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Online Degrees & Certificates

AA in Communication Studies

The Communication Studies department offers a wide variety of courses and special programs to meet the needs of our students. Whether you aspire to become a communication specialist, enhance your marketability in the workplace, or improve your people skills, our faculty and advisers can help you identify the right program to meet your needs. Coursework involves collaboration, presentation, listening, cross-cultural understanding, rhetorical analysis, argumentation, and professional communication. The program includes application of these foundational principles in a collaborative and supportive environment.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers rated oral communication as the highest among attributes necessary in achieving professional success. More and more businesses and occupations prefer to hire employees who possess strong communication skills. When evaluating applicants, four-year universities look favorably upon students with strong backgrounds in communication. Effective communication skills assist in individual development and enhancement of human relations.

Learn more about the program on the Communication Studies website.

Program Learning Outcomes

  • Students will be able to identify patterns of communication in a variety of contexts.
  • Students will be able to utilize appropriate methods of communication in critical thinking and/or communication situations.

Career Opportunities

Communication Studies students often find careers in mass media, corporate training, consulting, advertising/marketing, education, law, sales, human resources, healthcare, social media, government, telecommunications, social services, public relations, and political campaigning.

Associate Degree Requirements

Units required for Major: 30

A minimum of 90 units is required to include:

  • Completion of one of the following general eduation patterns:
    • Foothill General Education
    • CSU General Education Breadth Requirements or
    • the Intersegmental Genearl Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)
  • Core courses (15 units)
  • Support courses (15 units)
  • Additional elective course work may be necessary to meet the 90-unit minimum requirement for the associate degree.

NOTE: All courses pertaining to the major must be taken for a letter grade. In addition, a grade of "C" or better is required for all core and support courses used for the degree.

Online Courses for Communication Studies

The courses listed BELOW are offered as online courses at least once every two years. Please see online Schedule of Classes for verification.

NOTE: Students having difficulty attaining an associate degree because of timing or availability of classes should consult with a counselor to submit a petition for course substitution.

If the student is interested in a concentration in either Rhetoric or Intercultural Communication, please see a Communication instructor for advisement.

Associate Degree Requirements

ONLINE COURSE TITLE UNITS
English Proficiency: Select one of the following
ENGL 1A Composition & Reading 5
ENGL 1AH Honors Composition & Reading 5
ENGL 1S Integrated Composition & Reading  
and ENGL 1T and Integrated Composition & Reading 8
ESLL 26 Advanced Composition & Reading 5
or equivalent    
Mathematics Proficiency:
College-level math course at or above the level of Intermediate Algebra

Core Courses (15 units)

ONLINE COURSE TITLE UNITS
COMM 1A Public Speaking 5
or COMM 1AH Honors Public Speaking 5
COMM 2 Interpersonal Communication 5
COMM 4 Group Discussion 5

Support Courses (15 units)

Select 15 units from the following

ONLINE COURSE TITLE UNITS
COMM 1B Argumentation & Persuasion 5
or COMM 1BH Honors Argumentation & Persuasion 5
COMM 3 Introduction to Communication Studies 5
COMM 5 Mass Communication 5
COMM 10 Gender, Communication & Culture 5
COMM 12 Intercultural Communication 5
COMM 55 Career & Leadership Communication in the Global Workplace 5
Note that this is a list of fully online courses that satisfy degree requirements.

For a complete list of degree requirements, please visit Communication Studies 2022-2023 in Degrees &  Certificates.

Based on the 2022 - 2023 degree program.

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