Communication
Studies was one of the first majors to be offeredon the campus of Huntington
University over 100 years ago. From its early focus on
"speech" and "rhetoric,"
the major--then called Oral Communication-- expanded throughout the
twentieth century to include more than only the oral skills of speech making. Anywhere symbols are used to convey meaning—in written
narratives or essays, in film, in chat rooms and websites, in body
movements, even in "artifacts" such as architecture or clothing—they can be
studied for what they say about human nature and society. Speech and
rhetoric, both as subjects for study and as skills to be developed, remain
an important part of the concentration.
As a
communication student at a
Christian university, you will also practice faith-informed thinking
about the ways our society tells stories and communicates values.
The
communication studies major is unusual in allowing you to gain a
solid grasp of communication principles while exploring
additional skill areas both inside the communication
department and in a chosen area outside the department. By putting together
this combination of communication fundamentals with a focus on an outside
area (such as science, literature, music, business, marketing, education,
ministry), you are uniquely prepared to carve out a specialized niche
in the discipline orfieldin which you choose to work.
Many students
who aim to later pursue masters or doctoral studies choose the communication
studies track for the introduction it offers to the more specialized
communication areas of interpersonal, organizational, cross-cultural, and
mass communication.
No matter the job, competent
communication skills are essential. Future managersin this major gain organizational communication
skills. Future teachers
acquire better presentation skills. Future
ministers improve both their listening ability and
their skills of persuasion. Future missionaries learn how
to "read" cultures and the values they hold. With a distinct emphasis
on the Christian perspective, the major creates the
opportunity for Huntington students to participate in a program like no other
in the country.
Career Opportunities
A question
all liberal arts students are wise to ask is "What
kind of job can I get with this degree?"
As the list
below illustrates, for the communication major the question is often better
put, "What kind of job can't I get with this degree?" Humans
are constantly dealing with information, and this is
particularly true in organizational and business settings. We engage
in an ongoing cycle of initiating, processing, patterning or arranging,
preparing, transmitting, disseminating, retrieving, and processing
information. Today more than ever, we live in an
information society. As such the member of the community with the skills to
communicate and articulate this information becomes essential.
Business - In
a survey of 1,750 New York City corporate
chief executive officers, 79% of those responding identified "the ability to
express ideas verbally" as the most important of the several qualifications
and criteria used to screen and evaluate employees. The survey report
concluded that CEO's "look for graduates who can communicate in person and
on paper." They wanted team players who can express themselves with
substance in their ideas and thoughts.
Law - The law
itself is an art suggested: "The quality of advocacy - the research,
briefing and oral argument of the close and difficult case, does
significantly contribute to the outcomes, and the attorney with a strong
background in oral communication skills is given a decided advantage."
Medicine or Social
Services - Communication is essential to all stages of the
patient-provider and client-provider relationships. Medical schools are
beginning to respond, and in recent years have begun to require medical
students to complete oral communication courses in interpersonal and
interviewing techniques.
Government -
In another study of bureaucratic communication (wait, isn't that an oxymoron?),
the researchers stated that "As the impact and extent of government, within
our own borders and beyond, the need for adequate communication between
public officials and citizens becomes more urgent." President Bush stated,
"The ability to communicate well is especially important in our rapidly
changing society, where information is essential."
Public Relations and
Advertising - In a survey of 260 large, medium, and small PR
and advertising firms, the researchers concluded that "majors emphasizing
oral communication skills such as speech, journalism, liberal arts, English,
were the most frequently mentioned majors recruited by these agencies."
These are a few of the many
other opportunities found with an oral communication major in hand. Others
include arts and entertainment, social and human services, high technology
industries, international relations and negotiations, and human resource
training and development.
COMMUNICATIONS STUDIES
GRANT: Each year we offer a $1,000.00 scholarship that is renewable
for up to a total of four years to an incoming freshman who declares
communication studies as her or his major. Click here for the
application form.
Courses
for the Communication Studies Major
In addition
to taking college general education courses, communication studies majors
take 15 hours of core communication courses and 21 hours of specific
communication studies courses for a total of 36 credit hours in the major.
Comm Foundation
Courses
(15 hours)
These required courses for all communication
majors--including those in the communication studies track--address the
central issues within the communication discipline from a Christian
perspective as well as lay an applied foundation of media writing skills.
CO111 Intro to Communication
CO211 Communication & Society
CO241 Introduction to News Writing
CO246 Interpersonal Communication
CO481 Mass Communication
Comm. Studies
Major Requirements (9 hours)
CO266 Comm. Theory & History
CO421 Research Methods in Comm.
CO485 Senior Seminar
Comm Studies
Required Electives (6 hours)
CO370 Argumentation & Persuasion
CO311 Advanced Public Speaking
CO322 Intercultural Comm.
CO333 Topics in Communication
CO346 Organizational Comm.
CO371 Nonverbal Comm.
CO381 Mass Communication Law
CO395
Practicum in Comm
____ ____ ____
CO495
Internship
Comm Studies
Required Outside Courses Outside Electives (choose 6
hours)
Take six electives in complementary areas
outside the department of 300 or 400- level courses as approved by the
department. This allows you to specialize in a niche as a communication
expert.
