The Bachelor of Arts in Communication degree program provides students with a comprehensive knowledge of the nature of communication, its varied forms and uses, and its multiple social, cultural, and cognitive effects. Courses introduce students to the significance of communication within their own lives, showing its relevance to the complex relationships they enter into as participants in families, communities, and organizations; as representatives of one or more cultures; and as consumers of information distributed through mediated channels.
As the world becomes more complex, so do the forms of communication needed to interact. This is especially evident within contemporary institutions where gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and social class differences must be negotiated on an ongoing basis through everyday communication activities. The study of communication in everyday settings is essential for:
- Judging whether communication processes are effectively meeting the needs of institutions and the people involved with them;
- Analyzing systems of communication in order to identify areas for change;
- Devising plans to improve communication practices and systems.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
The Bachelor of Arts in Communication teaches analytical, critical, and practical skills that will help students to understand and improve communication practices and systems in all types of social settings. More specifically, students who graduate with a B.A. in Communication will be able to:
- Make knowledgeable and relevant contributions to intellectual conversation pertaining to communication phenomena.
- Argue convincingly and respond constructively to positions regarding the problems, applicable standards, and communication practices, enabling improved functioning of communication processes and systems.
- Conceptualize and appreciate the point of view of one’s counterparts in communicative interaction while attempting respectfully to incorporate their viewpoints into one’s own.
- Analyze forms and contexts of communication from a variety of intellectual perspectives (philosophical, historical, theoretical, and practical).
- Make cooperative, civil, appropriate, and timely contributions in talk, written, and mediated discourse, to advance the direction and purpose of the communication event.
Career Opportunities
Communication is increasingly recognized as an extremely significant, multifaceted phenomenon that deserves our focused attention. Increasingly, both private and public sectors are emphases the importance of communication skills in their hiring decisions and assessments of potential for career success. Consistently, business leaders have identified that potential employees must have effective communication skills and be able to work collaboratively with people of diverse backgrounds.
The growing telecommunications and digital information industries are very receptive to communication majors, as are private and public organizations and agencies, which often hire communication majors as specialists and consultants to improve organizational communication. A communication degree offers interesting career opportunities in the areas of business management, public health communication, community relations, government, public affairs, international trade, conflict mediation, advertising and market research, foreign service, teaching, and law.