北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校

The study of communication is essential for participating in an increasingly complex and mediated global environment. The Department of Communication's mission is to advance communication for the public good. Through its teaching, research, and service, the department addresses the many ways communication functions to create, sustain, and transform personal life, social relations, political institutions, economic organizations, and cultural and aesthetic conventions in society; promotes competencies required for various modes of mediated and non-mediated communication; and develops skills for analyzing, interpreting, and critiquing communication problems and questions. The curriculum is designed to enable students to develop the capacities to be knowledgeable and responsible producers and consumers of communication through engagement, critique, and creativity. The programs of study offered by the department support a vision of citizen-scholars building a better North Carolina and world.

Student Learning Outcomes

An understanding of the major theories that define the field of communication and the relevance of these theories to sub-areas of the field. To demonstrate accomplishment of this objective, students should be able to

• identify and apply major theories of communication
• discuss the implications of selected communication theories for practice
• describe the relevance of appropriate communication theories to the students’ chosen areas of focus and show how theories can be applied productively to those areas

An understanding of appropriate research methods in the field of communication and the relevance of these methods to their sub-areas of the field. Specifically, students should demonstrate that they can

• describe the fundamental procedures of research methods in communication
• critically assess research procedures used in communication research
• make a research argument
• utilize research skills, including finding library and electronic sources, citing and documenting research materials, synthesizing and drawing conclusions from research, and organizing and presenting original research
• describe how communication research methods may be used to answer research questions in the students’ chosen areas of specialization.