A Survey of Communication Department Curriculum in Four-Year Colleges and Universities

Authors

• June H. Smith, Angelo State University
• Patricia H. Turner, Angelo State University

Abstract

This article presents a survey of communication department curriculum in four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. Excellent communication skills are tantamount to success in education. A review of current education journals reveals the variety of communication skills needed by professional educators, including interpersonal communication, small group meetings, interviewing, basic communication theory, research methodology, teaching methods in speech communication, public speaking, performance of literature, media, and a teaching internship. Social science literature reveals several communication needs for social science practitioners, including anthropologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, sociologists, lawyers, journalists, advertising practitioners, political scientists, human relations practitioners, and mass media personnel. Those communication needs include interpersonal communication, small group meeting skills, interviewing, basic communication theory, familiarity with research methods, organizational communication patterns, persuasion, public speaking, broadcast media, public relations, along with an appropriate internship.

Recommended Citation

Smith, J. H., & Turner, P. H. (1993). A survey of communication department curriculum in four-year colleges and universities. Journal of the Association for Communication Administration, 22(1), 34–49.