Communication Studies Major: Leadership and Advocacy Option

Are you passionate about social change?  Do you want to work as a leader in a nonprofit organization or church?  Go to law school?  The Leadership and Advocacy Option in the Communication Studies major will teach you how to be a successful communicator, advocate, and leader.   

45 S.H. (Minor Required)
 
This option is designed to prepare you to take a leadership role in private, public, and not-for-profit organizations.  If you choose this option, you will learn how to reach appropriate audiences effectively, advocate on the behalf of others, develop messages to inform and persuade target audiences, and identify problems and implement appropriate solutions.  Special emphasis is placed on the use of computer mediated communication to communicate and network across a variety of settings.  If you choose this option, you will be expected to:

1. Create compelling, effective arguments;
2. Analyze, create and adapt public messages;
3. Identify and apply theories of leadership and persuasion;
4. Be able to resolve conflict in a variety of settings through the use of conflict resolution strategies, mediation, assertion, arbitration, advocacy and third party negotiation; and
5. Use computer mediated communication to effectively communicate and network in a variety of settings.

Required Courses (45 semester hours)

Foundations (9 S.H.)

       CMST 281    Intercultural Communication (3)
       CMST 282    Introduction to Communication Studies (3)
       CMST 283      Introduction to Rhetorical Studies (3)

Core Requirements (15 S.H.)

    CMST 357    Communication in Social Media (3)
    CMST 380    Communication Research Methods (3)  
    CMST 485    Senior Capstone in Communication Studies (3)

Choose one of the following:

    ECON 222    Statistics for Business and Economics (3)  
    PSY 231    Statistics (3)
    STAT 110     Fundamentals of Statistics (3) (Recommended)
    STAT 210    Statistics (3)  

Choose one of the following:

    ENG 210    Advanced Expository Writing (3)
    ENG 211    Writing in Communities (3)
    ENG 439    Technical Writing (3)

Option Requirements (18 S.H.)

    CMST 321    Conflict and Communication
    CMST 369    Leadership and Communication (3)
    CMST 375    Argumentation (3)  
    CMST 389    Persuasion and Advocacy (3)
    CMST 399    Internship (3)  

Choose one of the following:

    CMST 289    Gender and Communication (3)
    CMST 290    Topics in Multicultural Communication (3)
    CMST 291    Disability Communication and Culture (3)
    CMST 292    Topics in U.S. Multicultural Rhetoric (3)

Electives (3 S.H.)
Choose one additional CMST course, excluding CMST 191 or CMST 192.