The process of communication is at the heart of all personal and professional relationships. The A-State Department of Communication offers degrees in Strategic Communication (minor, B.S., M.S.) as well as certificates in Health Communication. Since 75% of a person's day is spent communicating in some way, the importance of being able to communicate clearly cannot be overemphasized. Communication
Studies focuses on the ways that people make use of both verbal and nonverbal messages to generate meanings within various contexts, cultures, and media. Courses provide a strong theoretical foundation in communication as well as an emphasis on improvement in practical communication skills. Majors in Communication Studies have the flexibility to focus on specific areas of interest while obtaining a thorough understanding of communications. The Strategic Communications program prepares students to use advertising, public relations, social media, and organizational communication to build mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and its key stakeholders. Students graduating from this program will know and understand how to use advertising, public relations, social media, branding, crisis communication, media relations, research methods, and evaluation tools to help organizations communicate and build relationships with their publics. They will be prepared to work for advertising and public relations agencies, companies big and small, governmental agencies, and nonprofit organizations such as universities, hospitals, museums, and NGOs. The graduate certificate in Health Communication is an interdisciplinary program that requires 18 hours of graduate-level courses. The courses selected for this certificate are chosen for their applicability for individuals working in the health care industry and for consumers who wish to understand the role of communication in health care processes and outcomes. The graduate certificate helps students apply their knowledge of communication in the health care field. In addition, the certificate may be beneficial to individuals already working in the health care industry but who wish to have an advanced understanding of the role of communication in health or wish to advance their careers.
