Corporate & Organizational
Requirements for a Concentration

Overview

The Corporate and Organizational Communication concentration combines courses from Communication and from the School of Business and Economics. Students understand the many ways in which communication -- oral, written and visual -- and critical thinking and analysis are important in business and organizational contexts.

Students choose a variety of courses that help them understand the role and importance of communication in interpersonal and small group contexts, the relationship between effective communication skills and leadership, and the ways in which businesses and organizations use communication both internally and externally. Theory courses help students understand the many factors that influence effective communication in a business or organization. Skills-oriented classes encourage students to develop and refine their writing, speaking and problem-solving skills. Applications courses provide students a forum to study, and to evaluate, organizational strategies from seminal case studies and local businesses.

The largest of the three tracks (more than 450 students) in the major, Corporate and Organizational Communication addresses the critical tenets of the communication discourse as well as principles of business, both in the corporate and non-profit sectors. Developed in 1995, the track was originally called Corporate Communication, but has evolved into a more comprehensive study area with the addition of new faculty and courses, such as Training and Development and Communication and Technology.

Corporate and Organizational students are immersed into key business coursework such as economics, organizational behavior and marketing, while also engaging in an increasing array of offerings within the Communication Department. The organizational communication course (Comm 326) has been recently added to the core requirement list, along with many new courses. The four-course public relations sequence is a popular choice among the list of major electives and applications courses. Many students also gain from various internship and independent study possibilities.