Communication Studies
(Applied Communication*, Interpersonal Communication, Organizational Communication, Public Communication)

The School of Communication Studies at Kent State University offers a contemporary, newly revised Bachelor of Arts degree program. In addition, some students minor in Communication Studies to augment a degree program in Business, Political Science, or Public Relations, or take Communications Studies courses through the Integrated Language Arts major in the College of Education.

The B.A. program involves the study and practice of human communication in interpersonal, organizational, and public settings. Coursework examines basic principles of: using language and nonverbal symbols, forming and maintaining relationships, interacting in groups, functioning within and for organizations, discovering facts through research and interviewing techniques, interacting with people from different cultures or genders, forming messages and arguments to support viewpoints, critiquing and analyzing others’ oral messages, and developing codes of ethics for communicating within First Amendment guidelines.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

All students pursuing a bachelor's degree at Kent State complete a series of Liberal Education Requirements.  Majors in communication studies take courses in the areas of English composition; mathematics, logic, or foreign language; humanities; fine arts; social sciences; and basic sciences.

All students are initially admitted as precommunication studies majors.  After students complete the Foundations of Communication course with a C or better they become communications study majors.

The coursework in the major itself consists of 45 semester hours of credit.  Students must maintain a 2.25 grade point average for all work done in the major.  Students complete 7 core communication studies courses:

Theory and Practice of Oral Discourse

Foundations of Communications

Communication Theory

Communication Research Methods

Senior Seminar

One of: Gender and Communication, Intercultural Communication,
           Criticism of Public Discourse

One of: Rhetorical Criticism or Language and Meaning

Plus select a course concentration in either:

Applied Communication*

Interpersonal Communication

Organizational Communication

Public Communication

Plus 15 additional electives hours (mostly upper-division)

*For the Applied Communication submajor, you can complete all of the course work leading to a bachelor's degree by attending Kent State Stark.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Through the communication program, students prepare for a variety of careers in government, public or social service,  counseling, and business and industry.  For those intending to continue with graduate study, this major leads to careers in college or university teaching and advanced positions in business and industry. Students in the Interpersonal concentration seek positions in human service organizations, family counseling, human relations offices, or consumer services organizations. Organizational communication students focus on sales, consumer relations, or training and development. Public communication students seek positions in government, law, political communication, or public service institutions.

FACULTY

Bei Cai                     Ph.D.     Bowling Green State University   

Lisa Waite                M.A.      The University of Akron

FOR MORE INFORMATION

www.stark.kent.edu

(330) 499-9600 Stark County area

(330) 535-3377 Summit County area

* Applied Communication submajor can be completed in its entirety at the Kent State Stark Campus.