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 (15 credit hours)

The core of the Communication curriculum grounds graduates in the theoretical and applied nature of the discipline. All Communication majors must complete each of the following courses:

• SPCH-C 315 Internship (3 cr.)
• SPCH-C 380 Organizational Communication (3 cr.)
• SPCH-C 480 Communication Theory (3 cr.)
• SPCH-S 304 Research, Data Analysis & Visual Storytelling (3 cr.)
• SPCH-S 400 Senior Seminar (3 cr.)

Part 2: Concentration (15 credit hours) 

The second component of the B.A. in Communication is the concentration. These concentrations build on 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. Strategic Communication: The Strategic Communication concentration prepares students to manage communication resources for both profit and non-profit organizations.  Coursework prepares students to enhance a corporation's image, and influence relevant attitudes and opinions. Grounded in communication theory, students will enhance their writing and planning skills and learn a variety of communication formats and media techniques for relating to diverse publics.

   • SPCH-C 255 Social Media Strategies (3 cr.)
   • SPCH-C 382 Public Relations & Social Media Campaigns (3 cr.)
   • SPCH-S 120 Intro to Strategic Communication (3 cr.)
   • SPCH-S 215 Media Writing (3 cr.)
   • SPCH-S 309 Multimedia Storytelling (3 cr.)
    

2. Professional Communication and Leadership: The Professional Communication and Leadership concentration develops students' teamwork, leadership, and interpersonal communication skills 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-C 325 Interviewing (3 cr.)
• SPCH-S 122 Interpersonal Communication (3 cr.)
• SPCH-S 223 Business & Professional Communication (3 cr.)
• SPCH S 308 Leadership and Teamwork (3 cr.)
• SPCH-S 395 Communication and Conflict (3 cr.) 

Part 3: Electives (12 credit hours) 

For the final component of the degree, students must complete 12 hours of elective courses.  Electives include:

• SPCH-S 336 Current Topics (3 cr.)
• Any other communication course NOT in the students' chosen concentrate