Communication Studies
Program Details
Knowing how to reach the right audience with the right message is crucial in today’s highly connected world. As a communications studies major, you’ll explore how to bring people and organizations together through effective writing, public speaking, interpersonal communication and more.
Courses in the communications studies major range from social media strategy to conflict management and are meant to prepare students for a variety of meaningful careers in sales, event planning, human resources, corporate communications, promotions, marketing communications, industrial relations, training or management.
Degree Awarded
Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies
Curriculum
The sample course sequence below illustrates class offerings for the Communication Studies major. Consult the official Xavier University course catalog for detailed registration and advising information.
Fall
- Core 101: GOA............ 0cr.
- Comm 101 (OC Flag) or Comm 123............ 3cr.
- English Composition or Rhetoric............ 3cr.
- Second Language Elective............ 3cr.
- Core 100: First-Year Seminar or Theo 111 Theological Fundations............ 3cr.
- Math 105 (Math at placement level) or Math 116 (Math Perspectives)............ 3cr.
Spring
- Core 102: GOA............ 0cr.
- Comm 101(OC Flag) or Comm 123............ 3cr.
- Historical Perspectives............ 3cr.
- Second Language Elective............ 3cr.
- Core 100: First-Year Seminar of Theo 111 Theological Foundations............ 3cr.
- Philosophy 100: Ethics as Introduction to Philosophy............ 3cr.
Fall
- Communications Arts Course............ 3cr.
- Creative Perspectives............ 3cr.
- Philosophy 200: Philosophical Perspectives............ 3cr.
- Social Science Elective............ 3cr.
- Quantitative Reasoning Flag............ 3cr.
Spring
- Communication 206: Writing Flag............ 3cr.
- English 205: Literature & the Moral Imagination............ 3cr.
- Theology Perspective (Theo 200+)............ 3cr.
- Scientific Perspectives............ 3cr.
- Natural Science Elective............ 3cr.
Fall
- Communication Arts Course............ 3cr.
- Communication Arts Course............ 3cr.
- Diversity Flag (Comm 323, 324 or other)............ 3cr.
- E/R & Focus Flag (Comm 477)............ 3cr.
- General Elective............ 3cr.
Spring
- Communication Arts Course............ 3cr.
- Communication Arts Course............ 3cr.
- Humanities Elective............ 3cr.
- General Elective............ 3cr.
- General Elective............ 3cr.
Fall
- Communication Arts Course............ 3cr.
- Communication Arts Course............ 3cr.
- General Elective............ 3cr.
- General Elective............ 3cr.
- General Elective............ 3cr.
Spring
- Communication Arts Course............ 3cr.
- General Elective............ 3cr.
- General Elective............ 3cr.
- General Elective............ 3cr.
- General Elective............ 3cr.
Sample Courses
Sample courses within the communication studies major curriculum:
- Organizational Communication (COMM 260) - This course offers a comprehensive examination of organization theories and essential concepts, providing a framework to address contemporary communication challenges. Delve into how these issues impact individual, group and organizational performance and effectiveness.
- Persuasion (COMM 264) - This course empowers students as informed consumers of information, providing them with the tools to analyze, respond to and craft persuasive messages effectively. Through exploration of various organizational contexts such as politics, business, religion and advertising, students gain insight into the diverse strategies and techniques used to influence audiences.
- Interpersonal Conflict Management (COMM 327) - In this course, students will delve into the intricate processes underlying conflict and gain insight into evaluating different conflict styles. Through exploration of various conflict management techniques, students will learn how to effectively navigate and resolve interpersonal conflicts within organizational settings.
- Senior Seminar (COMM 469) - Integrate concepts and experiences throughout the communication studies major and liberal arts core to develop an original project for a real-world client with deliverables that are suitable for student portfolios.
Career Outcomes
99% of Xavier students, including those in the communication studies major, are working, volunteering or in graduate school within six months of graduation (Class of 2022). Explore Xavier's Career Outcomes Dashboard to view career outcomes by major.
Top Jobs: Communications Specialist, Content Coordinator, Freelance Graphic Designer, Marketing Coordinator, Public Relations Manager, Recruiter, Social Media Marketing Assistant
Student Job Placements (all Communications majors): Procter & Gamble, ESPN, Fifth Third Bank, NCAA, Macy's, Amazon, Four Entertainment Group, Total Quality Logistics, Mercy Health, ABC
More: Xavier's Career Development Office assists students in their search for employment by offering individual career counseling sessions, conducting workshops and maintaining an employer database. More than 100 nationally known companies visit the campus annually to interview graduating seniors for open positions.
Student Clubs
- The Advertising Club- The Advertising club, part of the nationally renowned American Advertising Federation (AAF), specializes in uniting creativity and advertising within the Xavier Community.
- Business Leaders for Tomorrow- Members explore business processes firsthand by networking with and learning from various business leaders in Cincinnati and beyond. Events from past years have included trips to Silicon Valley and Chicago, job shadowing days and guest lecturers.
- Film & Television Club- Members in this club produce a weekly news broadcast including a sports segment, with the entire show being produced by students.
- Xavier Marketing Club- The Xavier Marketing Club is associated with the American Marketing Association. The club offers students the opportunity to gain a broader, realistic, more practically oriented exposure to marketing activities. The Marketing Club strives to improve each member's marketability in today's highly competitive job market.
- Public Relations Student Society of America- This club focuses on career building skills such as networking, personal branding, campaign planning, fundraising, event planning, mentoring, and strategic community outreach.
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Gain Expertise in a Curriculum Focused on Real-World Learning
From inception to completion, you'll craft deliverables tailored to meet real-world client needs. By the time you graduate, you'll not only have a strong portfolio but also invaluable real-world experience to carry forward into your future career.
Kickstart Your Communications Career in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio features some of the largest companies in the world, which means students you'll have countless opportunities for internships, networking and mentorships at places like Kroger, Procter & Gamble and Fifth Third Bancorp.
Experience a Transformative Education
With a focus on social justice and ethical decision-making, you'll not only develop your communication skills but also learn to media as a tool for positive change. Engage with a supportive community that encourages critical thinking, empathy and a deeper understanding of the human experience.
Graduate With Honors
Are you looking for an academic challenge? The University Scholars Honors Program offers incoming students a more challenging curriculum and close support from professors while completing their undergraduate degree. Acceptance into the program is highly selective and includes a $2000 travel grant.
Communication Studies Major at Xavier University
Communications Studies is an academic major with a long and proud tradition at Xavier University. The program, along with all programs within the Department of Communications, helps students understand many aspects of the human communication process. Basic skills in written and spoken communication receive emphasis in all four communication majors: advertising, communication studies, electronic media, and public relations. In order to complete all requirements for the degree, students should formally declare one of the four departmental majors by the end of their freshmen year
Xavier University’s College of Arts and Sciences challenges students to develop an integrated understanding of humanity, the world, and God by pursuing the questions raised in Xavier's core and departmental curricula. The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest and largest college at Xavier University. The college provides an excellent liberal arts education in the Jesuit tradition that prepares students for careers, professional or graduate school, and life in a global society.
Xavier University is a private university located in Cincinnati, Ohio, providing a liberal arts education in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. Founded in 1831, the University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation. It has been ranked among the top 10 master's-level universities in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for the past two decades. The Princeton Review names it one of the "Best 385 Colleges in America."