Undergraduate Programs

Welcome! As the Undergraduate Coordinator, I am excited that you are contemplating or have decided to complete an undergraduate degree in the School of Communication Studies. Please feel free to e-mail or contact me any time if you would like more information about any of specific degree programs or would like to me to answer any questions. Faculty and staff in the School of Communication Studies will challenge, support, engage and enhance your educational experiences at Kent State University from your first to your final course.

You're In Good Company

The Communication Studies undergraduate program offers some of the most adaptable, flexible and relevant degrees at Kent State University. And because a bachelor’s degree in communication is of great value to students, we are committed to being the top program in Ohio. From 2000 to 2009 the number of communication graduates with a bachelor’s degree increased 100% across the U.S., from roughly 35,000 graduates in ‘99-‘00 to more than 78,000 graduates in ‘08-‘09 (Statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics, 2011). At Kent State, you can be among some of the best communicators and educators.

Incorporate Your Specific Interests

At Kent State, you can get a degree in the niche area that interests you. The School of Communication Studies serves more than 500 majors and minors in the following:

Communication Studies Major Concentrations:

• Applied Communication
• Global Communication
• Health Communication
• Interpersonal Communication
• Organizational Communication
• Public Communication

Communication Studies Minors:

• Communication Studies
• Health Communication
• Interpersonal Communication
• Organizational Communication
• Public Communication

The School of Communication Studies recently established two concentrations in Health Communication and Global Communication. Furthermore, the Interpersonal Communication major and minor reflect expanded course offerings, including classes in family communication, relational communication and communication across the life span. Finally, the School of Communication Studies has made adding a specialized minor easy and possible to complete within a year or less. There are four new 18-credit minors in Organizational Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Health Communication and Public Communication.

You Will be Prepared for Extending a Tradition of Excellence!

Your training in Communication Studies theory, research and skill development will provide you the most up-to-date information being published and presented at international, national and regional communication conferences. The faculty study and publish primary research about communication practices and processes occurring through various mediums. This means that your training will incorporate the most dynamic and cutting-edge treatment of human communication, applicable to a variety of careers where effective communication is critical.

Preparation for the Real World

Businesses, organizations, healthcare industries and nonprofit agencies consistently rank effective communication skills as the most important job-hiring consideration, even more so than technical skills. Pursuing a Communication Studies degree allows you the ability to bring diverse insights to the role of communication in a variety of ways. Managers, communication experts, teachers, sales representatives, political communication consultants, communication strategists and leaders are a few examples of possible careers for degree-seeking students. Communication Studies degrees examine the role of communication in a wide range of settings, focusing on how to adapt messages to diverse situations and circumstances.

As a Communication Studies student you can enhance your educational experiences by participating in several events that take learning beyond the typical classroom through internships, study abroad opportunities, honor society membership and peer mentoring/training programs for COMM 15000, Introduction to Human Communication.

Catherine Goodall, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator
Kent State University
School of Communication Studies
P.O. Box 5190
Kent, OH 44242
Email: cgoodall@kent.edu