48 units

Related to the “people side” of businesses and organizations, the communication management major is an interdisciplinary, “next-level” degree program that trains students for promotion, management, and leadership. This degree program equips graduates with many skills needed for promotion and leadership in a variety of fields, such as business, health care, government, hospitality, and more. Communication management graduates are equipped in foundational theory and with expertise in conflict management, small-group decision-making and facilitation, understanding organizational cultures and functioning, relational communication, persuasion and social influence, intercultural communication, and much more.

Career Opportunities

To prepare for career opportunities, students are required to complete a 3-unit communication internship prior to graduation. Communication management graduates often work as:

• Managers and organizational leaders
• Human resource officers
• Training and development specialists
• Strategic communication (including social media) specialists
• Corporate or personal event planners
• Customer relations managers
• Sales representatives
• Higher education administrators
• Student development professionals
• Ministry leaders in churches or nonprofits
• Marriage and family counselors
• Entrepreneurs

Requirements

To graduate, communication management majors must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 or higher in their major coursework.

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Lower-Division Core Requirements
COMM 111	Public Communication 1	3
COMM 201	Introduction to Communication Studies	3
COMM 211	Professional Communication	3
COMM 225	Communication and Relationships	3
COMM 230	Small Group Communication	3
COMM 260	Intercultural Communication 2	3
Upper-Division Core Requirements
COMM 300	Research Methods in Communication	3
COMM 305	Writing for Communication	3
COMM 335	Leadership Communication	3
COMM 420	Conflict Management	3
COMM 430	Organizational Communication	3
COMM 440	Persuasion and Attitude Change	3
COMM 490	Communication Internship	3
COMM 496	Communication Capstone: Ethics and Communication	3
Electives
Choose 6 units from the following:		6
COMM 315	Intercollegiate Forensics
COMM 345	Nonverbal Communication
COMM 350	Rhetoric and Political Influence
COMM 435	Family Communication
COMM 495	Special Topics
COMM 498	Directed Research
Total Units		48

¹

Meets the APU Core: Oral Communication general education requirement.

²

Meets the APU Core: Intercultural Competence general education requirement.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this program shall be able to:

1. Explain how communication creates, sustains, manages, and changes persons, groups, organizations, and society, and use that knowledge in an ethical manner.
2. Articulate how the Christian faith and one’s worldview can inform the study, evaluation, and practice of communication.
3. Identify one’s own communication tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses.
4. Express ideas clearly and accurately through oral and written communication using various media in academic and practitioner contexts.
5. Utilize quantitative and qualitative research tools to explore communication worlds.
6. Apply communication theories and ethics to various communicative situations.
7. Identify a vocational direction where one’s communication skills can be utilized to make a positive difference.