Communications

Overview

The Associate of Arts in Communications is designed to prepare students to build successful careers in today’s complex, information-based and media-driven culture, as well as to allow them to transfer and to complete a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Media Studies, Journalism, or related degree at a four-year college or university. The associate’s degree will prepare students to engage more knowledgeably with the communicative patterns, problems, and practices that they will encounter in their personal, professional, and civic lives. By studying communication in everyday relationships, groups, and organizations; students will discover how these systems are created, maintained, and improved.  By learning about critical thinking, problem solving, conflict management, and strategies for interacting with colleagues and organizations; students will develop skills essential for leadership, career development, and understanding and interpreting different situations.  By developing skills in writing, editing, social media, and analysis; students will learn to create and deliver effective messages through written, oral, digital, and broadcast channels. These communication skills derived from the degree can help students succeed in corporate settings or in organizations involving communications, media, broadcasting, journalism, photography, business, public relations, politics, law, health, human services, education, and ministry.

Communications Degree

FIRST YEAR

SECOND YEAR

Program Mission

It is the mission of the English Department to prepare students for:

• Competitive eligibility for jobs in the communication field
• Transfer to Baccalaureate programs
• Advancement in their current jobs

Program Outcomes

The Communications program seeks to guide and develop students into becoming ethical, hard-working, and thoughtful contributors in their personal lives, careers, and society. Accordingly, the program will develop students’ abilities to:

1. Exemplify high ethical standards in personal and professional communication
2. Participate in discussions about cultural diversity
3. Communicate through individual and group presentations and speeches, as well as participate in a symposium
4. Effectively employ communications and social media tools

5. Assess the dynamics of interpersonal communication and conflict management involving personal and business relationships
6. Develop a communication plan to enact during a crisis within an organization and then reflect and revise communication strategies used during the crisis

Transfer Information

• Transferring to other institutions
• Transferring to NHTI
• Transfer (Articulation) Agreements