Communication Studies (COMM)

Program Options: B.A., B.S.

Excellence in communication is a key to personal and professional success. A St. Kate's communication studies major provides you with theoretical understanding and practical skill in written, oral and electronic communication. Your instructors will share their genuine dedication to the responsible use of communication - both verbal and nonverbal - and will work with you to master your craft. The curriculum will offer you the opportunity to develop your powers of clear explanation and persuasion, which are the keys to success for professional communicators.

As a communication studies major, you 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 you 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 you in choosing a career path that most suits your 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, you will hone your 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, Education - Communication Arts and Literature with Grades 5-12 Teaching Licensure (for those interested in teaching communication arts and literature in secondary schools)

Major Requirements:

The major in communication studies, requires completion of at least 42 credits:

Required courses:
COMM 1000 Core of Communications
COMM 1020 Communication Dynamics in Personal Relationships
COMM 1030 Speaking to Lead and Influence
COMM 2050 Media, Culture and Society
COMM 2090 Communication and Conflict in Groups and Teams
COMM 3070 Gender and Rhetoric
COMM 3090 Communication in Organizations
COMM 3100 Communication Across Cultures, Identities and Differences
COMM 4600 Leadership and the Art of Persuasion
COMM 4850 Senior Seminar (2 cr)

Choose four credits from:
COMM 3030 Rhetoric, Civic Participation and Social Justice
COMM 3110 Communication Training and Development
COMM 4952/4 Independent Study (2 or 4 cr)
COMM 4602/4 Internship (2 or 4 cr)

Communication studies majors satisfy the Writing Requirement for Majors by completing COMM 4850. You complete the Liberal Arts and Sciences Core Writing Requirement with three other writing-intensive courses (CORE 1000 or 2000, CORE 3990, and any other writing-intensive course in this or another department).