About This Program
Communication is the backbone of 21st century society and the modern economy — the driving force behind community action, societal change and many business endeavors. Whether you are interested in social media, digital communications/marketing, fundraising, human resources or any other field, with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, you will master the skill employers consistently rank as most important in the workforce: effective communication. This program provides a foundation for success in careers across government, business, nonprofits and beyond. Read more...
Contact Information
- Meghan Harper | comm@kent.edu |
330-672-2659 - Speak with an Advisor
- Chat with an Admissions Counselor: Kent Campus | Regional Campuses
Program Delivery
- Delivery:
- Fully online
- In person
- Location:
- Full program
- Kent Campus
- Stark Campus
- Applied Communication concentration only
- Ashtabula Campus
- East Liverpool Campus
- Salem Campus
- Trumbull Campus
- Tuscarawas Campus
- Full program
Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries*
Meeting, convention, and event planners
- 4.8% about as fast as the average
- 155,800 number of jobs
- $59,440 potential earnings
Social and community service managers
- 6.4% faster than the average
- 219,800 number of jobs
- $78,240 potential earnings
Public relations managers
- 5.0% faster than the average
- 83,200 number of jobs
- $138,520 potential earnings
Fundraising managers
- 4.2% about as fast as the average
- 45,700 number of jobs
- $123,480 potential earnings
Market research analysts and marketing specialists
- 6.7% faster than the average
- 941,700 number of jobs
- $76,950 potential earnings
Additional careers
- Corporate training/human resources
- Project management
- Organizational/community advocacy
- Social media management
- Corporate communications
- Logistics
- Marketing specialists
- Arts, sports and media
- Labor/industrial relations
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
Admission Requirements
The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students.
First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.
First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.
International Students: All international students must provide proof of proficiency of the English language (unless they meet specific exceptions) through the submission of an English language proficiency test score or by completing English language classes at Kent State’s English as a Second Language Center before entering their program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.
Former Students: Former Kent State students who have not attended another institution since Kent State and were not academically dismissed will complete the re-enrollment process through the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center. Former students who attended another college or university since leaving Kent State must apply for admissions as a transfer or post-undergraduate student.
Transfer Students: Students who attended an educational institution after graduating from high school or earning their GED must apply as transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.
Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's Academic Policies.
Students may be required to meet certain criteria to progress in their program. Any progression requirements will be listed on the program's Coursework tab
Program Requirements
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA) | ||
| COMM 15000 | INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN COMMUNICATION (KADL) | 3 |
| COMM 26000 | CRITICISM OF PUBLIC DISCOURSE (KHUM) | 3 |
| or COMM 35852 | INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION | |
| or COMM 35912 | GENDER AND COMMUNICATION | |
| or COMM 46605 | COMMUNICATION ACROSS THE LIFESPAN | |
| COMM 34000 | DIFFICULT DECISIONS IN COMMUNICATION (WIC) 1 | 3 |
| or COMM 45902 | COMMUNICATION AND INFLUENCE (WIC) | |
| COMM 46091 | SENIOR SEMINAR (ELR) | 3 |
| EMAT 10310 | MY STORY ON THE WEB | 3 |
| Communication Studies (COMM) Upper-Division Electives (30000 or 40000 level) 2 | 6 | |
| Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA) | ||
| UC 10001 | FLASHES 101 | 1 |
| College of Communication and Information Core Electives, choose from the following: | 9 | |
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION | ||
| PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| BRANDING AND SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES FOR ITALIAN LIFESTYLE (ELR) | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION | ||
| ITALIAN POP CULTURE (ELR) | ||
| ITALIAN CINEMA (ELR) | ||
| DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING (ELR) | ||
| MULTIMEDIA EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING (ELR) | ||
| INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION (ELR) | ||
| INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION (ELR) | ||
| CREATIVE CODING | ||
| HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION | ||
| INFORMATION FLUENCY IN THE WORKPLACE AND BEYOND | ||
| MEDIA, POWER AND CULTURE (KSS) | ||
| SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN | ||
| VISUAL DESIGN THINKING | ||
| American Civic Literacy Requirement 3 | 3 | |
| Kent Core Composition | 6 | |
| Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning | 3 | |
| Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (minimum one course from each) 4 | 6-9 | |
| Kent Core Social Sciences (must be from two disciplines) 5 | 3-6 | |
| Kent Core Basic Sciences (must include one laboratory) | 6-7 | |
| Kent Core Additional | 3 | |
| General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours) 6 | 38 | |
| Concentrations | ||
| Choose from the following: | 18 | |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 120 | |
- 1
A minimum C grade is required in COMM 34000 or COMM 45902 to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement
- 2
Students may apply a maximum of 6 credit hours of COMM 45092 toward their major requirements
- 3
If students complete the American Civic Literacy requirement by taking HIST 12061, the course will apply to the Kent Core Humanities category. If they complete it with POL 10101, the course will apply to the Kent Core Social Sciences category.
- 4
Students who take COMM 26000 will need to fulfill 6 credit hours of Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts. Students who do not take COMM 26000 will need to fulfill 9 credit hours of Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts.
- 5
Students who take MDJ 20001 to fulfill a College of Communication and Information Core Elective will need to fulfill 3 credit hours of Kent Core Social Sciences. Students who do not take MDJ 20001 will need to fulfill 6 credit hours of Kent Core Social Sciences.
- 6
A maximum of 4 credit hours of Physical Activity, Wellness and Sport (PWS) courses may be applied toward the degree program.
Applied Communication Concentration Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA) | ||
| COMM 35864 | ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION | 3 |
| COMM 45807 | HIGH IMPACT PROFESSIONAL SPEAKING | 3 |
| VCD 47000 | VISUAL DESIGN FOR MEDIA | 3 |
| Communication and Information Interdisciplinary Electives, choose from the following: | 6 | |
| Additional Concentration Elective, choose from the following: | 3 | |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 18 | |
- 1
Students may apply a maximum of 6 credit hours of COMM 45092 toward their major requirements
Communication Studies-General Concentration Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA) | ||
| Communication Studies (COMM) Electives 1 | 6 | |
| Communication Studies (COMM) Upper-Division Electives (30000 or 40000 level) 1 | 12 | |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 18 | |
- 1
Students may apply a maximum of 6 credit hours of COMM 45092 toward their major requirements
Graduation Requirements
| Minimum Major GPA | Minimum Overall GPA |
|---|---|
| 2.000 | 2.000 |
Roadmaps
Applied Communication Concentration
This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.
| Semester One | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 15000 | INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN COMMUNICATION (KADL) | 3 |
| UC 10001 | FLASHES 101 | 1 |
| College of Communication and Information Core Electives | 3 | |
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Semester Two | ||
| COMM 26000 | CRITICISM OF PUBLIC DISCOURSE (KHUM) or INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION or GENDER AND COMMUNICATION or COMMUNICATION ACROSS THE LIFESPAN | 3 |
| College of Communication and Information Core Electives | 3 | |
| Communication and Information Interdisciplinary Electives | 3 | |
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Semester Three | ||
| Communication Studies (COMM) Upper-Division Electives (30000 or 40000 level) | 3 | |
| Communication and Information Interdisciplinary Electives | 3 | |
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Semester Four | ||
| VCD 47000 | VISUAL DESIGN FOR MEDIA | 3 |
| College of Communication and Information Core Electives | 3 | |
| Additional Concentration Elective | 3 | |
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Semester Five | ||
| EMAT 10310 | MY STORY ON THE WEB | 3 |
| Communication Studies (COMM) Upper-Division Electives (30000 or 40000 level) | 3 | |
| American Civic Literacy Requirement | 3 | |
| General Electives | 6 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Semester Six | ||
| COMM 34000 or COMM 45902 | DIFFICULT DECISIONS IN COMMUNICATION (WIC) or COMMUNICATION AND INFLUENCE (WIC) | 3 |
| General Electives | 12 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Semester Seven | ||
| COMM 35864 | ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION | 3 |
| COMM 45807 | HIGH IMPACT PROFESSIONAL SPEAKING | 3 |
| General Electives | 9 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Semester Eight | ||
| COMM 45092 or COMM 46091 | INTERNSHIP IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES (ELR) or SENIOR SEMINAR (ELR) | 3 |
| General Electives | 11 | |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 120 | |
Communication Studies-General Concentration
This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.
| Semester One | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 15000 | INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN COMMUNICATION (KADL) | 3 |
| UC 10001 | FLASHES 101 | 1 |
| College of Communication and Information Core Elective | 3 | |
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Semester Two | ||
| COMM 26000 | CRITICISM OF PUBLIC DISCOURSE (KHUM) or INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION or GENDER AND COMMUNICATION or COMMUNICATION ACROSS THE LIFESPAN | 3 |
| Communication Studies (COMM) Elective | 3 | |
| College of Communication and Information Core Elective | 3 | |
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Semester Three | ||
| Communication Studies (COMM) Elective | 3 | |
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Semester Four | ||
| Communication Studies (COMM) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) | 3 | |
| College of Communication and Information Core Elective | 3 | |
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Semester Five | ||
| EMAT 10310 | MY STORY ON THE WEB | 3 |
| Communication Studies (COMM) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) | 3 | |
| American Civic Literacy Requirement | 3 | |
| General Electives | 6 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Semester Six | ||
| COMM 34000 or COMM 45902 | DIFFICULT DECISIONS IN COMMUNICATION (WIC) or COMMUNICATION AND INFLUENCE (WIC) | 3 |
| Communication Studies (COMM) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) | 3 | |
| General Electives | 9 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Semester Seven | ||
| Communication Studies (COMM) Upper-Division Electives (30000 or 40000 level) | 6 | |
| General Electives | 9 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Semester Eight | ||
| COMM 45092 or COMM 46091 | INTERNSHIP IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES (ELR) or SENIOR SEMINAR (ELR) | 3 |
| Communication Studies (COMM) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) | 3 | |
| General Electives | 8 | |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 120 | |
University Requirements
All students in a bachelor's degree program at Kent State University must complete the following university requirements for graduation.
NOTE: University requirements may be fulfilled in this program by specific course requirements. Please see Program Requirements for details.
| Requirement | Credits/Courses |
|---|---|
| Flashes 101 (UC 10001) | 1 credit hour |
Course is not required for students with 30+ transfer credits (excluding College Credit Plus) or age 21+ at time of admission. | |
| American Civic Literacy | 3 credit hours |
| Experiential Learning Requirement (ELR) | varies |
Students must successfully complete one course or approved experience. | |
| Kent Core (see table below) | 36-37 credit hours |
| Writing-Intensive Course (WIC) | 1 course |
Students must earn a minimum C grade in the course. | |
| Upper-Division Requirement | 39 credit hours |
Students must successfully complete 39 upper-division (numbered 30000 to 49999) credit hours to graduate. | |
| Total Credit Hour Requirement | 120 credit hours |
Kent Core Requirements
| Requirement | Credits/Courses |
|---|---|
| Kent Core Composition (KCMP) | 6 |
| Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning (KMCR) | 3 |
| Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (KHUM/KFA) (min one course each) | 9 |
| Kent Core Social Sciences (KSS) (must be from two disciplines) | 6 |
| Kent Core Basic Sciences (KBS/KLAB) (must include one laboratory) | 6-7 |
| Kent Core Additional (KADL) | 6 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 36-37 |
Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Demonstrate effective presentational speaking skills.
- Display competence in written communication.
- Develop communication literacies to critically evaluate message and their potential implications for different audiences.
- Analyze diverse perspectives and situated lived experiences in communication settings.
The program learning outcomes reflect the university's commitment to excellence in teaching, research, creativity and community outreach and engagement.
Mandatory Outcomes Assessment
In addition to the other General Requirements of the college, candidates for an undergraduate degree in the College of Sciences and Humanities are required, as a condition of graduation, to participate in an outcomes assessment. These outcomes assessments are conducted by each undergraduate degree program in the College of Sciences and Humanities.
Full Description
When employers are asked what they look for in new hires, communication skills top the list every time. The key to the Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies is flexibility. The curriculum allows students to design an individual, communication-based program of coursework that prepares them for the future. The Communication Studies major provides students with the knowledge, skills and abilities to succeed across professional industries — from government and business to nonprofits and education. The program's mission is to teach students to communicate effectively, lead responsibly, understand how communication affects identities, communities and cultures, think analytically and reason critically.
The Communication Studies major comprises the following concentrations (both of which are offered in-person or fully online):
- The Applied Communication concentration allows students to gain expertise in organizational communication, advanced presentational speaking, professional writing and visual design. Students combine theoretical knowledge and technical skills while mastering professional tasks such as conducting training seminars, creating web content, designing promotional materials, managing communication campaigns and writing press releases.
- The Communication Studies–General concentration features flexibility and choice. Students create a personalized plan of study tailored to their specific academic interests and career goals in areas such as global and intercultural communication, advocacy, social media, corporate communication and workplace consulting, presentational and motivational speaking, campaign design and more. This concentration is appropriate for those who have diverse academic interests. It permits students to take courses across the schools in the College of Communication and Information and provides space for electives that students could use to pursue a minor in another discipline.
Students may apply early to the following master's degree programs and double count 9 credit hours of graduate courses toward both degree programs. See the Combined Bachelor's/Master's Degree Program Policy in the University Catalog for more information.
- Master of Arts degree in Communication Studies
- Master of Arts degree in Visual Communication Design
- Master of Library Information Science degree in Library and Information Science
- Master of Science degree in Emerging Media and Technology
- Master of Science degree in Health Informatics
- Master of Science degree in Knowledge Management
- Master of Science degree in User Experience
There are many study abroad/away opportunities. For more information contact the Office of Global Education or coordinator of the college's International Study Programs.