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Communication

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Careers

A degree in Communication will prepare you for a wide range of career opportunities. Below you will find some common career paths students in our department pursue, along with some key courses to be sure to take if you are interested in those paths. Be sure to also work with your advisor to finalize your courses and to discuss what career path(s) are most interesting to you. 

Public Relations and Advertising Pathway

Job Titles:

  • Account Coordinator
  • Communications Director
  • Crisis Manager
  • Media Relations Officer
  • Social Media Campaign Manager
  • Digital Marketing Manager
  • Marketing Specialist/Coordinator
  • Communication and Public Affairs Program Manager
  • Corporate Communication Manager
  • Account Manager
  • Sales Designer
  • Media Strategist
  • Integrated Marketing Campaign Manager
  • Consumer Direct Marketing Specialist
  • Promotions Manager
  • Copywriter

Courses to Consider:

    • COM 113
      Social Media and Digital Advocacy
    • COM 211
      Intro to Mass Comm
    • COM 212
      Advertising and Society
    • COM 310
      Communicating with Data
    • COM 312
      Public Relations
    • COM 313
      Creating Student Media
    • COM 342
      Media Literacy
    • COM 360
      Sports Comm
    • COM 372
      Sports PR
    • COM 410
      Event Planning
    • COM 446
      Critical Media Analysis
    • COM 415
      Social Media Campaigns
    • COM 430
      Social Media and Culture
    • COM 450
      Crisis Comm
    • COM 455
      Creating Documentary and Digital Films

     

    Government and Politics Pathway

    Job Titles:

    • Campaign Director
    • Legislative Assistant
    • Elected Official
    • Community Relations Director
    • Public Information Officer
    • Government Relations Manager
    • Online/Social Media Communication Manager
    • Speechwriter
    • Law Enforcement Communication Officer
    • Communication Coordinator
    • Lobbyist
    • Voter Outreach Specialist

    Courses to Consider:

    • COM 111
      Public Speaking
    • COM 113
      Social Media and Digital Advocacy
    • COM 310
      Communicating with Data
    • COM 321
      Influence Through Argumentation
    • COM 324
      Business and Professional Comm
    • COM 326
      Freedom of Speech
    • COM 327
      Comm in the Legal Field
    • COM 342
      Media Literacy
    • COM 400
      Comm and Labor
    • COM 439
      Contemporary US Public Address
    • COM 442
      Comm and Social Change
    • COM 416
      Comm and Politics

     

    Business and HR Pathway

    Job Titles:

    • Human Resources Coordinator
    • Corporate Communication Specialist
    • Communication Specialist
    • Marketing Coordinator
    • Travel/Conference/Event Manager
    • Motivational Speaker
    • Recruiter
    • Business Development and Communication
    • Account Executive
    • Sales Consultant
    • Client Relationship Manager
    • Project Manager

    Courses to Consider:

    • COM 111
      Public Speaking
    • COM 112
      Interpersonal Comm
    • COM 310
      Communicating with Data
    • COM 313
      Creating Student Media
    • COM 323
      Group Discussion and Leadership
    • COM 324
      Business and Professional Comm
    • COM 340
      Conflict Management
    • COM 360
      Sports Comm
    • COM 370
      Comm Ethics
    • COM 410
      Event Planning
    • COM 420
      Comm in Organizations
    • COM 312
      Public Relations Comm
    • COM 324
      Business and Professional Comm
    • COM 400
      Comm and Labor
    • COM 450
      Crisis Communication

     

    Social Services and Advocacy Pathway

    Job Titles:

    • Community Affairs Director
    • Social and Community Service Management
    • Social Worker
    • Family Court Advocate
    • Recreation Supervisor
    • Volunteer Coordinator
    • Non-profit Leadership
    • Communication and Outreach Coordinator
    • Development Officer
    • Public Advocacy
    • Crisis Support Worker
    • Grant Writer

    Courses to Consider:

    • COM 112
      Interpersonal Comm
    • COM 113
      Social Media and Digital Advocacy
    • COM 323
      Group Discussion and Leadership
    • COM 325
      Intercultural Comm
    • COM 331
      Nonverbal Comm
    • COM 335
      Comm and Gender
    • COM 351
      Health Comm
    • COM 400
      Comm and Labor
    • COM 405
      Human Comm Theory
    • COM 431
      Nonverbal Deception Detection
    • COM 440
      Relational Comm
    • COM 461
      Family Comm
    • COM 462
      Dark Side of Family Comm

     

    Health Communication Pathway

    Job Titles:

    • Health Educator
    • Health Promotion Specialist
    • Health Campaign Coordinator
    • Patient Outreach Advocate
    • Community Outreach Coordinator
    • Public Health Journalist
    • Health Information Manager
    • Healthcare Policy Advocate
    • Patient/Victim Advocate
    • Healthcare Marketing/PR
    • Nonprofit Manager
    • Social Worker
    • Human Resources

    Courses to Consider:

    • COM 112
      Interpersonal Comm
    • COM 113
      Social Media and Digital Advocacy
    • COM 310
      Communicating with Data
    • COM 323
      Group Discussion and Leadership
    • COM 325
      Intercultural Comm
    • COM 331
      Nonverbal Comm
    • COM 335
      Comm and Gender
    • COM 351
      Health Comm
    • COM 405
      Human Comm Theory
    • COM 431
      Nonverbal Deception Detection
    • COM 440
      Relational Comm
    • COM 451
      War on Science
    • COM 461
      Family Comm
    • COM 462
      Dark Side of Family Comm

     

    Media Writing and Social Media Pathway

    Job Titles:

    • Reporter
    • Staff Writer
    • Editor
    • Data Research Analyst
    • Content Manager
    • Social Media Manager
    • Grant Writer
    • Web Content Manager
    • Market Researcher
    • Science Writer
    • Translator
    • Multimedia Specialist
    • Political Risk Analyst

    Courses to Consider:

    • COM 211
      Intro to Mass Comm
    • COM 212
      Advertising and Society
    • COM 236
      Contemporary Issues in Media
    • COM 312
      Public Relations
    • COM 313
      Creating Student Media
    • COM 328
      Law and Pop Culture
    • COM 342
      Media Literacy
    • COM 372
      Sports PR
    • COM 410
      Event Planning
    • COM 412
      Analyzing Pop Culture
    • COM 415
      Social Media Campaigns
    • COM 430
      Social Media and Culture
    • COM 444
      Global Media
    • COM 446
      Critical Media Analysis
    • COM 455
      Creating Documentary and Digital Films

     

    Additional Resources

    Resumes, Cover Letters, and Interviewing

    The Center for Professional Pathways offers a number of excellent and FREE resources for students and alumni. They offer help with resume writing, including how to make resumes that focus on the skills you’ve aquired as a student worker. They also offer tips on cover letters as well as practice interviews.

    Don’t know what you want to do yet? No problem. The Center for Professional Pathways also offers career counseling.

     

    Job Search 

    We encourage students to regularly check job search sites so they can see what types of jobs are available in the places they want to live. Having an idea of what jobs are availalbe will help you ensure you are doing everything you can to be ready for those jobs when you graduate. We also encourage students to complete at least one internship before they graduate, which can help build skills and resumes, making you a more competitive candidate.

    There are many job search websites available. Our alumni have suggested the following:

    Indeed.com

    Monster.com

    LinkedIn.com

     

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