Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies
Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies
The B.A. in Communication Studies explores how meaning is made across media, relationships, and public discourse, and how understanding communication shapes the way we engage with the world. Guided by award-winning faculty who bring their research directly into the classroom, you’ll examine how communication creates connection and drives change in people’s lives. Beyond the classroom, you’ll have opportunities to apply what you’re learning through internships, education abroad, and programs like the ACT Human Rights Film Festival and the Center for Public Deliberation. From start to finish, the degree is yours to personalize around your own curiosities and ambitions.
This degree can be completed as an accelerated option in 3-3.5 years.
Concentrations
We offer optional concentrations, giving you the freedom to build a program of study that reflects your interests and goals.
Media, Technology, & Popular Culture
Explore how media and technology inspire creativity, spark expression, and shape identity in today’s culture. From film and digital media to popular culture, you’ll develop a deep understanding of how media shapes society through historical and critical perspectives.
Rhetoric, Democracy, & Social Advocacy
Harness the power of communication to build community, engage democracy, and advocate for a better world. You’ll explore how public discourse influences people, communities, and social change across a range of rhetorical contexts.
Leadership & Organizational Communication
Lead today’s organizations into tomorrow through effective, strategic communication and collaboration. This concentration examines how communication shapes leadership, teamwork, and organizational culture in today’s professional world.
Interpersonal, Community, & International Communication
Build, sustain, and strengthen relationships across communities, cultures, and global settings. From one-on-one relationships to international environments, this concentration offers a nuanced look at how we connect and communicate across difference.
Degree Requirements
Your path through Communication Studies is yours to shape. You'll begin in the New to the Major Seminar (SPCM 178), a one-credit course that introduces you to the department, connects you with other students, and helps you start thinking about where your interests might take you.
From there, five required courses introduce you to the foundational concepts, theories, and practices of the discipline, spanning media and popular culture (SPCM 100), relational and organizational communication (SPCM 130), public speaking (SPCM 200), rhetoric (SPCM 201), and argumentation (SPCM 207). Many of these classes also meet the requirements of CSU’s All University Core Curriculum.
Once you’ve completed the core courses, you'll earn 27 credits of communication studies electives, choosing from a broad range of courses that reflect where you want to take your studies, and an additional 18 credits from select history, social science, and arts and humanities courses across the College of Liberal Arts.
The program also requires a minor or second major, giving you the chance to develop specialized knowledge in an area that genuinely interests you. With a wide range of minors to choose from, you can find a pairing that complements your studies.
The degree culminates in the Communication Studies Capstone (SPCM 479), where you'll bring together everything you've learned and apply it to a focused area of inquiry. The capstone is your chance to think deeply, work independently, and leave the program with a meaningful body of work.
Advising Information
Are you a current student who would like to learn more about adding or completing a Communication Studies major?
Schedule an appointment with one of our dedicated Academic Success Coordinators by contacting the College of Liberal Arts Academic Support Center.
Experiential Learning Opportunities
ACT Human Rights Film Festival
Get behind-the-scenes experience assisting with our annual ACT Human Rights Film Festival. You'll work with filmmakers from around the world, help create meaningful conversations about social justice, and build valuable skills while bringing powerful cinema to Fort Collins.
Center for Public Deliberation
Learn to guide meaningful conversations as a student facilitator with our Center for Public Deliberation. You'll help community members work through local issues, design public forums, and develop leadership skills while making a real difference in northern Colorado's democratic processes.
Collaborative Research & WIRC Lab
Communication studies is a field alive with research on how people relate, work, lead, and organize. Many faculty involve undergraduates in that work. In the Wellness in Interpersonal Relationships and Communication (WIRC) Lab, you can run focus groups, transcribe interviews, code conversations, and collect data on topics like conflict, humor, and social support.
Education Abroad
Expand your studies with faculty-led programs in Rome, Vienna, and Murcia, or explore other opportunities around the world through CSU's Education Abroad office. Scholarships are available to help make the experience possible.
Internships
Apply your communication skills with organizations across and beyond Fort Collins while exploring career paths and building your professional network. You'll earn credit toward your degree and gain workplace experience that sets you apart.
Lambda Pi Eta
Build community by joining Lambda Pi Eta, the National Communication Association’s undergraduate honor society, and graduate with honor cords that celebrate your academic success. You can also take advantage of countless opportunities across campus—from Rocky Mountain Student Media to Student Government—to put your communication skills into practice, develop new ones, and have fun while meeting new people and making a difference.
Alumni Voices
"I fell in love with learning about how people communicate based on their social identities, group context, and tactics used to relay a message. Communication Studies courses often left me pondering the larger implications of communication, such as the use of power to limit and dictate how marginalized identity groups communicate."
Yulissa Chavez Tena, B.A. ’22
“My Communication Studies degree, along with a minor in Sociology, has profoundly shaped how I show up in my role as Marketing & Communications Manager at CASA of Adams & Broomfield Counties. Working for a nonprofit, especially one that supports at-risk children and youth, has completely transformed the way I see marketing. I’m not selling a product or chasing numbers; I’m using my education to inspire our community to show up for the children and families who need it most.”
Leslie Sanders, B.A. ’21
Next Steps
Are you interested in joining our community?