Communication Studies B.A.

Learning Outcomes

As an undergraduate major in Communication Studies, you will develop theoretical and practical communication skills and knowledge in the following:

  • Create messages appropriate to the audience, purpose, and context (locate relevant information, select appropriate modes and tools to accomplish goals, adapt the message to the audience, present in multiple modes and contexts, adjust while communicating, and critically reflect after the event).
  • Employ communication theories, perspectives, principles, and concepts (explain, synthesize, apply, and critique).
  • Influence public discourse (explain communication’s role in civic life, identify challenges facing communities, frames issues from a communication perspective, evaluates issues, uses communication to respond to issues, advocates a course of action, and empowers individuals to promote human rights, dignity, and freedom).
  • Engage in communication inquiry (interpret, evaluate, apply, and formulate questions about communication scholarship, engage in scholarship using communication research methods, differentiate between various approaches to communication, and contribute to scholarly conversations).
  • Critically analyze messages (identify meanings in messages, articulate characteristics of messages, recognize their influence, engage in active listening, and enact mindful responding to messages).

Students are expected to develop strong research and practical skills through our required courses, and can tailor most of their communication coursework to their particular areas of interest. So, while we require a strong foundation, the program of studies is designed for maximum flexibility.