Communication Studies Major | Undergraduate Admissions

A crucial skill in any professional environment is the ability to communicate well and convey your meaning clearly and succinctly. As a Communication Studies major, you will study human interaction in all contexts: interpersonal and family relationships, small groups, intercultural associations, organizations, and the media. You will also study the very skills today’s employers are looking for -- like critical and analytical thinking, problem solving, team building, as well as oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.

Develop your understanding of communication theory and research methodologies, and your proficiency in oral, written, and mediated communication. A Communication Studies major can open the door to creativity and connectivity in a vast array of career fields, including social media, journalism, business administration, public relations, broadcasting, sales, marketing, law, human resources, pre-seminary, and education.

Building on a well-rounded foundation of core courses, you can choose from two areas of specialization to focus your Communication Studies degree:

You will study a varied curriculum that includes both the classical courses associated with the discipline and those that reflect contemporary developments in the field.

What Students Are Saying

Curriculum

For students considering a career in fields like business, sales, manufacturing, law, theology, or education.

General Communication Studies

For students considering a career in industries such as social media, public relations, television, film, journalism, and digital media.

Mass Communication

Sample Communication Courses

COM 280: Theories of Human Communication
3

As a systematic exploration of the theories scholars use to explain human communication, this course will deal with rhetoric, persuasion, interpersonal, intercultural, small group, media, organizational, and gender communications.

COM 311: Advanced Public Speaking
3

This course is an advanced study of speech communication with an emphasis on professional speaking techniques, humor, and the use of stories. Oral assignments will include serious and humorous personal stories that make a point; persuasive and special occasion speeches; and a final professional presentation. Speeches will be viewed and analyzed. Prerequisite: COM 111 or COM 211 or consent of instructor.

COM 324: Intercultural Communication
3

Social and cultural variables in speech communication processes and strategies for resolving communication problems in intercultural settings with an emphasis on variables such as perception, roles, language codes, and nonverbal communication will be examined in this course.

COM 340: Persuasion and Attitude Change
3

Primarily from a social scientific approach, this course will examine the basic theories and techniques of influence, providing students with an awareness of the nature, function, and scope of attitude change as well as the concepts of attitudes, credibility, resistance to persuasion, ethics, and modern advertising practices.

COM 488: Communication Research Methods
3

As an introduction to the research process, this course will examine how research is planned and designed; introduce the process of data collection and analysis; explore the methodology for communication research (including sampling, questionnaire design, and introduction to statistics); and provide experiences in conducting original research.

Alumni Success

Graduates from Concordia University Irvine’s Communication Studies major are putting their degrees to work and excelling in various professional callings and postgraduate studies.

First Gen Performance

At the 2017 National Speech tournament, Diego Perez '17 advanced beyond preliminary rounds in four events and finished ranked #10 nationally. He’s one reason CUI’s speech team is edging closer to the kind of national stature and dominance that the debate team has enjoyed as #1 or #2 in the nation for the past five years.

Read Story

Communication Opens Doors to Friendships and Opportunities

College wasn't on the immediate radar for Nokukhanya "Noks" Lucy Shabalala '16. Her priority—along with her older siblings—was working to put food on the table and helping to provide an education for the younger siblings in her large family in South Africa.

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From Softball to the Reporting Field

Reporter at WNCT in Greenville, N.C.

MBJ, Florida A&M

Erica Anderson '06 came to CUI to play softball and graduated with a desire to pursue a career in journalism. Today she is a general assignment reporter at WNCT in Greenville, N.C., filing daily stories for broadcast and the web.

Read Story

Where Our Alumni Are Working

Broadcast & Social Media
Public Relations
Journalism
Human Resources
Finance
Marketing

Education
Retail
Sales
Management
Event Planning

Counseling
Real Estate
Law
Law Enforcement
Nonprofits

Opportunities for Communication Studies Majors

Today's employers are looking for applicants who work well as part of a team, are good at decision-making, and have excellent communication skills. Our relationships within our surrounding community, along with our location in Southern California, afford you the chance to practice these skills outside the classroom.

Academic Opportunities

As a Communication Studies major, you can combine your degree with a related minor, double major, or study abroad.

Extracurricular Activities

Communication Studies offers many opportunities for you to become involved with on-campus events, clubs, and organizations. Our students also regularly participate (and excel) in national competitions.

Internships

Our goal is to guide students toward their vocation by developing their collaboration skills, critical thinking, creativity, and communication skills. Internships allow students to develop valuable contacts in their career field. Below are just a few examples of where our students have interned.

Anaheim Ducks
The Orange County Transit Authority
The Orange County Register

PBS So Cal
The Orange County Sheriff's Public Information Office

Graduate Schools Attended

University of Texas
USC's Annenberg School of Communication
UCLA
UNLV's Boyd School of Law

Cal State Fullerton
Cal State Long Beach
Cal State Los Angeles
San Diego State

Chapman University
Fuller Seminary
Florida International University

Meet Your Professors

Professors in communication are active participants in helping you reach your educational goals. Our courses are developed and delivered by faculty who integrate classroom techniques with best business practices, real-world experience, as well as a Christian moral, ethical, and value perspective of leadership.

Erin Nelson

Dr. Erin Nelson is a member of the National Communication Association and has presented over 25 conference papers, published three book chapters, and is working on many research projects surrounding issues of health and interpersonal communication, specifically how cancer patients manage their uncertainty and disclosures to family members. She has recently been published in Health Communication, an article titled ‘Cyberframing Cancer: An Exploratory Investigation of Valenced Cybercoping on Cancer Blogs.’

Assistant Professor of Communication Studies

Dr. Erin Nelson is a member of the National Communication Association and has presented over 25 conference papers, published three book chapters, and is working on many research projects surrounding issues of health and interpersonal communication, specifically how cancer patients manage their uncertainty and disclosures to family members. She has recently been published in Health Communication, an article titled ‘Cyberframing Cancer: An Exploratory Investigation of Valenced Cybercoping on Cancer Blogs.’
David Schulz

Dr. Schulz has a broad range of experience teaching communication courses at various universities including University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Pennsylvania State University, and California State University, Stanislaus. In 2006 he moved to Washington to start a new degree program in Communications at Trinity Lutheran College, where he taught: Public Speaking, Advertising & Marketing, Rhetorical Theory, Research Methods, Senior Capstone, Persuasive Messages and conducted study abroad trips to Greece and Italy. Dr. Schulz' research interests include Rhetorical Theory and Social Movements.

Professor of Communication Studies

Dr. Schulz has a broad range of experience teaching communication courses at various universities including University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Pennsylvania State University, and California State University, Stanislaus. In 2006 he moved to Washington to start a new degree program in Communications at Trinity Lutheran College, where he taught: Public Speaking, Advertising & Marketing, Rhetorical Theory, Research Methods, Senior Capstone, Persuasive Messages and conducted study abroad trips to Greece and Italy. Dr. Schulz' research interests include Rhetorical Theory and Social Movements.

More Faculty

One of our greatest assets at Concordia University Irvine is our dedicated faculty. In a small learning environment, our professors care about you—not just your performance—and they cultivate lifelong mentoring relationships with the students they teach.

Communication Faculty

Get in Touch

For more information about the Communication Studies major at Concordia University Irvine, we invite you to contact us directly.

Kerri Tom
Assistant Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences
kerri.tom@cui.edu
949-214-3318

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