The mission of the Communication Studies (CMST) department is to prepare students to meet complex communication challenges across cultural, organizational, relational, and rhetorical contexts in the dynamic twenty-first century by: introducing them to relevant theories and concepts and also providing skill-building, collaboration, and scholarship experiences to promote conscious communication competence in their personal and professional development.

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:

• Create compelling, effective arguments;
• Analyze, create and adapt public messages;
• Identify and apply theories of leadership and persuasion;
• 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
• Use computer mediated communication to effectively communicate and network in a variety of settings.