The Bachelor of Arts in Communication is appropriate for students seeking employment in various fields, including public communication, public relations, journalism, and other fields that require writing, research, and presentational proficiency. Other careers include integrated marketing communications, corporate and public sector consulting, speech writing, publicity, community relations, public affairs, government, public and social service, news reporting, radio, sports marketing, media relations, editing or writing for various media, business and industrial communication. The B.S. is also appropriate for those students seeking to enter a graduate program in communication.

The Bachelor of Arts in Communication prepares individuals for the communication demands of social and professional life through a broad-based liberal arts program studying the nature, processes, and effects of messages. The degree also prepares students to communicate in varied channels and contexts of contemporary communication, analyze communication messages of multiple forms and styles, communicate ethically, and employ the theory and methods of the field while appreciating the history and content of the discipline.

The Bachelor of Arts differs from the Bachelor of Science by incorporating a broader focus in the liberal arts and by providing more freedom in course selection. The degree consists of 42 hours of coursework.

General Requirements

• Students must complete the School of Humanities and Social Sciences Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements and all Indiana University Kokomo graduation requirements.
• A minor is not required but is strongly encouraged.
• All courses require a C- or higher to count toward the major.

Part 1: Core (24 credit hours)

The core of the Communication curriculum grounds graduates in the theoretical and applied nature of the discipline, culminating in a capstone project in the Senior Seminar. All Communication majors must complete each of the following courses:

• JOUR-C 200 Introduction to Mass Communication
• SPCH-S 122 Interpersonal Communication
• SPCH-C 321 Persuasion
• SPCH-C 380 Organizational Communication
• SPCH-C 480 Communication Theory
• SPCH-S 400 Senior Seminar
• SPCH-S 427 Cross Cultural Communication
• SPCH-C 315 Internship

Part 2: Electives (6 credit hours)

Students must choose two of the following three courses:

• SPCH-C 393 Communication Research Methods
• SPCH-C 325 Interviewing
• SPCH-C 255 Social Media Strategies

Part 3: Concentration (12 credit hours)

The final component of the B.A. in Communication is the concentration. These concentrations build upon the core and experiential components of the degree by providing students with a focused area of study. Students must complete each course in the chosen concentration, and will choose from the following:

1. Public Communication: The Public Communication concentration focuses on developing students’ presentational skills and is designed to prepare them for careers in business, government, marketing, sales, advertising, speech writing, and other careers in which oral and written communication skills are essential.

   • SPCH-S 228 Argumentation and Debate
   • SPCH-C 444 Political Communication
   • SPCH-S 201 Communicating in Public
   • SPCH-C 354 Cyberculture and Community OR COMM-C 394 Communication and Conflict

2. Journalism: The Journalism concentration develops student writing, editing, layout and photography skills, teaching students the journalism basics of reporting and editing. Students are encouraged to combine their understanding of core skills in the profession with online media and their own unique interests to better prepare them for a market which demands great breadth and sensitivity to the intersections between social issues, human nature and technology.

   • JOUR-J 200 Reporting, Writing, & Editing I
   • JOUR-J 201 Reporting, Writing, & Editing II
   • NMAT-D 257 Graphic Design I OR NMAT-D 216 Studio in Digital Media I
   • SPCH-C 382 Social Media Campaigns OR JOUR-J 344 Photojournalism

3. Public Relations/Corporate Communications: The Public Relations/Corporate Communications concentration prepares students to strategically manage communication resources for both profit and nonprofit organizations. Coursework prepares students to enhance a corporation’s image and reputation, monitor and resolve its issues, influence relevant attitudes and opinions, in efforts to adapt the organization to its environment and the environment to the organization. Grounded in communication theory and the four step process, students will enhance their writing and planning skills and learn a variety of communication formats and media techniques for relating to diverse publics.

   • SPCH-S 233 Intro to Public Relations
   • SPCH-S 333 Public Relations Writing
   • SPCH-C 391 Public Relations Campaigns
   • SPCH-C 354 Cyberculture and Community OR SPCH-C 382 Social Media Campaigns