Communication Studies Undergraduate Program

Learning Objectives for Students

1. Graduates are able to synthesize communication theories, perspectives, principals, and concepts. Courses in the Communication Studies program will thus ask students to critique theories and apply them to everyday human communication in a variety of contexts.
2. Graduates can conduct important and timely research and engage in ethical communication inquiry. Courses will therefore have students develop relevant hypotheses and research questions, design appropriate methodologies, and contribute to the scholarly conversation.
3. Graduates are effective communicators through oral, aural, written, and visual outlets. Courses have students craft messages appropriate to the purpose and context, adapting messages and presenting them in a relevant manner, including using multiple channels and modalities. Appropriate messages cater to the audience and are practical, purposeful, and advocate ethical stances.
4. Graduates can critically interpret and use contemporary forms of communication to creatively problem solve, make sound judgments, and demonstrate innovative and well-founded perspectives.
5. Graduates can adapt to (un)expected situations by determining the ethical course of action and appropriate communicative process. Courses have students develop skills to manage conflict, understand small group and effective teamwork processes, actively listen, creatively problem-solve, appropriately disclose, navigate information presented, etc.