A communication degree prepares you for career paths with in-demand skills that help power businesses of every size and across every sector.
Communication is an essential skill — today, it’s even called a “power” skill — in nearly every career, and a communication degree from USC is your launchpad. Through immersive, hands-on experiences, including internships with industry partners, you’ll master essential tools and concepts to chart a successful path in today’s evolving workplace.
The program at the College of Information and Communications emphasizes real-world observations and data analysis to gain practical insights into the role communication plays in creating, sustaining and transforming personal and professional lives.
As a student, you will conduct research to better understand the roles and effects of communication. You’ll be able to answer questions like why a workplace email evokes certain emotions or why a message is persuasive or funny. With interdisciplinary learning that leans into the breadth of offerings and resources in the CIC, you will graduate with valuable, marketable skills that translate across sectors.
The degree provides you with the skills and concepts demanded by employers in business, academia, government, education, media and more. At the same time, by emphasizing critical thinking and higher-order skills, you will be able to deftly navigate a world dominated by machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Careers
Communication graduates can be found informing decisions, shaping narratives and delivering stories in some of the more influential organizations in the country. They can also be found leading research in academia, helping direct nonprofits and strengthening education in a wide range of roles. You’ll be positioned to join these successful communities as a communication graduate.
In fact, in a recent National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook Survey, employers identified the ability to verbally communicate with others inside and outside the organization and the ability to create and/or edit written documents as among the top ten skills they seek when hiring new college graduates.
Roles Communication Graduates Can Fill:
- Market Research Analyst
- Marketing Manager
- Communications Specialist
- Technical Writer
- Public Relations Specialist
Classes
In the communication major, you can tailor your course of study, choosing electives and upper-level courses that align with your post-graduate goals. Learn more about the classes you’ll take as a communication student in the university's academic bulletin.
Notable Courses You Can Take:
- Social Influence and Persuasion
Here, you will be introduced to the concepts and issues ranging from one-on-one persuasion settings to persuasion campaigns. The course provides an overview of the area and emphasizes the analysis of the creation and use of persuasive messages. - Conflict and Negotiation
This class covers a range of conflict situations within interpersonal, group, and work settings. The class focuses on concepts and research to help students develop the skills needed to manage conflict effectively in their personal and professional lives. - Online Communication and Personal Relationships
In this course, you will examine how people form their identities and manage their personal relationships using new communication technologies (social network sites, online dating, mobile computing, video games). Topics include impression management, deception and trust, self-perception and identity, social support, and relationship maintenance.
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