You can study social influence and advocacy as an emphasis of the communication studies major, or as a minor.
In the program, you’ll study why people choose to communicate, the contexts and settings in which they communicate (intercultural, group, organizational, sociopolitical, interpersonal), and the consequences of these interactions.
You’ll learn how to craft and deliver effective arguments and to identify structural and ethical problems when they occur in communication. You will sharpen oral, written, and electronic communication skills.
You’ll also get first-hand experience applying communication theory to real world organizations – you can get an internship working directly with local businesses, nonprofit organizations, and politicians.
Hands-On Experiences
As a social influence and advocacy student, you’ll have lots of opportunities to put what you learn in class into practice, like:
- Campus-wide speaking engagements
- Lambda-Pi Eta events
- Local and national political volunteer work
- D-Day Memorial Foundation volunteer work
- Local speaking event opportunities
- Conference presentations
- Big Brothers Big Sisters volunteer work
- Internships and study abroad
Career Possibilities
When you graduate, you’ll be an effective professional, ready for a wide variety of careers. Graduates often choose careers in:
Business
- Personnel manager/recruiter
- Customer relations representative
- Human resources manager
- Sales professional (retail, insurance, real estate, etc.)
- Training and development specialist
- Special events planner
- Activities director (resorts/cruises, etc.)
- Non-profit organization director
Politics
- Political analyst/consultant
- Political campaign director
- Speech writer
- Lobbyist
- Press secretary
- Legislative assistant/liaison
- Foreign relations officer
Education
- College recruiter (admissions)
- College development officer
- University relations officer
- College resident director
- Communication teacher
- Forensics/debate coach
