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What is it?

Communication involves many obvious professional images, but also quite a number of important
learning opportunities. For some it may mean involvement with mass media, for others it might
mean either public speaking skills, or interpersonal effectiveness, or some combination of
professional persuasion ranging from sales to public spokesperson for government or business. But
even more, the major in communication combines its obvious professional images with three
fundamental perspectives:

Performing Arts – no matter its context or its technological sophistication, all communication is
inescapably a performance at some level;

Social Sciences – that understanding effective communication requires understanding human


symbolic behavior in its historical, social and psychological contexts;

Humanities – human communication tradition and practices are the foundation for understanding
and participating in civic institutions such as law, politics, education and religion.

Approach

The broad-based major in communication consists of 36 semester credit hours – approximately 12


classes – and includes courses in theatre, performance studies, mass media, public speaking,
argumentation, interpersonal communication and communication theory; with additional course
options in cross-cultural communication, organizational communication, communication and
civilization, political communication, legal communication, persuasion and propaganda, visual
communication, gender and communication. Finally, additional electives within the major allow for
adaptation to include work in such areas as radio-television-film, public relations or theatre.

Pre-Professional Curriculum

The communication major requires students to become involved in at least two different pre-
professional areas within the communication department. Students may earn credit in
intercollegiate debate, Reach Out and Read, or in the pre-professional areas offered within the
programs in radio-television-film, theatre, organizational communication and public relations.
Educational Licensure in Integrated Language Arts

The communication major, when taken in combination with courses in English and education, is
designed to meet licensure requirements for teaching in the state of Ohio. The total program can be
completed in four years without incurring extra fees. More information is available through Capital’s
education department.

Careers

In addition to the more obvious professional connections involving public relations, broadcasting and
teaching licensure, excellent communication skills are valued components in leadership positions in
business and professional areas. They also serve as an excellent preparatory base for post-graduate
education. Many communication majors also complete majors in political science, psychology,
business and foreign languages in order to create a personalized profile of skills and knowledge for
versatile use in a variety of fields. Recent graduates have been accepted to law schools, MBA
programs, professional schools and graduate schools in a variety of social science and humanities
disciplines.

What are they doing now?

Partial Listing:

Positions:

• Vice president, marketing

• Director, information technology

• Senior marketing underwriter

• Editor

• Attorney

• Production coordinator

• TV news anchor

• University professor
Companies:

• Eastman Kodak

• The Kroger Co.

• Nationwide

• CBS Television Network

• Walt Disney

• Cronewett Associates, Public Relations


The major in Communication Studies is an interdisciplinary curriculum leading to a Bachelor of Arts
degree. It seeks to provide students with a comprehensive knowledge of the nature of human
communication, the symbol systems by which it functions, the environments in which it occurs, its
media, and its effects. Employing critical and empirical approaches, the major draws its resources
from the social sciences, humanities, and fine arts.

Two areas of focus are offered:

* The concentration in mass communication centers on formal and institutional communication


systems and the macrocosmic social contexts in which they function

* The concentration in interpersonal communication centers on face-to-face communicative


interaction.

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