Overview

The Communication Studies program of San Francisco State University has a curriculum that examines how people express themselves verbally and nonverbally; how identities are created, performed, and changed; how people listen to others; and how symbols relate to human behavior. It acknowledges, appreciates, and integrates human diversity in its various forms. It studies human communication in culturally and socially diverse contexts. It does so by using a variety of methods and technologies to discover and share knowledge about communication and to analyze, interpret, and perform discourse. Areas of study include language and social interaction, group processes, organizational communication, interpersonal and intercultural communication, rhetoric and political communication, public speaking, performance studies, and research methodologies.

Communication Studies students develop skills essential for leadership and career development, and for understanding and interpreting events. They learn to advocate and critically debate ideas in social and political settings, appreciate diverse communication styles, work productively in task-oriented groups, and engage in rewarding interpersonal relationships.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Communication Studies majors will be able to articulate and use appropriate theories to analyze communication in a way that is methodologically consistent in paradigm and context.

• Communication Studies majors will be able to articulate ethical standards and will be disposed to engage in ethical practice within specific communication contexts.

• Communication Studies majors will apply course material to aspects of their personal life, social life, and their local communities (e.g., delivering public speeches, performances, or other community-focused discourse, even if that delivery happens only in the classroom).

• Communication Studies majors will be able to read critically and evaluate appropriately original scholarship in the discipline.

Career paths

Graduates in communication studies have an excellent track record entering their chosen career fields and attending graduate and professional schools. Our graduates have secured positions as public relations managers, human resources trainers, employment recruiting specialists, marketing representatives, civil rights activists, campaign managers, and sales representatives, among others. Advisors can assist students in planning programs of study that are attractive to graduate schools and prospective employers.

The department's internship program has helped many students begin their careers. The program offers over 200 internship and service learning opportunities