Bachelor’s (BA) in Communications Degree
Communicate With Confidence and Authority
Interpersonal and organizational communication is the foundation of human societies. As a communications degree major at Grand Canyon University, you will explore the principles and best practices of communication exchanges. The BA in Communications is offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at GCU. It examines interpersonal and organizational communications, with an emphasis on the latter to help prepare you to pursue your professional objectives.
Earn Your BA in Communications at GCU
You will be immersed within an academically stimulating learning environment that encourages you to tackle communication challenges head-on and work toward personal and professional growth. This program examines effective communication strategies across different settings and situations while addressing professional ethics.
The comprehensive curriculum in this bachelor’s in communications degree program offers numerous opportunities for thoughtful reflection and skills development.
Core Competencies and Coursework Covered
This degree program integrates a research-based approach into the curriculum, which is designed to provide you with a thorough framework for achieving your personal and professional goals. Beyond having opportunities to become an effective communicator and presenter of ideas, you will be taught key advocacy and conflict-resolution skills. This will involve exploring small group exchanges, public relations fundamentals, critical thinking skills and ethical decision-making. Some of the core concepts that are integral to the communications degree program include the following:
- The principles and elements of argumentation and advocacy
- The fundamentals of public relations
- Conflict and negotiation communication in interpersonal, organizational and international contexts
- Communication research design, implementation and interpretation
The Christian Perspective on Persuasion and Influence
As a private Christian university, GCU emphasizes the role of ethics in decision-making and business leadership. You are encouraged to explore the Christian worldview and understand how it applies to everyday situations. The instructors will help guide you in considering how to become an effective servant leader. Some of the additional core competencies you will examine as a communications major include the following:
- The theoretical art of persuasion and its strategic applications in communication campaigns
- Communication styles, rituals and traditions, including verbal and nonverbal communication, in a diverse and intercultural world
- The expression and interpretation of communications in everyday personal interactions
- Principles and processes of small group communication, including skills pertaining to participation and leadership
Examine Powerful Communication Skills To Inspire and Influence
GCU strives to graduate work-ready professionals who are fully equipped to apply best practices in communications across a variety of settings and industries. You will be expected to develop foundational skills that are applicable to a wide range of professional functions, including public relations, sales and marketing, human resources and political communications.
Some of the skills you will be taught in this degree program include the following:
- How to improve relational quality through communications
- How to thoroughly analyze the effectiveness of a communications campaign
- The implementation of communications theories in everyday situations
- The development of leadership skills
Career Paths for Communications Majors
An in-person or online communications degree can help lay the foundation for pursuing careers across various fields, industries and roles including:
- Public relations specialist
- Public relations manager
- Broadcast announcer
- Radio disc jockey
- Media and communication worker
Skills taught in a communications degree program can help enhance career paths across many fields and areas of expertise. Regardless of your career direction, you can continue to develop and apply your communication skills in diverse situations and settings.
Complete Your Degree From an Institutionally Accredited University
Our instructors are qualified individuals who are knowledgeable in their fields. We prioritize the quality of our education with the intention of preparing our graduates to tackle modern challenges across every industry. GCU is proud to be continually accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) since 1968. The College of Humanities and Social Sciences shares the university’s commitment to upholding the principles and standards established by our accrediting bodies.
BA in Communications FAQs
Learn more about earning your bachelor’s degree in communications with our answers to these frequently asked questions.
Use a communications degree to pursue a variety of careers across industries.
1 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Media and Communication Occupations as of May 2023, retrieved Aug. 7, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates in media and communication occupations, nor does it reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc., against a pool of candidates.
2 Keiling, H. (2024, April 18). 16 Top Jobs for Graduates with Communications Degrees. Indeed. Retrieved Aug. 7, 2024.
3 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Public Relations and Fundraising Managers as of May 2023, retrieved Sept. 23, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as public relations and fundraising managers, nor does it reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc., against a pool of candidates.
[Tuition, Fees and Financial Aid]
Online: $485 per credit
[Tuition, Fees and Financial Aid]
Cost of Attendance
General Education Requirements
General Education coursework prepares Grand Canyon University graduates to think critically, communicate clearly, live responsibly in a diverse world, and thoughtfully integrate their faith and ethical convictions into all dimensions of life. These competencies, essential to an effective and satisfying life, are outlined in the General Education Learner Outcomes. General Education courses embody the breadth of human understanding and creativity contained in the liberal arts and sciences tradition. Students take an array of foundational knowledge courses that promote expanded knowledge, insight, and the outcomes identified in the University’s General Education Competencies. The knowledge and skills students acquire through these courses serve as a foundation for successful careers and lifelong journeys of growing understanding and wisdom.
Requirements
Upon completion of the Grand Canyon University's University Foundation experience, students will be able to demonstrate competency in the areas of academic skills and self-leadership. They will be able to articulate the range of resources available to assist them, explore career options related to their area of study, and have knowledge of Grand Canyon's community. Students will be able to demonstrate foundational academic success skills, explore GCU resources (CLA, Library, Career Center, ADA office, etc), articulate strategies of self-leadership and management and recognize opportunities to engage in the GCU community.
Course Options
- UNV-103, University Success: 4
- UNV-303, University Success: 4
Requirements
Graduates of Grand Canyon University will be able to construct rhetorically effective communications appropriate to diverse audiences, purposes, and occasions (English composition, communication, critical reading, foreign language, sign language, etc.). Students are required to take 3 credits of English grammar or composition.
Course Options
- ENG-105, English Composition I: 4
- UNV-104, 21st Century Skills: Communication and Information Literacy: 4
- ENG-106, English Composition II: 4
- COM-263, Elements of Intercultural Communication: 4
Requirements
Graduates of Grand Canyon University will be able to express aspects of Christian heritage and worldview. Students are required to take CWV-101/CWV-301.
Course Options
- CWV-101, Christian Worldview: 4
- CWV-301, Christian Worldview: 4
Requirements
Graduates of Grand Canyon University will be able to use various analytic and problem-solving skills to examine, evaluate, and/or challenge ideas and arguments. Students are required to take 3 credits of college mathematics or higher.
Course Options
- MAT-144, College Mathematics: 4
Requirements
Graduates of Grand Canyon University will be able to demonstrate awareness and appreciation of and empathy for differences in arts and culture, values, experiences, historical perspectives, and other aspects of life (psychology, sociology, government, Christian studies, Bible, geography, anthropology, economics, political science, child and family studies, law, ethics, cross-cultural studies, history, art, music, dance, theater, applied arts, literature, health, etc.). If the predefined course is a part of the major, students need to take an additional course.
Course Options
- PSY-102, General Psychology: 4
- INT-244, World Religions: 4
- SOC-100, Everyday Sociology: 4
Core Courses
Course Description
This course is an introduction to the field of communication with emphasis on the history of communication study, relevant communication theories guiding current research, the contexts in which communication occurs, and issues faced by students of communication. The course focuses on introducing students to various communication models as well as theories and skills in interpersonal communication, small group communication, mass communication, intercultural communication, and public communication.
Course Description
This course examines the principles and processes of small groups and the development of skills for participation and leadership in small group settings, as well as practice in problem solving, decision making, critical reasoning, and information sharing.
Course Description
This writing-intensive course focuses on improving communication among people with different racial, ethnic, cultural, and minority backgrounds. Students explore verbal and nonverbal communication behaviors in a variety of communication media and contexts. Communication styles, rituals, and traditions are explored through an examination of mass media, family structure, religion, politics, education, social life, art, and literature.
Course Description
This course is designed to introduce the concepts and theories relevant to understanding conflict communication and the negotiation process. In this course, students are introduced to various elements of conflict and negotiation communication across a variety of contexts including interpersonal, organizational, and international. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to analyze power dynamics in relationships, identify conflict styles and tactics, and apply intervention techniques in contexts that are relevant to their future relationships and careers.
Course Description
This course introduces students to the study of ethics as it applies in the communication field. As aspiring communication professionals, students need to learn how to engage in communication that is not only appropriate but also responsive to sound ethical principles. In this course, students learn about major ethical theories and explore how these theories are applied in workplace communication, interpersonal relationships, mass media, and intercultural communication contexts.
Course Description
This course provides an overview of the concepts, methods, and tools for communication research design, implementation, interpretation, and critical evaluation in communication research. Prerequisite: COM-100.
Course Description
This course introduces students to the relationship between argumentation and advocacy as well as the role of worldviews in shaping the arguments surrounding relevant social issues. This course presents the concepts and skills related to the study of argumentation. Students are introduced to the principles and elements of argumentation in everyday communication across contexts, as well as the skills necessary in constructing and evaluating written and oral arguments.
Course Description
This course investigates the principles and theories of public relations. Students receive an overview of the function and practices of the growing public relations industry in both profit and nonprofit contexts. This course examines the relationships between the public relations practitioner and various groups including clients, consumers, employees, and media.
Course Description
This writing-intensive course focuses on the communication processes in personal relationships such as romantic relationships, family relationships, and friendships. Through quantitative and qualitative methods and other theoretical perspectives, students in this class examine the expression and interpretation of messages in everyday personal interactions as well as significant relational events. Students also explore communication processes involved in developing, maintaining, and dissolving relationships, how communication impacts partners and their relationships, and how to improve relational quality or individual well-being through communication.
Course Description
The course covers historical and contemporary organizational theory and application across organizational contexts of corporate communication, team/small group communication, and interpersonal communication. Organizational theory and application topics, including leadership, are covered within each major area.
Course Description
This course is designed to help students develop an understanding of training and development in an organizational setting with a particular focus on teaching communication skills and learning the art and science of designing, developing, delivering, and evaluating training and development programs. Training and development as a career field is a significant focus. Prerequisite: COM-355.
Course Description
Communication campaigns use a myriad of persuasive strategies to reach a specified audience. This course emphasizes the theoretical art of persuasion and strategic applications in communication campaigns. Students analyze a variety of social, political, environmental, health, and marketing campaigns. Additionally, students design and institute a communication campaign of their choosing. Prerequisite: COM-355.
Course Description
This course includes a culminating reflection and collection of integral works from students' time in the major. Students engage in research specific to their career or graduate school goals and develop a project that displays what they have learned while in the program. Students are exposed to practitioners in the communication field. Students are taught how to effectively communicate their research and develop other skills that support a successful transition into the workforce or graduate school. Prerequisite: COM-333, COM-355.
- GCU cannot and will not promise job placement, a job, graduate school placement, transfer of GCU program credits to another institution, promotion, salary, or salary increase. Please see the Career Services Policy in the University Policy Handbook.
- Please note that this list may contain programs and courses not presently offered, as availability may vary depending on class size, enrollment and other contributing factors. If you are interested in a program or course listed herein please first contact your University Counselor for the most current information regarding availability.
- Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Programs or courses subject to change
Join Grand Canyon University’s vibrant and growing campus community, with daytime classes designed for traditional students. Immerse yourself in a full undergraduate experience, complete with curriculum designed within the context of our Christian worldview.
Pursue a next-generation education with an online degree from Grand Canyon University. Earn your degree with convenience and flexibility with online courses that let you study anytime, anywhere.