COMMUNICATION MINORS AND CERTIFICATES

The Communication department offers a generalist major. There are several minor and certificate programs that the department also offers that students in the major or from other majors may complete to enhance their educational experiences.

MINORS

Communication (for non-majors)

The general Communication minor is intended to enhance the studies of students who are majoring in other programs. You will have the opportunity to work closely with a Communication Department advisor to develop a specialized Communication program of study that best addresses your learning goals.

Digital Media and Production

Today, for almost any professional organization, an online presence is the standard. Businesses, cultural institutions, and not-for-profits clamor for more and more digital content. Entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, social influencers, elected officials, activists, and countless other professions rely on quality digital media to engage others and reach their goals. 

Whether attracting customers or advancing a social cause, the ability to create, produce, and critically engage with digital communication in all its forms, from written to oral to visual, is an increasingly valuable skill set for you to have. With a Digital Media and Production minor, you'll pair practical production and design skills with critical thinking and creative problem-solving to prepare yourself for success in a variety of careers.

Health Communication

The Health Communication minor may be completed by students from any program. This minor is intended to enhance the knowledge and skills of students who wish to work in the intersection of health and communication, whether you are studying to be a doctor or nurse who wishes to be a better listener for your patients, or a patient advocate who wishes to be able to ‘translate’ across the languages of medicine and everyday living. The minor may be completed by students majoring in a science field who wish to develop their communication skills, or it may be completed by humanities and social science students who wish to work in a health or medical industry.

Organizational Communication

The Organizational Communication minor may be completed by students from any program. This minor is intended to help hone the knowledge and communication abilities of students who wish to work in an organization or business. The minor emphasizes developing oral, group, and written skills as well as establishing strong analytic, critical, and practical skills to work effectively with others in an organizational setting. The minor culminates with a required practicum experience or internship. The minor is especially appropriate for you if you are interested in internal-organizational communication, management, human resources, and team- or project-based work.

Public Relations

The Public Relations minor may be completed by students from any program. This minor will help you to develop a general understanding of the concepts and practices involved with being a public relations practitioner or someone who is responsible for creating and maintaining relationships between an organization and its publics. The minor emphasizes keys skills such as research, writing, project planning, and oral presentations. The minor culminates with a required practicum experience or internship. The minor is especially appropriate for you if you are interested in public relations, community relations, event management, marketing, fundraising, and much more.

CERTIFICATES

Certificates may be earned by current students seeking degrees or by non-degree students or individuals who are not currently enrolled in college. Certificates can enhance the knowledge and skills of anyone seeking particular jobs or by those seeking to enhance their current skill set within their employment area.

Conflict Analysis and Resolution

The Conflict Analysis and Resolution program is designed to teach you how to analyze and constructively respond to conflicts at multiple levels including interpersonal, organizational, cultural, and international. Several field experiences are offered throughout this program. This certificate is valuable for a variety of career areas including professional conflict mediation and other career areas such as counseling, teaching, management, and community leadership.

Digital and Media Literacy

The Digital and Media Literacy certificate provides “knowledge-ability”: the critical tools for accessing, analyzing, interpreting, critically questioning, and creating a range of media texts. This contemporary, interdisciplinary certificate is designed to enhance workplace skills for those involved in digital and social media production and to develop community-based participation for citizens. All courses in this program will provide you with experiences in the use and production of multimedia to support real- world problem solving and social justice/democratic principles. In completing this certificate, you will be able to create a wide range of multimedia forms, from social media to marketing, to make the most of new communication technologies.

Digital Media and Production

Today, for almost any professional organization, an online presence is the standard. Businesses, cultural institutions, and not-for-profits clamor for more and more digital content. Entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, social influencers, elected officials, activists, and countless other professions rely on quality digital media to engage others and reach their goals. 

Whether attracting customers or advancing a social cause, the ability to create, produce, and critically engage with digital communication in all its forms, from written to oral to visual, is an increasingly valuable skill set for you to have. With a Digital Media and Production minor, you'll pair practical production and design skills with critical thinking and creative problem-solving to prepare yourself for success in a variety of careers.

Health Communication

The Health Communication certificate is intended to enhance the skills of anyone who is interested in a career in a healthcare field that involves interacting with patients, clients, and their families. This certificate is intended to help develop active listening skills, and the use of communication for creating understanding, empathy, and adaptability when interacting with others on healthcare issues.

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