This major is designed to :

• Increase your communicative competence in both public and private settings.
• Help you understand, explain, and transform communication messages in a variety of settings.
• Improve your ability to carefully explore and think through communication related challenges and come up with effective solutions.

The Communication Studies major at Utah State emphasizes three thematic areas:

• Students gain a solid education in organizational communication, which focuses on leadership development, management skills, and team building. Courses in this area equip students with the communication skills needed to succeed in businesses and organizations.
• Students also learn the role of communication in becoming a better citizen in society. They learn about intercultural communication, how communication shapes the world, and how it shapes perceptions and behaviors.
• The third area of focus is influence, where students learn how to become ethical persuaders, using language to be influential, credible, and likeable. Students learn to use these skills in an ethical way and, in turn, how to defend themselves against negative and unethical persuasion.

Students receive a BS by completing all required courses in the major. To receive a BA, students must also gain proficiency in one or more foreign languages.