Bachelor of Arts in Communication Leadership and Strategy

The Bachelor of Arts in Communication Leadership and Strategy program will provide students with a foundational base of knowledge and abilities that go far beyond tactical communication tasks and responsibilities. The program of study will equip students with the skills necessary to conduct rapid evaluations of issues and organizational communication challenges, analyze the demographics of target audiences, craft messages that are rooted in communication theory, and assess the effectiveness of strategic communication efforts. More importantly, the program will give students the ability to develop, execute, and evaluate long-range communication strategy for the organizations they serve and the causes they support.

These skills are all cultivated to prepare graduates to take on advanced roles in communication and respond to the needs of a wide range of employers seeking visionary leadership in strategic communication.

What are the differences between the Major in Communication, and the Major in Communication Leadership and Strategy?

The Communication Leadership and Strategy B.A. is a targeted degree purposefully applying interpersonal, organizational, and mediated research in strategic communication contexts, while the Communication major is a general degree exploring a range of communication contexts and enabling students to develop multiple skills and abilities.

Educational Objectives of Communication Leadership and Strategy

Analytical Thinking

  • Acquire, analyze, and evaluate information from multiple sources.
  • Synthesize and apply the information within and across disciplines.
  • Identify and apply quantitative methods for defining and responding to problems.
  • Identify the credibility, use, and misuse of scientific information.

Cultural Understanding

  • Demonstrate awareness of how diversity emerges within and across cultures.

Effective Citizenship

  • Apply knowledge and have the ability to solve societal problems in ethical ways.

Effective Communication

  • Identify how contexts affect communication strategies and practices.
  • Engage in effective communication practices in a variety of situations and with a variety of media.

Integrated Reasoning

  • Use a variety of inquiry strategies incorporating multiple views to make value judgments, solve problems, answer questions, and generate new understandings.