B.A. in Communication

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

North Carolina State University Raleigh

Program Overview

NC State’s B.A. in Communication combines communication theory, technology, research, and practical experience to prepare students for careers across communication, media, public relations, organizational communication, and related fields. Students can shape their studies around six competencies, including interpersonal and organizational communication, public relations and strategic communication, rhetoric and civic engagement, media production, and science, health, environmental and risk communication.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1:

Students establish a strong communication foundation through COM 110: Public Speaking, where they develop research, speech organization, delivery, and listening skills, alongside COM 230: Introduction to Communication Theory, which introduces major theories and their application across different communication contexts. They also begin research-based learning through COM 240: Communication Inquiry, covering qualitative and quantitative approaches to communication research.

Year 2:

Students move into technology, interpersonal communication, and specialized communication topics through COM 250: Communication and Technology and COM 112: Interpersonal Communication. Electives such as COM 201: Introduction to Persuasion Theory, COM 226: Introduction to Public Relations, and COM 211: Argumentation and Advocacy allow students to start building a pathway around persuasion, strategic communication, advocacy, or public relations.

Year 3:

Students progress into 300-level coursework that develops more specialized and practical abilities. Options include COM 304: Audio Production, COM 317: Television Production, COM 334: Video Production, COM 346: Case Studies in Public Relations, and COM 386: Quantitative Communication Research Methods, allowing students to combine production, research, media, and strategic communication skills.

Year 4:

Advanced study gives students opportunities to tackle professional and research-oriented communication challenges through courses such as COM 421: Communication Law, COM 434: Advanced Video Production, COM 476: Public Relations Campaigns, and COM 487: Internet and Society. Students can also pursue COM 496: Communication Internship or COM 499: Advanced Independent Research, providing a direct bridge between academic learning, professional experience, and research.

Focus Areas:

Interpersonal communication, organizational communication, public relations and strategic communication, rhetoric and civic engagement, media studies and production, science communication, health communication, environmental communication, risk communication, digital communication, communication technology, persuasive communication, research methods, public speaking, audio production, television production, video production.

Learning Outcomes:

Technological communication skills, theoretical knowledge, research skills, public speaking, interpersonal communication, persuasive communication, critical analysis, media production, communication research, strategic communication, rhetorical analysis, organizational communication, ethical communication, digital communication, science and risk communication.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

NC State University is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. The university’s most recent SACSCOC reaffirmation was completed in 2024, with accreditation reaffirmed through 2034; no separate specialized professional accreditation is listed for the B.A. in Communication.

Reputation (Employability & Outcomes):

The Communication department highlights alumni working in organizations and industries ranging from government and business to media, sports, marketing, public relations, and technology. Recent alumni roles include Director of Digital and Social Media at USA Baseball, Marketing Manager at Duke Energy Foundation, Producer at Capitol Broadcasting Company, Social Media Manager at NoDa Brewing Company, and Senior Protocol Officer for Diplomatic Partnerships at the U.S. Department of State.

NC State’s Career Development Center also reports salary information by degree, college, department, and major. The national NACE average salary listed by NC State for Communication, Journalism & Related Programs is $49,839.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

NC State’s Communication program gives students opportunities to turn communication theory into practical work through media production, research, special projects, internships, and advanced independent study. Students can work across audio, television, video, public relations, digital media, and research while gaining professional experience through the department’s extensive internship network and communication-focused opportunities.

• COM 496: Communication Internship: Eligible rising seniors can complete a three-credit internship requiring at least 120 hours at the internship site, combined with classroom meetings and an internship portfolio.

• Industry Internship Partners: Students have access to internship environments involving organizations such as SAS Institute, FleishmanHillard, WRAL-TV, WTVD-TV, Carolina Hurricanes, Durham Bulls, North Carolina General Assembly, NC State Athletics, and North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

• Media Production: Courses such as COM 304 Audio Production, COM 317 Television Production, COM 334 Video Production, and COM 434 Advanced Video Production provide hands-on opportunities to develop production skills.

• Critical Media Making: COM 354: Critical Media Making and COM 367: Critical Media Making allow students to create and critically examine media projects while connecting media technologies with culture and society.

• Public Relations Campaigns: COM 476: Public Relations Campaigns gives students advanced exposure to strategic communication and campaign development.

• Communication Research: COM 342: Qualitative Research Methods in Communication and COM 386: Quantitative Communication Research Methods develop practical research capabilities using qualitative and quantitative approaches.

• Advanced Independent Research: COM 499: Advanced Independent Research allows students to pursue deeper faculty-guided research beyond standard coursework.

• Special Projects: COM 298: Special Projects in Communication gives students another structured route for pursuing focused communication projects.

• Media Lab Support: The Department of Communication has dedicated Media Lab staff, including a Media Lab Technician, supporting the department’s media-focused academic environment.

• Faculty Research Opportunities: Communication faculty conduct research on areas including social media misinformation, health communication, mobile gaming, difficult conversations, and digital humanities, with opportunities for students to contribute to studies and develop their own projects.

• Communication Honors Program: High-achieving students can complete advanced coursework, including a 500-level graduate course, honors-option coursework, or COM 499 Independent Study, with closer faculty engagement.

• Lambda Pi Eta: NC State’s chapter of the National Communication Honor Society provides opportunities for community service, professional networking, and academic enrichment for eligible communication students.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The B.A. in Communication prepares graduates for flexible careers because students can develop expertise in areas such as public relations, media, organizational communication, marketing, digital communication, and research. NC State’s department highlights alumni working across government, business, sports, media, technology, marketing, public relations, and nonprofit organizations, while the university provides career coaching, internship support, résumé development, job-search assistance, and mock interviews.

Typical job roles: Communications Specialist, Public Relations Specialist, Marketing Manager, Social Media Specialist

These opportunities are strengthened by NC State’s career resources, employer connections, internship network, and graduate-study pathways:

• NC State Career Development Center: Students can receive support with career exploration, résumé preparation, internship and job searches, graduate-school planning, and mock interviews.

• Communication Internship Network: The department has developed internship relationships across public relations, marketing, advertising, publishing, radio, television, sports, politics, business, education, and cultural organizations, giving students access to varied professional environments.

• Industry Connections: Internship partners include SAS Institute, FleishmanHillard, Carolina Hurricanes, WRAL-TV, WTVD-TV, North Carolina General Assembly, NC State Athletics, and Durham Bulls, connecting classroom learning with recognizable organizations.

• Alumni Career Diversity: Communication alumni have progressed into roles such as UX Strategist at TIAA-CREF, Social Media Specialist at Novant Health, Account Executive at SAS Institute, Events Manager at Cole Haan, and In-game Host with the Carolina Hurricanes.

• Salary Information: NC State reports a national NACE average salary of $49,839 for Communication, Journalism & Related Programs at the bachelor’s level. NC State also maintains an interactive post-graduation dashboard with salary ranges, employers, job titles, and graduate-school destinations.

• Professional Recognition: The university’s institutional accreditation by SACSCOC is reaffirmed through 2034, providing long-term institutional quality assurance for the degree.

• Graduation & Career Planning: The university’s Post-Graduation Employment Dashboard tracks employment, salary, graduate/professional school destinations, employers, and job titles, helping students understand potential outcomes after completing their degree.

• Academic Advising: Every Communication major is assigned an undergraduate advisor who helps students select courses, explore opportunities, and navigate departmental and university requirements.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into NC State’s M.S. in Communication, which offers advanced study in public relations, organizational communication, interpersonal communication, cultural studies, mediated communication, and digital media. Students interested in research and academia can also progress toward NC State’s Ph.D. in Communication, Rhetoric and Digital Media, while related postgraduate options can lead into fields such as public relations, marketing, media, organizational communication, public policy, and other communication-focused disciplines.