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The need for effective communication has never been more critical. Employers consistently cite communication skills as the major requirement for success in professional careers. A major in communication studies can help you acquire those skills and more.
Communication studies majors learn to analyze written, oral, visual, and electronic messages from historical, critical, and social science perspectives. They also learn to produce such messages as a means of artistic and functional expression.
Why
Major in Communication Studies at Iowa?
The Department of Communication Studies, within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has a longstanding reputation as one of the top-ranked departments of its kind in the nation and is a center for the exploration of rhetorical, social, and aesthetic aspects of human communication.
As a liberal arts-based undergraduate program, communication studies provides students the opportunity to integrate their knowledge of communication with other disciplines, building
combinations of course work that suit individual learning and career goals. Students may choose to focus on one of the following:
- Communication and organizational life—combining departmental course work with the option to take others in the Tippie College of Business.
- Communication and relationships—combining course work from social sciences, including anthropology, psychology, sociology, or social work.
- Communication and health—adding options for courses from the College of Public Health as well as from health and sport studies, religious studies, Russian, geography, family medicine, and global health sciences.
- Media, culture, and technology—expanding an educational plan to include courses from journalism and mass communication, studio art and art history, cinema and comparative literature, English, or women’s studies.
- Intercultural and international communication—including courses from world regions such as Asia, the Middle East, or Latin America, plus course work in various foreign languages and international business, political science, or English.
- Rhetoric and public advocacy—accompanying departmental courses with those from classical languages, history, philosophy, and the social sciences to cover interests in pop culture, political institutions, ethics, and civic responsibility.
Faculty
Members of the department’s diverse, multidisciplinary faculty are among the country’s best in their areas of expertise. By promoting the study of different media, modes, and uses of communication as social activity, the department aims to advance scholarly understanding of communication and to enhance its students’ lives.
Facilities
The department is located in the Samuel L. Becker Communication Studies Building. Through their course work, students have opportunities to work in two TV studios, a film soundstage, a scene shop, areas for animation and graphic production, a radio studio, and digital nonlinear editing stations. Students also have access to a study center with computers on the first floor and a student lounge.
Admission
Admission to this major is selective. Entering first-year students are designated as having an interest in the major for advising assignments and course selection. To be eligible to declare communication studies as a major or to take courses in the department, students must complete at least 30 semester hours (s.h.) of approved undergraduate course work and have an overall grade-point average (GPA) of at least 2.60.
Course
Work
The undergraduate curriculum is designed to encourage learning that progresses from a basic understanding of communication as symbolic action to advanced courses emphasizing four aspects of the study of communication. Along with a required core course in communication, students take courses that focus on the practice of communication, context of communication, communication research and criticism, and communication theory.
BA
in Communication Studies
To earn a bachelor of arts degree in communication studies, students must complete 30 s.h. of departmental course work, including:
- Core concepts, 3 s.h.
- Practice courses, 6 s.h.
- Context courses, 6 s.h.
- A research and criticism course, 3 s.h.
- A theory course, 3 s.h.
- Upper level course work, 9 s.h.
Students work with the department’s academic advisor to develop course plans that meet major requirements; they are encouraged to consult with faculty members regarding career options, independent study proposals, and honors projects.
Other
Options
In conjunction with a major in communication studies, many students complete another major, minor, or certificate in another field of study.
Study Abroad
Students have opportunities to study abroad and earn college credit. In some cases, students can also earn credit toward their communication studies major. Students are encouraged to visit with advisors in the Office for Study Abroad and talk with the department’s academic advisor about how to earn credit toward their major and how to coordinate registration and other processes while they study abroad.
Student
Activities
The A. Craig Baird Center for Public Advocacy and Debate, housed in the communication studies department, is a distinguished program. The Baird Debate Forum gives students an opportunity to conduct on-campus debates and promote speech and debate activities in the state through developmental programs as well as a means to participate in intercollegiate debate and individual events. The Iowa debate team won the 2001 National Debate Tournament Championship and has been finalist and semifinalist in other years.
Honors
Students with high academic achievement are invited to become members of honor organizations, including ones in which the department’s faculty are integrally involved. Students need to maintain a 3.33 GPA and successfully complete an honors thesis.
Internships
Through internships, students can apply the knowledge and skills they’ve gained in the classroom in a variety of settings, including media industries like radio and television, nonprofit and cultural organizations, business enterprises, and governmental agencies. Through a partnership with the Pomerantz Career Center, students receive assistance finding internships as well as options for earning college credit.
Careers
Graduates find themselves with numerous career options. The undergraduate program provides solid preparation for employment in media industries, consulting, human resources, public relations, and other jobs and careers requiring effective communication skills.
Scholarships
The department awards numerous scholarships to students majoring in communication studies. The amount of available scholarship money varies, and students may need to meet specific criteria. Applications for departmental scholarships are available on the Communication Studies web page, or from the main office in the Becker Building.
Other scholarships are available from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and from other organizations including the National Collegiate Communication Arts Award and the National Speakers Association Scholarship. Refer to the Office of Student Financial Aid for a complete list of available scholarships.
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