2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Nov 21, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Professional Communication Minor

Location(s): Brookings Main Campus


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Program Coordinator/Contact

Jason McEntee, Director
School of English and Interdisciplinary Studies
Pugsley Hall 301, Box 2218
605-688-5191

Erica Quam, Professional Academic Advisor
School of Communication and Journalism
Yeager Hall 211, Box 2235
605-688-4171

Program Information

The Professional Communication minor will prepare students from all disciplines to communicate persuasively, clearly, and effectively in professional settings, thereby contributing to the economic growth of the State and region. Majors who have well-rounded communication backgrounds find careers as human resources representatives, communication specialists, lawyers, editors, publishers, copywriters, event planners, website designers, writers and free-lance writers, and grant writers in business, government, academia, and the non-profit sector. Combining the minor with majors in areas such as social sciences, natural sciences, health fields, and economics and business will provide transferable communication skills, making graduates more marketable for positions that require higher level communication skills.

Course Delivery Format

The interdisciplinary nature ensures that students will develop expertise in writing, speaking, editing, digital media, computer graphics, visual rhetoric, and desk-top publishing in standard and smart classrooms, computer labs, and field-based settings. Students will also be strongly encouraged to undertake an internship to gain expertise in “real world” settings that require high level communication skills. The internship should require that interns can put into practice high level communication skills while it also should develop specific job-related skills.

Student Learning Outcomes


Students will:

  • Learn research methods (library and Internet searches, qualitative and ethnographic methods).
  • Learn the components of audience, rhetorical, contextual, and ethical analysis.
  • Plan and manage projects.
  • Collaborate with peers and clients on projects.
  • Effectively and persuasively present their ideas in oral and written presentations.
  • Utilize appropriate technology in completing projects and presenting them to an audience (software, hardware, multimedia).
  • Demonstrate an understanding of document and web-site design.
  • Edit and design documents for various audiences and purposes.

Academic Requirements


To count toward the minor, courses must be passed with a minimum grade of “C.”

Electives


Select from the following courses.  Credits: 6

Total Required Credits: 18


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