Undergraduate Programs
COM 110
The Basic Communication Course at Illinois State University is entitled Communication as Critical Inquiry (COM 110). This course is an integral part of the general education program at ISU. It is one of two courses that all ISU students must take in their first-year experience. As such, we service over 3,400 students annually.
The first-year experience for ISU students is comprised of Communication as Critical Inquiry (COM 110) and Composition as Critical Inquiry (ENG 101). The third element of this important first year sequence is Milner Library, where students progress from one course to the next in their information literacy skills.
The overall purpose of the Communication as Critical Inquiry course is to improve students' abilities to express themselves and to listen to others in a variety of communication settings. Effective oral communication is viewed as an essential life skill that every person must possess in order to function in today's society. The course emphasizes participation in a variety of communication processes in order to develop, reinforce, and evaluate communication skills appropriate for public, small group, and interpersonal settings. The course content and experiences will enable students to assume their responsibilities as a speaker-listener-critic in a culturally diverse world. In short, the course is designed to make students competent, ethical, critical, confident, and information-literate communicators.
Communication Studies
Our most traditional and liberal arts oriented program is Communication Studies, formerly known as Speech Communication. We changed this program's name recently to more accurately reflect the types of activities and careers related to Communication.
Communication Studies students discover the many strategies of how to effectively communicate with different groups of people in varying situations. Coverage includes person-to-person communication, such as in counseling, peer advising, personnel management, and other business and corporate positions.
Students may also study persuasion and message construction strategies that are helpful in sales and management areas. Students desiring careers in training, development, fund-raising, and other similar fields may wish to major in Communication Studies.
Major courses include: Interpersonal Communication, Small Group Communication, Organizational Communication, Persuasion, Research Methodologies, and other courses dealing with message design.
Journalism
The Journalism program recently became the fifth major available in the School of Communication at Illinois State University.
Journalism focuses on getting well-constructed information from one group of people to another. While most journalism schools focus on the print modes of newspaper and magazine, this innovative program also includes top-notch broadcast journalism and visual communication (web) journalism. Students considering the Journalism program should enjoy writing.
Students completing the Journalism major at Illinois State need to choose one of these focuses as their main sequence. Students may round out their major by taking additional coursework in the other two areas.
Mass Media
The Mass Media program at Illinois State University offers students the opportunity to study the developing communication of the 21st Century. Mass media has been a major factor in the information revolution that affects much of social, home, and career environments.
The Mass Media major is designed for students who are interested in studying the theory and practice of the media—especially radio, television, and the web. The major offers a wide assortment of courses related to media effects and technology so that students may specialize in either production or management.
Students choosing the Mass Media program must choose one sequence in order to focus their studies. Students may choose courses from other sequences as electives in order to broaden their media foundation. Sequences available are Radio, Television Production, Interactive Media, and Media Management, Promotion, and Sales.
Public Relations
The Public Relations major prepares students to research, plan, execute, and evaluate communication between an organization and its publics, monitor the organization's environment, and counsel management on policies and programs. The major is designed to prepare students to help private industry and public organizations improve the quality of communication among themselves, their employees, the general public, and the government.
Students have the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes that are necessary for their development as ethical and competent public relations professionals. Students will see how public relations complement advertising and marketing, and will understand the importance of image management in the 21st century.
Learn more about Public Relations
Teacher Ed
Illinois State University is home to the top communication teacher education program in the United States. Graduates of this program earn State of Illinois certification to teach high school English Language Arts.
Students combine a wide variety of speech, English, and professional education courses with the actual practice of working with public speaking students at both high school and college levels. The 100 plus hours of clinical experiences and a full semester of student teaching at a local high school create an ideal preparation model for teacher candidates.
Until the year 2010, the program boasted a nearly 100% placement rate into desired careers. Contact the Communication Teacher Education Coordinator, Mr. Douglas Jennings, dkjenni@ilstu.edu, for further information on this program.
International Studies
Earn Communication credits by taking German classes in Salzburg, Austria, studying at a business school in Paris, France, or studying broadcasting and mass communication at the Dong Ah College of Broadcasting located near Ansung City, south of Seoul, South Korea.