AA/AS in Communication and Media Studies

This associate degree treats communication as a skill nearly everyone needs, regardless of age, background or line of work. People spend a great deal of daily life talking and listening, and how well they do it often determines whether they succeed. The Communication Department builds its courses around that reality. Students look at exchanges between two people, discussions in small groups, workplace talk, addressing an audience, messages carried by mass media, and understanding across cultural and national lines. Additional courses cover debate, building arguments and theories that explain communication. Learning outcomes include examining and judging messages and their effects in many contexts, and appreciating the ethical questions that arise when people communicate. The applied emphasis suits students seeking practical interpersonal and public speaking abilities.