Communication Studies

Career potential

Communication studies majors examine human communicative behavior and the symbolic processes through which humans interact. The curriculum is designed to prepare you for a variety of careers. Many communication studies graduates pursue careers in teaching, consulting, organizational administration and management. Others use the communication studies major to prepare for careers in law, ministry, politics and community relations, as well as for graduate studies.

According to recent surveys, CEOs of corporations say that effective nonverbal and verbal communication, critical thinking and problem-solving skills are important in a business environment. By majoring in communication studies, you receive the strong liberal arts background and skills that many corporations desire when hiring new college graduates.

UNT's Career Center can help you prepare to pursue your career. The center has information about jobs and employers, and the staff can help you with resume and letter writing, job search strategies and interview preparation.

Majoring in communication studies

The Department of Communication Studies offers course work and research opportunities in rhetorical, performance and social science traditions. Course work promotes the scholarly investigation of communication in aesthetic, health, international, interpersonal, cultural, legal, organizational and political contexts. You will have opportunities to research topics such as gender and diversity, narrative and social change, politics, and social influence.

The department sponsors organizations that provide opportunities to practice your skills in critical thinking, leadership, problem solving, public speaking and research. The Performance Interest Group, in which you interpret, create and perform texts, also participates in national and regional festivals and sponsors on-campus activities. Each fall, students in the group host a national performance festival. The nationally ranked UNT debate team attends 15 to 20 tournaments a year across the nation and participates in the National Debate Tournament and the Cross-Examination Debate Association. UNT has qualified a team for the National Debate Tournament in 24 of the last 25 years.

Scholarships are available for students in the Performance Interest Group and the UNT debate team.

Faculty members in UNT's communication studies department are dedicated to high-quality teaching and scholarship. One faculty member has received UNT's 'Fessor Graham Award for outstanding and unselfish service to students. Other communication studies faculty members also have won awards for excellence in teaching and scholarship.

Getting hands-on experience

As a communication studies major, you may intern in a job related to your future career by taking COMM 4800 Communication Internship, a special course offered by the department.

UNT's office of Cooperative Education and Internships can also assist you in finding an internship after completing university and departmental requirements. In addition to earning academic credit, you may earn money and gain valuable work experience with an internship. Co-op employers pay extremely well, and the jobs usually last several semesters, often until graduation.

More than 800 employers work with the office to provide excellent learning opportunities, many of which become permanent full-time positions upon graduation. The office also assists with placing students in internships, which last for one full semester or summer.

Preparing for UNT

If you are a high school student, we suggest you prepare for college by becoming computer proficient and taking:

• English … 4 years
• Math … 4 years
• Social science — economics, geography, government, history … 4 years
• Science … 3 years
• Foreign language … 3 years
• Fine arts … 1 year

You will need to take courses in most of these subjects under the university core curriculum required of all undergraduates, in addition to your major courses. Talk with your high school counselor about preparing for college, including the entrance exams (SAT Reasoning Test or ACT) that you should take during your junior year. At least two years of high school communication-related courses, including speech, debate and performance studies, will help you prepare for a major in communication studies.

As a benefit for transfer students, UNT participates in the Texas Common Course Numbering System. This system makes it easier to transfer credits for general academic courses from one Texas institution to another.

If you're attending a Texas community college, you should consult the UNT Transfer Guide, the UNT Undergraduate Catalog and an academic counselor to discuss your degree plan. Proper planning will help you receive the maximum amount of transfer credits.

You must complete a pre-major curriculum with at least a 2.5 grade point average before declaring communication studies as a major. In completing your degree, you must complete the university core curriculum and the curriculum required of students in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Charting your path with academic advising

An academic advisor in the Department of Communication Studies will help you each semester select courses necessary for you to earn your bachelor's degree. You should consult with an advisor in the department as early as possible. advisors can be contacted by calling the department or visiting its office in General Academic Building, Room 309.

Curious about courses and other features of this major?
See the current catalog.