Associate of Arts, Communication Studies

The mastery of speech communication skills enables students to communicate more effectively in interpersonal, intercultural, group, and public situations. Principles of communication theory provide students with a basis for understanding and analyzing the role of communication and rhetoric in society.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Research and Documentation Skills
   1. Students will effectively research cultural, interpersonal, and rhetorical situations using oral, written, and electronic sources.
   2. Students will be proficient in employing library and online resources and will report research findings using their own voices and ideas.
   3. Students will document all resources using accurate MLA conventions.
2. Find and Employ Effective Evidence: A student will be able to locate appropriate evidence to support a verbal or written argument and will apply the criteria of validity to that evidence.
3. Employ Constructive Feedback: A student will be able to provide constructive feedback to others about his or her communication (speaking and writing) and accept constructive feedback from others about his or her own communication.
4. Culture in Communication: A student will be able to articulate the role of culture in communication and identify the ways it impacts interpersonal, group, and public communication.
5. Culture and Context: Students will be able to analyze a variety of historical, contemporary, and cultural communication contexts and identify ways in which communication can be adapted to specific cultural contexts.
6. Evaluate and Judge: A student will be able to critically evaluate and form reasoned judgments about communication behaviors and discourses in a variety of situations and cultures.
7. Problem Solving: A student will articulate the steps involved in the problem solving process and apply the process to simulated and actual situations in interpersonal, intercultural, or group discourse.
8. Ethical Communication: A student will be able to identify the ethical implications of public and private communication behaviors and analyze the ethical intentions of others in written and spoken discourse.
9. Persuasion Theories and Strategies: A student will be able to identify strategies employed in creating persuasive messages and apply the theories of persuasion to an analysis of those strategies.

Please visit our degree checklist page