Communication Major

What is it?

Communication involves many obvious professional images, but also quite a number of important learning opportunities. For some it may mean involvement with mass media, for others it might mean either public speaking skills, or interpersonal effectiveness, or some com­bination of professional persuasion ranging from sales to public spokesperson for government or business. But even more, the major in communication combines its obvious professional images with three fundamental perspectives:

Performing Arts – no matter its context or its technological sophistication, all communication is inescapably a performance at some level;

Social Sciences – that understanding effective communication requires understanding human symbolic behavior in its historical, social and psychological contexts;

Humanities – human communication tradition and practices are the foundation for understanding and participating in civic institutions such as law, politics, education and religion.

Approach

The broad-based major in communication consists of 36 semester credit hours – approximately 12 classes – and includes courses in theatre, performance stud­ies, mass media, public speaking, argumentation, interper­sonal communication and communication theory; with additional course options in cross-cultural communica­tion, organizational communication, communication and civilization, political communication, legal communication, persuasion and propaganda, visual communication, gender and communication. Finally, additional electives within the major allow for adaptation to include work in such areas as radio-television-film, public relations or theatre.

Pre-Professional Curriculum

The communication major requires students to become involved in at least two different pre-professional areas within the communication department. Students may earn credit in intercollegiate debate, Reach Out and Read, or in the pre-professional areas offered within the programs in radio-television-film, theatre, organizational communication and public relations.

Educational Licensure in Integrated Language Arts

The communication major, when taken in combi­nation with courses in English and education, is designed to meet licensure requirements for teaching in the state of Ohio. The total program can be completed in four years without incurring extra fees. More information is available through Capital’s education department.

Careers

In addition to the more obvious professional connections involving public relations, broadcasting and teaching licensure, excellent communication skills are valued components in leadership positions in business and professional areas. They also serve as an excellent prepara­tory base for post-graduate education. Many communi­cation majors also complete majors in political science, psychology, business and foreign languages in order to create a personalized profile of skills and knowledge for versatile use in a variety of fields. Recent graduates have been accepted to law schools, MBA programs, professional schools and graduate schools in a variety of social science and humanities disciplines.

What are they doing now?
Partial Listing:

Positions:
• Vice president, marketing
• Director, information technology
• Senior marketing underwriter
• Editor
• Attorney
• Production coordinator
• TV news anchor
• University professor

Companies:
• Eastman Kodak
• The Kroger Co.
• Nationwide
• CBS Television Network
• Walt Disney
• Cronewett Associates, Public Relations

Four-Year Sample Schedule of a Communication Major:
(39-48 elective hours available for use as a second major or multiple minors)

All courses subject to availability and adviser approval.

* All undergraduates must demonstrate that these General Education goals have been met.

Four-Year Sample Schedule of an Integrated Arts Licensure-Communication Major:
(129 total hours including General Education goals):

All courses subject to availability and adviser approval.
* All undergraduates must demonstrate that these General Education goals have been met.

Sharon E. Croft, Ph.D
Associate Professor of Communication, Department Chair
B.A., M.A., University of North Texas
Ph.D., Louisianna State University