Strategic and Organizational Communication
In the Strategic and Organizational Communication area, students take a variety of courses that equip them with the skills and conceptual knowledge for creating, evaluating, and effectively communicating messages in a host of contexts ranging from interpersonal relationships to businesses and organizations to public campaigns, advocacy and the law. Required courses in this area include: Theories of Rhetoric, Organizational Communication, Communication Theory, and Interpersonal Communication. Students can choose from a wide variety of electives including: Persuasion, Intercultural Communication, Communication and Conflict, Rhetorical Criticism, Training Methods in Communication, Nonverbal Communication, Group Decision Making, and Advanced Presentational Speaking.
In addition to the required courses and electives, students have the opportunity to participate in experiential learning through internships that fulfill either 3 or 6 credit hours. The internship provides students with hands-on experience and enables them to apply the skills and concepts learned in the classroom to a real world workplace experience.
Strategic and Organizational Communication also houses the UA Speech and Debate Team, a nationally-competitive co-curricular program that participates in the American Forensic Association, the National Forensic Association and the Ohio Forensic Association. In the past decade, the team has garnered four national finalist berths and more than 45 individual state championships. Our UA Speech and Debate Team won the Ohio Forensic Association State Championship Tournament in 2016, making us the premier speech and debate program in the state of Ohio.
With a communication degree focused on Strategic and Organizational Communication, students are well equipped to take on jobs in a variety of contexts including: human resources, non-profit management, training and development, mediation, political campaigns, public advocacy, negotiations, law, and sales.
The Strategic and Organizational Communication area in the School of Communication offers students the unique opportunity to understand how the broad field of communication impacts organizational success; to learn how to apply technology effectively in communicating with their organization; and to get hands-on experience while they learns so they will be better prepared to succeed in their careers.