Speech and Communications

Related Subjects

SPEECH COMMUNICATION REVIEW

Phone: (541) 440-4647 E-Mail: Paula.Usrey@umpqua.edu

Career Opportunities For Speech Communication Grads
According to the National Communication Association, completion of a four-year Speech Communication degree could either provide an excellent foundation for or lead to employment in the following fields, among others:

Public relations, marketing, sales, advertising, business, speech writing, ministerial work, conference planning, corporate communications, counseling, advocacy, education, grant writing, lobbying, law, training and development, and conflict resolution work.

As cited in the 2000 issue of a communication publication called Communication Matters, an October 11th, 1999 Associated Press article stated that college career officers were reporting more graduates being hired in challenging positions such as investment advising and related fields not because of technical skill or business backgrounds but because of their communication skills.

Depending on the specific application of the degree, actual starting ranges for graduates will vary. (See the U.S. Department of Labor web site at www.bis.gov for specific wage information.)

According to a June 10th, 2005 article in the Register Guard about U of O liberal arts graduates [including communication majors], “once they’ve spent a few years in the working world, they often end up out-earning their counterparts in more specialized fields.”

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Study Reveals Gap In Oral Communication Preparation
A 2004 study that asked 900 high school graduates about the gaps between what they learned in high school and what was “expected of them in college” revealed the greatest gap was related to oral communication skills; forty-five percent (45%) of students who responded indicated some preparation gaps in this area. Twelve percent (12%) of the respondents indicated “large” gaps in oral communication preparation.

(This information was reported in Spectra, a National Communication Association publication. The full study, conducted by Peter D. Hart Associates, can be accessed at www.achieve.org.)

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Interpersonal Communication: Practical Tools For Life
Whether interested in improving relationships with co-workers, getting along with difficult people, managing conflict, or learning how to develop and maintain close relationships, Sp218, Interpersonal Communication offers something for everyone.

Students who take this course learn how to apply a variety of different tools (including models, theories, language and specific strategies) to better understand and manage different communication situations.

Photo of two students choking each other.

Students try role-playing a conflict situation

While students learn through role-playing, simulations, case studies, and discussions, opportunities are also provided for “real life” application and individual reflection.

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Public Relations Students Take Action, Apply Learning
Students taking the 2005 spring term public relations course learned about the public relations field through various guest speakers, class discussions, and hands-on activities.

During the term, student teams identified a nonprofit organization, worked with the organization to identify a specific public relations need, conducted research using one or more appropriate methods, analyzed the research, and developed a public relations plan. Throughout their process, student teams kept in contact with their nonprofit organization.

Photo of students presenting their public relations plan.

After researching and developing a public relations plan, service teams present their final project to the class

Though teams kept busy with their projects, all work and no fun would be dull. To illustrate how public relations works in a very practical way, our class had several business sponsors who donated prizes for a weekly drawing. Students who excelled on weekly quizzes were eligible to enter the drawings.

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For more information, contact
Paula Usrey
Phone: (541)440-4647
Email: Paula.Usrey@umpqua.edu

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