.1935