Bachelor [Organizational and Leadership Communication] From Illinois State University

Communication Studies is the academic discipline which studies communication. Students discover the many strategies of how to effectively communicate with different groups of people in varying situations. Coverage includes person-to-person communication such as in counseling, peer advising, personnel management and other business and corporate positions. Students may also study persuasion and message construction strategies that are helpful in sales and management areas.

Speech communication is a broad degree that can lead to job opportunities in many different fields. Skills and experiences gained through co-curricular activities, internships, part-time jobs, and volunteering are critical in shaping a career path. Speech communication is also good preparation for graduate school in many disciplines.

Students desiring careers in training, development, fundraising and similar fields may wish to major in Communication Studies.

The goal of this sequence is to equip the student to successfully use communication as a tool to enhance organizational outcomes. Students will gain an understanding of how communication processes can be used to manage behaviors in an organizational context while becoming a competent communicator.

Typical careers include community relations, convention planning, training specialist, entry-level and executive management, corporate communication.