Communication Major

The Communication major blends the intellectual breadth of a liberal arts education with a deep understanding of communication strategy and experience in digital media production. With classes in areas such as digital media skills, persuasive communication, and inter-cultural communication, you learn to write and speak with clarity and use communication technology effectively.

All Communication majors gain real experience through an internship, and you complete an in-depth capstone project, mentored by a faculty member.

Communication majors pursue one of three concentrations:

Media Production Studies: Focusing on digital media, video, film, photography, and persuasive communication.
Organizational, Interpersonal, and Group Communication: Focusing on areas such as conflict resolution, inter-cultural communication, and speech communication.
Strategic Corporate Communication: Covering areas such as digital marketing and advertising, public relations, health communication, and political communication.

Learning Objectives

Communication Students will:

Develop and improve their interpersonal, group and strategic communication skills;
Apply communication theory to real-life situations;
Apply methodologies for public speaking and for communication via digital media;
Develop a variety of communication strategies across communication with different stakeholders;
Create meaningful, collaborative work as a team member.

Major Requirements

Core (required of all majors) - 6.25 units

Lower Level

Communication Theory - COMM 100 1
Research Methods - COMM 300 1
Public Speaking - SPCH 210
Digital Media - COMM 300 5
Writing Review - COMM 100 2

Upper Level

Internship in Communication - COMM 300 7
Capstone in Communication - COMM 499
Completed internship related to chosen concentration

Concentration

Must choose one, students may not receive more than one concentration (a minimum of 5.0 units):

Media Production Studies

Media Effects & Society – COMM 200 1
Persuasive Communication - COMM 300 6

Two production electives

Radio Production - JOUR 250
Photojournalism - JOUR 300 1
Screen-Writing - ENG 319
Documentary Film-making - SOAN 365
Advanced Video Production - JOUR 300 5

One or more additional electives

Introduction to Film -ENG 254
American Politics & Mass Media -PG 261
Women and Media -WGS 300.1
Media Law -JOUR 370
Photography I -ART 355
Graphic Design I -ART 357
Magazine Writing -ENG 300.9
Beginning Acting - THEA 210

Organizational, Interpersonal, and Group Communication

Organizational Communication - COMM 300 8
Interpersonal and Group Communication - COMM 300 9
Conflict Resolution – COMM 300 3

One diversity elective

Inter-cultural Communication – COMM 300 2
Race and Gender in the Media - WGS 325

One additional elective

Organizational Psychology (or Industrial Psychology –) - PSYC/BUS 264
Advanced Speech - SPCH 310
Organizational Structure and Design - SOAN/BUS 363
Persuasive Communication - COMM 300 6
Inter-cultural Communication - COMM 300 2
Race and Gender in the Media -WGS 325

Strategic Corporate Communication

Marketing Management - BUS 210
Digital Marketing – BUS 307 D - 0.5 units
Public Relations – BUS 307 B - 0.5 units
Advertising – BUS 307 A - 0.5 units
Persuasive Communication - COMM 300 6

Minimum 1.50 units of electives

Organizational Communication (300 8 - new OWU advanced theory course)
Media Effects and Society (200 1 - new OWU course)
Advanced Speech -SPCH 310
Media Law - JOUR 370
Health Communication - COMM 300 10
Technical Communication - COMM 300 11
Political Communication - COMM 300 12