What Does a Communications Major Do? Key Courses and Projects

What do a public relations specialist, a corporate training director, a nonprofit communications manager and an account executive have in common? A strong foundation in communication skills.

A communication degree provides you with those skills: writing, public speaking, teamwork, critical thinking, active listening and the ability to adapt your message to different audiences. These are skills that employers in nearly every industry are looking for, and at Northwest Missouri State University, you'll develop them and put them into practice before you even graduate - including doing work for actual clients.

If you're weighing whether a communication degree is the right fit, this blog walks through what communication majors study, what you can do with the degree and what being a communication major looks like at Northwest.

Explore the Communication Major

What Is a Communications Major?

Communication is a broad field, which is part of the benefits of majoring in it. Studying it can prepare you for work in corporate communications, public relations, nonprofit leadership, human resources, media, marketing and many other fields.

A communication major is an academic program that studies how people share information, build relationships, persuade others and work together - in writing, one-on-one conversations, advertisements and digital platforms. It covers the theory behind human communication and the practical skills that come from applying it: writing, public speaking, active listening, conflict resolution, critical thinking and strategic messaging.

At Northwest, the communication major is offered as a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts and organized around four areas of focus: interpersonal communication, organizational communication, public relations and rhetoric. Each path builds the same core communication skills while pointing you toward different career directions. The B.A. versions of each degree require nine hours of a modern language in addition to standard requirements.

Is Communication a Good Major?

One common question we hear from communication majors is: Can you get a job with this degree? The answer is yes - and in many fields.

Because the skills communication majors develop are broadly applicable, graduates find work in corporate environments, nonprofits, government, health care, media and more. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $70,300 for workers in media and communication occupations, above the national median across all occupations. Public relations specialists specifically can expect a median annual wage around $69,780 and projected job growth of about 5% through 2034.

Northwest communication graduates, for example, have gone on to work for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals, Cerner, Farmland, Herzog Construction, the Kansas City Star and radio stations across Missouri and Iowa.

Rob O'Doherty, now a senior account executive at Google Marketing Platform, described the program's impact this way: "The Northwest communication program provided me with an invaluable, strategically focused and multidisciplinary communication skillset that immediately translated into a competitive edge in the professional world."

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What Do Communication Majors Study?

The short answer: how people communicate - and how to do it better. But the specifics depend on your interests and specialization. Northwest offers four paths to your communication degree, each with its unique course of study. But, across all four options, Northwest communication majors develop skills in oral and written communication, critical thinking, teamwork and problem solving.

Here's what you'll study in each emphasis at Northwest:

• Interpersonal communication: This communication degree centers on how individuals communicate, build relationships, manage conflict and adapt to different communication styles. It's a strong fit if you're drawn to counseling, human resources, sales, training and development or any role that relies heavily on one-on-one communication.
  • Interpersonal Communication 4-Year Plan (B.A.)
  • Interpersonal Communication 4-Year Plan (B.S.)

• Organizational communication: This communication degree focuses on how communication functions within businesses, nonprofits and other organizations. You'll study leadership communication, group decision-making, change management and organizational culture. It's well-suited for students interested in corporate communication, employee engagement or leadership roles.
  • Organizational Communication 4-Year Plan (B.A.)
  • Organizational Communication 4-year Plan (B.S.)

• Public relations: This communication degree focuses on relationship building between organizations and the public. You'll study media relations, crisis communication, content strategy and branding, and put those skills to work through writing, campaign planning and digital content creation.
  • Public Relations 4-Year Plan (B.A.)
  • Public Relations 4-Year Plan (B.S.)

• Rhetoric: This communication degree examines how language and persuasion work, including how arguments are constructed, how audiences respond and how messages contribute to public understanding. It strengthens your analytical, writing and speaking abilities and supports careers in communication, law, advocacy and public affairs.
  • Rhetoric 4-Year Plan (B.A.)
  • Rhetoric 4-Year Plan (B.S.)

Key Courses Available as a Communication Major

The courses you take will depend on your degree path, but examples of key courses for the communication major include:

Small Group Communication

Work in small groups to develop a practical understanding of group dynamics, decision-making processes and communication patterns within teams. The skills built here translate directly to nearly any professional environment.

Listening Behavior & Skills

This course focuses on the interpersonal skills that make or break professional relationships, including active listening, conflict resolution and communication strategies for navigating difficult conversations.

Argumentation & Debate

Learn to build, structure and defend an argument and engage with opposing positions on relevant issues. This course sharpens analytical thinking and is foundational for students pursuing rhetoric, law, public policy or any field where persuasion matters.

Principles of Leadership

Explore how communication shapes leadership effectiveness within organizations, what it means to lead and how leadership and organizational culture interact.

Crisis Communication

Study how organizations communicate during high-stakes situations: product recalls, public controversies, natural disasters or institutional failures. You'll learn how messaging decisions under pressure affect public perception and organizational outcomes.

Social Media Strategies

Examine how organizations use social platforms for brand communication, audience engagement and campaign management (skills that connect directly to roles in public relations, marketing communication and content strategy)

These courses and others work together to provide you with a sound set of skills with which to enter the job market. As Dr. Matt Walker, chair of Northwest's School of Communication and Mass Media, puts it:

"Students who enter our communication program find the curriculum to be challenging, applicable to many industries and fulfilling. By the time our students graduate, they've got a great launch pad to work from in their first job."

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What Communication Majors Do at Northwest

Doing is just as important as studying. At Northwest, communication majors put their knowledge into practice through applied experiences that go well beyond the classroom, including work for real clients. Here are some of the profession-based learning opportunities you'll enjoy at Northwest:

Work with real clients through Knacktive.

Complete client projects for local businesses and organizations through Knacktive, Northwest's student-run marketing and communications agency, and one of the most distinctive parts of the program. Each spring, students form consulting teams, take on a real client and spend the semester conducting market research, analyzing data, developing a strategy and building out a full integrated communication campaign. At the end of the term, each team pitches their proposal directly to the client, who selects a winner.

Gain career-ready experience through internships.

Get further opportunities to apply what you've learned in internships related to your emphasis. As a communication major at Northwest, you'll complete 150 contact hours (3 credit hours) of internship work to prepare you for your future career. Northwest graduates have completed internships in corporate communication, public relations agencies, nonprofit organizations and media. This requirement ensures you graduate with documented professional experience, not just coursework.

Practice public speaking and debate in national Speaking Bearcats competitions.

Sharpen your speaking and argumentation skills outside the classroom by competing in national speech and debate competitions. The Speaking Bearcats have claimed 42 national championships since 2009 and are led by Brian Swafford, director of forensics and senior instructor in the School of Communication and Mass Media. Scholarships are available for participants.

Taken together, these opportunities provide you with rich experience directly related to your field, setting you apart in the job market and allowing you to contribute on your first day on the job.

Start Your Communication Degree at Northwest

Whether you're drawn to public relations, organizational leadership, persuasion or interpersonal communication, Northwest's program gives you the coursework, profession-based experiences and faculty support to build the skills employers are looking for. With four degree paths, required internship experience and hands-on opportunities like Knacktive and the Speaking Bearcats, you'll graduate with more than a diploma - you'll have a portfolio of work and professional experience to back it up.

Explore or apply to the communication major at Northwest to find the path that fits your goals.

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