Communication Studies - BA
Excellence in communication is a key to personal and professional success. A St. Kate's communication studies major provides a student with theoretical understanding and practical skill in written, oral and electronic communication. Students’ instructors will share their genuine dedication to the responsible use of communication - both verbal and nonverbal - and will work with them to master their craft. The curriculum offers students the opportunity to develop their powers of clear explanation and persuasion, which are the keys to success for professional communicators.
As a communication studies major, students are encouraged to complete internships. Students intern in the communications offices of major corporations and at small businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, advertising and public relations agencies, and radio and television stations and networks. Recent internship sites include Best Buy, BI Performance Services, Dynamark Corporation, Ecolab, Green Tree Financial, Medtronic, the Minnesota Department of Transportation, KMSP-TV, KDWB radio station, and the St. Paul Heritage and Festival Foundation.
This program prepares students for successful careers in fields as diverse as education, government, business, ministry, teaching and the law. Graduates are employed in personnel, human relations, human resources, volunteer coordination, organizational consulting, public relations, promotion and advertising, management, sales and a wide range of other positions within organizations. In order to assist students in choosing a career path that most suits their interests, the Communication Club - a student club - has begun a speaker series that allows students to ask graduates about how majoring in communication had an impact on their professional careers.
Communication studies majors demonstrate extraordinary leadership skills, activism and student involvement. For example, three out of four recent presidents of the senate (St. Kate's student government organization) have been communication or communication studies majors. Students who display a commitment to the field and an excellent academic record are inducted yearly into Lambda Pi Eta, the National Communication Association's student honor society.
Through a combination of theoretical analysis, research, practical application and personal assessment, students will hone their communication skills. A special emphasis on communication ethics throughout the curriculum recognizes a commitment to ethical as well as effective leadership.
This major is one of two communications majors in the country that requires students to take a leadership communication course. This unique course provides opportunities for extensive self-assessment and delves into issues such as ethics, leadership style and personal strengths, all with a focus on women's leadership and following.
See also: Communication: Electronic Media Studies
This major is available in the College for Women only.
Curriculum
The major in communication studies requires completion of at least 32 credits:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 1000W | Introduction to Communication: Women and Social Change | 4 |
| COMM 1030 | Speaking to Lead and Influence | 4 |
| COMM 2050 | Media, Culture and Society | 4 |
| COMM 3070W | Gender and Rhetoric | 4 |
| COMM 3100 | Communicating across Cultures, Identities and Differences | 4 |
| COMM 4600 | Leadership and the Art of Persuasion | 4 |
| COMM 485X | Senior Seminar | 4 |
| One additional 4000-level course | 4 | |
| Total Credits | 32 | |
Communication studies majors satisfy the Writing Requirement for Majors by completing COMM 1000W Introduction to Communication: Women and Social Change and COMM 3070W Gender and Rhetoric. They complete the Liberal Arts and Sciences Core Writing Requirement with two other writing-intensive courses (CORE 1000W The Reflective Woman and CORE 3990W Global Search for Justice).
Four-Year Plan
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Term | ||
| COMM 1000W | Introduction to Communication: Women and Social Change | 4 |
| Spring Term | ||
| COMM 1030 | Speaking to Lead and Influence | 4 |
| Fall Term | ||
| Spring Term | ||
| COMM 2050 | Media, Culture and Society | 4 |
| Fall Term | ||
| COMM 3070W | Gender and Rhetoric | 4 |
| Spring Term | ||
| COMM 3100 | Communicating across Cultures, Identities and Differences | 4 |
| One COMM elective | 4 | |
| Fall Term | ||
| COMM 4600 | Leadership and the Art of Persuasion | 4 |
| COMM 4850 | Senior Seminar | 4 |
| Total Credits | 32 | |
Three-Year Plan
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Term | ||
| COMM 1000W | Introduction to Communication: Women and Social Change | 4 |
| Spring Term | ||
| COMM 1030 | Speaking to Lead and Influence | 4 |
| COMM 2050 | Media, Culture and Society | 4 |
| Fall Term | ||
| COMM 3070W | Gender and Rhetoric | 4 |
| Spring Term | ||
| COMM 3100 | Communicating across Cultures, Identities and Differences | 4 |
| One COMM elective | 4 | |
| Fall Term | ||
| COMM 4600 | Leadership and the Art of Persuasion | 4 |
| COMM 4850 | Senior Seminar | 4 |
| Total Credits | 32 | |