Communication Studies

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Interact purposefully. Create intentionally. Communicate eloquently.

Why Pursue Communication Studies?

Communication skills and experience are vital in today’s job market. Focusing on communication studies can help you develop a strong foundation for your future career.

Beyond that, communication is critical in most situations. It helps individuals, groups, and communities navigate relationships. It creates and impacts society and culture. It also serves as an integral part of democratic self-governance.

Why Pursue Communication Studies at Luther?

At Luther, we are committed to helping you understand, evaluate, and practice human communication. You’ll learn about a broad range of communication types, from a conversation with friends to a thoughtful documentary to a political protest.

Our program specializes in three related and overlapping areas of study that you’ll use as a foundation to forge your own path.

Interpersonal communication—explore communication’s role in starting, maintaining, and ending friendships, families, and organizations
Media studies—learn how to engage, evaluate, and produce media content
Rhetorical studies—investigate how public discourse allows people to shape themselves, others, and their communities

Your professors will emphasize critical inquiry, ethics, and skillful application of communication. These are core competencies for being successful in the workplace and building a career.

Because you’ll study in a liberal arts environment, you’ll learn in lots of other areas too. This means that you’ll be prepared to work with rapidly changing technologies in an ever-widening global context.

Internships

Refine your communication skills in an authentic workplace environment.

Journalism and Broadcasting

Receive valuable, hands-on learning as a member of the Chips student newspaper or the KWLC student radio station.

Digital Media Center

Use Luther’s full video production studio and multi-station editing lab to complete video and audio projects for your courses.

What You’ll Learn

As a communication studies major or minor you’ll learn how to understand, evaluate, and practice human communication in all forms.

Luther’s communication studies courses will teach you how to:

Engage a range of communication contexts critically.
Examine the ethical implications of communication practices purposefully.
Apply communication theories and skills meaningfully.
Write, speak, interact, and create skillfully.

View Curriculum details

What a Day in Your Life Could Look Like

Follow a day in the life of a communication studies major, and see how they balance their coursework and their daily life.

READ THE “DAY IN THE LIFE OF A COMMUNICATION MAJOR” BLOG

Where You Can Get Help with Speeches

If you’re looking for expert advice on speech preparation and delivery, Luther’s Speech and Debate Center is a great resource. It’s staffed by specially trained, upper-level communication majors that can provide help on speech composition, organization, and delivery.

Sammie wears a black top, standing in front of glass doors and a stone wall.

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Communication studies offers so many courses that help you learn how to engage in the media, how to better your communication on paper, and especially how to improve your communication within relationships through the interpersonal development courses they offer.

Sammie Sabin '24

Communication studies major

Xavier Andrade portrait on football field

My internship experience was awesome. I learned so much about the intricacies of the journalism trade, and I really sharpened my writing skills.

Xavier Andrade ’24

Communication studies and political science double major

Read Xavier's Story

Careers and Outcomes

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, communication is one of eight career readiness competencies “that broadly prepare the college-educated for success in the workplace and lifelong career management.”

Graduates with a communication studies degree frequently pursue careers in the following fields: