Undergraduate Program
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Why Major in Communication Studies at Iowa?
Communication Studies is one of 100 programs of study offered through the University of Iowa and is one of the largest majors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. In Communication Studies, you will learn about communication practices and processes, contexts in which communication occurs, and the theories and research that faculty and others use to understand communication in all its varieties.
Our undergraduate program provides students with opportunities to develop skills and knowledge to meet the complex communication challenges of the 21st century whether in the workplace, in everyday life or just as a well-rounded thinking citizen. Our program prepares students like you to move into any number of professions where people are required to engage in one another using effective communication skills. Our goal is to develop sophisticated producers and consumers of communication who understand how face-to-face, public, and media-based communication messages influence and shape everyday life and public opinion. Students will learn critically to analyze and evaluate communication practices and be able to apply practical oral, written, and visual communication skills and knowledge. Communication studies is a primary context in which to develop excellent skills in critical thinking.
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.
Course Work
The undergraduate curriculum is designed to encourage learning that progresses from a basic understanding of communication as symbolic action to advanced courses. The department offers courses focusing on media and society, interpersonal and relational communication as well as courses that emphasize rhetorical studies and public advocacy. In this major, you can study interpersonal, group, organizational, professional, or intercultural communication or take courses that integrate speaking and listening skills, verbal and nonverbal interaction, or argumentation and persuasion. You will also have the opportunity to learn about technologically mediated communication and how media industries have shaped and reshaped our social interaction, work, politics, and economic activities.