Communication Studies - Huntington University

Communication Studies from Huntington University is a Campus Bachelor Media Studies degree that prepares you for a Communications career. Communication Studies was one of the first majors to be offered on the campus of Huntington University over 100 years ago. From its early focus on "speech" and "rhetoric," the major--then called Oral Communication-- expanded throughout the twentieth century to include more than only the oral skills of speech making. Anywhere symbols are used to convey meaning?in written narratives or essays, in film, in chat rooms and websites, in body movements, even in "artifacts" such as architecture or clothing?they can be studied for what they say about human nature and society. Speech and rhetoric , both as subjects for study and as skills to be developed, remain an important part of the concentration. As a communication student at a Christian university, you will also practice faith-informed thinking about the ways our society tells stories and communicates values. The communication studies major is unusual in allowing you to gain a solid grasp of communication principles while exploring additional skill areas both inside the communication department and in a chosen area outside the department. By putting together this combination of communication fundamentals with a focus on an outside area (such as science, literature, music, business, marketing, education, ministry), you are uniquely prepared to carve out a specialized niche in the discipline or field in which you choose to work. Career Opportunities A question all liberal arts students are wise to ask is "What kind of job can I get with this degree?" As the list below illustrates, for the communication major the question is often better put, "What kind of job can't I get with this degree?" Humans are constantly dealing with information, and this is particularly true in organizational and business settings. We engage in an ongoing cycle of initiating, processing, patterning or arranging, preparing, transmitting, disseminating, retrieving, and processing information. Today more than ever, we live in an information society. As such the member of the community with the skills to communicate and articulate this information becomes essential. Business - In a survey of 1,750 New York City corporate chief executive officers, 79% of those responding identified "the ability to express ideas verbally" as the most important of the several qualifications and criteria used to screen and evaluate employees. The survey report concluded that CEO's "look for graduates who can communicate in person and on paper." They wanted team players who can express themselves with substance in their ideas and thoughts. Law - The law itself is an art suggested: "The quality of advocacy - the research, briefing and oral argument of the close and difficult case, does significantly contribute to the outcomes, and the attorney with a strong background in oral communication skills is given a decided advantage." Medicine or Social Services - Communication is essential to all stages of the patient-provider and client-provider relationships. Medical schools are beginning to respond, and in recent years have begun to require medical students to complete oral communication courses in interpersonal and interviewing techniques. Government - In another study of bureaucratic communication (wait, isn't that an oxymoron?), the researchers stated that "As the impact and extent of government, within our own borders and beyond, the need for adequate communication between public officials and citizens becomes more urgent." President Bush stated, "The ability to communicate well is especially important in our rapidly changing society, where information is essential." Public Relations and Advertising - In a survey of 260 large, medium, and small PR and advertising firms, the researchers concluded that "majors emphasizing oral communication skills such as speech , journalism, liberal arts, English, were the most frequently mentioned majors recruited by these agencies." View more details on Huntington University . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Media Studies courses.