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College of Arts and Sciences

BA in Communication

At a Glance

In the Bachelor of Arts in Communication program, you create advertising, public relations, and social media campaigns for real clients, all while learning how to effectively communicate with different target audiences.

Full Time
Rolling Admission

Degrees Offered

Total Credits

Bachelor of Arts

39-45

Minor

18

Overview

In the Bachelor of Arts in Communication program you create advertising, public relations, and social media campaigns for real clients, all while learning how to effectively communicate with different target audiences.

About the Major

You prepare for today's fast-paced communications industry by getting real-world experience from the start! Through internships, on-campus organizations like our student-run agency Crested Communications and classroom activities, you develop the wide range of skills employers are looking for! And in courses taught by our accomplished faculty, you'll learn how to write effectively, prepare and deliver strong oral presentations, and how to create and conduct communication research. 

Our flexible program allows you to select your area of emphasis based on your interests and career goals; Communication Studies, Advertising and Public Relations, or Media Strategies. 

Degree Requirements

Required courses and credits are dependent upon your Area of Emphasis:

  • Advertising and Public Relations: 45 credits
  • Communication Studies: 39 credits
  • Media Strategies: 45 credits

Communication Core Courses

Five core courses must be completed by Communication students. Examples include:

Communication in the Digital Age
Introduction to Digital Media Production
Making Sense of Social Media


For more information, and to see a complete list of degree requirements, visit the Course Catalog.

Advertising and Public Relations Emphasis Core Courses

Five core courses must be completed, as well as one course in each of the Communication Analysis and Campaign categories. Examples include:

  • Communication and Advertising  
  • Introduction to Public Relations  
  • Advertising Copywriting and Layout  

For more information, and to see a complete list of emphasis requirements, visit the Course Catalog.

Communication Studies Emphasis Core Courses

Three core courses must be completed, as well as two courses in each of the Human Resources and Communication Strategies categories. Examples include:

  • Persuasion
  • Small-Group Communication  
  • Capstone in Communication Studies
  • Business and Professional Communication  
  • Organizational Communication   

For more information, and to see a complete list of emphasis requirements, visit the Course Catalog.

Media Strategies Emphasis Core Courses

Four core courses must be completed, as well as three media strategies electives. Examples include:

  • Organizational Communication
  • Introduction to Media: Industries, Content and Audiences
  • Audience Analysis

For more information, and to see a complete list of emphasis requirements, visit the Course Catalog.

Communication Minor Requirements

The minor in Communication requires a total of 18 credits. Examples of courses include:

  • Communication in the Digital Age  
  • Research Methods in Communication
  • Communication Theory

For more information, and to see a complete list of minor requirements, visit the Course Catalog.

Learning Outcomes by Area of Emphasis

Advertising and Public Relations

Advertising and public relations students will be able to:

  • Write effectively in a variety of formats used in the field of communication.
  • Prepare and deliver effective oral presentations.
  • Understand and describe major theories of communication.
  • Identify and define the major sub-disciplines in the field of communication.
  • Demonstrate awareness of ethical dilemmas in the field of communication.
  • Locate and use credible sources of information on communication topics and issues.
  • Identify and evaluate the research methods used in a scholarly journal article.
  • Demonstrate a fundamental knowledge of the advertising and public relations disciplines expected for entry-level employment.
  • Produce materials commonly used in the advertising and PR fields.
  • Integrate production and analysis that contribute substantively to advertising and PR campaign development.

Communication Studies

Communication studies students will be able to:

  • Write effectively in a variety of formats used in the field of communication.
  • Prepare and deliver effective oral presentations.
  • Understand and describe major theories of communication.
  • Identify and define the major sub-disciplines in the field of communication.
  • Gain awareness of ethical dilemmas in the field of communication.
  • Locate and use credible sources of information on communication topics and issues.
  • Identify and evaluate the research methods used in a scholarly journal article.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of fundamental concepts in human communication.
  • Illustrate human communication concepts.
  • Analyze situations through the application of human communication theories/concepts.
  • Identify and analyze human communication problems and generate and evaluate solutions.

Media Strategies  

Media strategies students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate a professional level of writing standards across a wide range of disciplines
  • Master client relationship engagement skills
  • Master work environment skills such as collaboration and report or client content development
  • Professionally present work
  • Think critically
  • Reflectively critique one's own work

Areas of Emphasis

Communication Studies

Enhance your skills in group collaboration and leadership, conflict management, team presentations, persuasion, and adapting to digital communications. These skills are valuable for corporate training, human resources, sales, corporate and employee communications, and management positions.

Advertising and Public Relations

Prepare for advertising, public relations and marketing positions and produce portfolio-level work for local clients in our campaigns classes and by participating in national competitions sponsored by the American Advertising Federation and the Public Relations Student Society of America.

Media Strategies

If you want to work in the business side of media, the media strategies area of emphasis gives you a solid foundation to build your career. Learn about the inner workings of the media industry and how media major organizations are structured.

Natalie Vargas

Communication , '24

Natalie was offered a full-time position with Cronin, a full-service advertising and public relations agency, before she graduated. As a media coordinator, she assists with planning, creating, buying, and managing media plans. Natalie first worked as an intern for Cronin and says the knowledge she gained from accomplished School of Communication faculty helped her stand out from among all the other internship applicants.

Read more

The hiring manager said my ability to understand media gave me quite a leg up compared to the other candidates.

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