Major
	Communication Studies (BA) from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Minor
	Communication Studies
Four-year Graduation Plan
	Yes
Honors
	Yes
Links
	Web Site Courses General Catalog

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 and learn to use those skills effectively.

Communication studies students 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 Choose Communication Studies at Iowa?
• Course Work
• Student Activities
• Study Abroad
• Internships
• Careers
• Scholarships

Why Choose Communication Studies at Iowa?
Communication studies is one of the most popular majors at Iowa. As a communication studies student, you’ll develop the knowledge and skills required for meeting the 21st century’s increasingly complex communication challenges.

Iowa’s program will help you understand how face-to-face and media-based communication influence and shape our everyday lives, including social interaction, work, public opinion, economic activities, and politics. You’ll learn how to analyze and evaluate communication practices critically and how to use practical oral, written, and visual communication. You’ll also prepare to move into any number of professions in which you’ll use effective communication skills to engage with other people.

The department has a diverse, multidisciplinary faculty whose members are among the country’s best in their areas of expertise. They advance understanding of their field by promoting the study of different media, modes, and uses of communication as a social activity.

Course Work
Students majoring in communication studies earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. The BA requires a minimum of 120 semester hours (s.h.), including 36 s.h. for the major. The communication studies curriculum is designed to help you develop a basic understanding of communication as a symbolic action and then go on to more advanced concepts. Enrollment in most communication studies courses requires a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.50.

The department’s courses focus on media and society, interpersonal and relational communication, rhetorical studies, and public advocacy. They cover study areas including interpersonal, group, organizational, professional, and intercultural communication; integration of speaking and listening skills; verbal and nonverbal interaction; and argumentation and persuasion.

You’ll begin the major by studying the foundations of communication. Then you’ll progress to advanced courses that emphasize four approaches to communication:

• The practice of communication
  
• The context of communication
  
• Communication research and criticism
  
• Communication theory

You may choose to focus on specific areas in order to build creative combinations of course work that suit your learning and career goals. You’ll complete the major with a capstone course in which you’ll participate directly with a faculty member in producing knowledge, research, or creative work about communication.

You also may decide to complete a second major or a minor in another discipline or to earn an interdisciplinary certificate.

See Communication Studies in the UI General Catalog to learn more about the major and for information about graduating with honors or earning a minor in communication studies.

Student Activities
The A. Craig Baird Debate Forum, which is housed in the Department of Communication Studies, gives students the opportunity to conduct on-campus debates, to promote speech and debate activities in the state through developmental programs, and to participate in competitive intercollegiate debate and individual events.

Lambda Pi Eta, the honors society in communication studies, invites outstanding students to become members.

Study Abroad
You may earn college credit through study abroad. Some programs offer credit that counts toward the communication studies major, such as the CIMBA study abroad program in Paderno del Grappa, Italy. CIMBA offers semester-long programs as well as a four-week summer program. Learn more at the CIMBA web site.

Visit with advisors in the Office for Study Abroad and talk with the department’s academic counselor about how to earn study abroad credit toward the communication studies major. They also can advise you on coordinating registration and other processes when you study abroad.

Internships
Internships provide students with opportunities to supplement their classroom work with professional job experiences in communication-related environments. Internships are not required, but you may be able to earn 3–6 s.h. of academic credit for an internship experience.

Careers
As a communication studies graduate, you’ll have numerous career options. The major provides solid preparation for employment in just about any job that requires effective communication skills. Graduates find work in fields such as the arts, entertainment, and media industries; consulting; sales and marketing; human resources; event planning; and public relations.

Scholarships
Consult multiple sources for scholarship information, including the Office of Admissions, the Office of Student Financial Aid, and departmental web sites.