Communication Studies Ohio University

Overview

Program Overview

• The core B.S.C. Communication Studies Major at Ohio University's courses combine theory and practice as students study the historical and conceptual foundations of the field of communication. 

• An historical understanding of communication theory is useful but insufficient in a globally competitive world, so the major in communication studies also equips students with the competencies most prized by employers including strong oral and written communication, effective interpersonal and group communication skills, critical thinking, meeting planning, and problem-solving/decision-making.

All of our undergraduate students are communication studies majors, but each pursues a concentration in one of three areas:

Communication and Public Advocacy

• Students concentrating their studies in communication and public advocacy focus on the integration of political and legal communication theory and practice emphasizing the role of communication in argument, debate, and politics, including the ethical and rhetorical implications of constitutional guarantees and persuasive strategies characteristic of contemporary political communication. Recent graduates are attending nationally ranked law schools, working as state legislative staff, lobbying in Washington, D.C., and managing political campaigns.

Health Communication

• Health communication graduates are concerned with meeting people’s communication and knowledge needs in such areas as the relationships between patients and their health care providers, family dynamics, dissemination of health information, and cultural and gender influences on communication. Recent graduates are employed in health care organizations as patient advocates or in human resources, national nonprofit health agencies, and as pharmaceutical company sales representatives.

Organizational Communication

• Students focused on organizational communication are aiming for professional careers in business, education, government, industry, or the nonprofit sector. The skills and competencies acquired through this concentration enable students to understand the dynamics of, and function more effectively in, organizational structures. Recent graduates are employed in major consulting firms, national financial service providers, conference planning companies, and information management organizations.

Opportunities Upon Graduation

• Students completing the Bachelor of Science in Communication degree in the School of Communication Studies are prepared with transferable competency sets that enable them to work in a variety of organizations. The degree is perfect preparation for a career in corporate training, foreign service, law, politics, labor relations, human services, campaign management, event planning, account representation, sales, management, or survey research, to name just a few careers. 
• All told, the major is designed to augment students' lives and careers through a clearer understanding of the effects of communication and messages in their professional and personal lives.