Communication Studies

As a major in Communication Studies, you’ll learn the theories of human communication and how to apply those theories in a variety of contexts, including interpersonal relationships, small group interaction, organizations, cultural interaction, and media.

You’ll graduate with talents and knowledge that will serve you well in any personal, community, and professional setting. In Communication Studies, you can pursue diverse topics and explore your curiosity about communication’s effects on daily life and ways in which it affects the world around us.

The Communication Studies curriculum provides a foundation for pursuing careers that apply communication principles, such as content creation , public relations, sales, marketing, video or film production, corporate media production, radio and podcasting, training and development, human resources, public affairs, consulting, and events planning. In addition, it prepares you for graduate work in many areas, including communication, informatics, humanities, or social sciences, or in professional programs such as law, business, health, and social work.

An accelerated degree track that saves you time and money

The accelerated Communication Studies B.A./Applied Communication M.A. is a five-year degree option that allows you the opportunity to obtain an advanced degree with only one additional year of study. You’ll have three years of undergraduate coursework, a fourth year of combined undergraduate and graduate coursework, and a fifth year of exclusively graduate coursework.

This option allows you to complete both degrees in less time and at a lower cost. The dual B.A./M.A. is available to Communication Studies majors and is by invitation of Communication Studies faculty only.

For more information, contact Jen Bute, graduate director.

Amplify Your Voice, No Matter Your Major

Our Communication Studies minor is designed to complement any major and elevate your career potential. You'll build a strong foundation in how people connect-whether one-on-one, within organizations, or in front of an audience.

Communication is at the heart of every profession. This minor equips you with versatile skills that employers value across industries that range from business and healthcare to public service and the arts.

Skills You’ll Gain

• Confident, effective face-to-face communication
• Presentation skills that engage and inform
• Persuasive techniques to influence and inspire

Whether you're preparing for graduate school, launching a career, or simply want to become a more impactful communicator, this minor helps you stand out.

Choose from a variety of specialized minors including:

• Communication Studies
• Corporate and Organizational Communication
• Health Communication
• Media Arts and Studies
• Public Communication and Persuasion
• Theatre

Earning an undergraduate certificate is a great way to sharpen your skills without the time commitment of a full degree. If you already have some professional experience, you can build on what you know and become an even stronger communicator in your workplace or community.

• IU Online Certificate in Human Communication in a Mediated World
  In a world of constant face-to-face and digital interactions, this certificate helps you become a confident, adaptable communicator across settings. You'll learn to connect with others, present ideas clearly, and navigate both traditional and tech-driven communication styles that employers value.
  This certificate is not available to Communication Studies majors.
• Certificate in Intercultural Health
  This certificate is a four-semester course of study designed for Nursing and Public Health majors at IU Indianapolis. You’ll combine language study in Chinese, French, or Spanish with hands-on clinical training in bilingual settings. This program builds your cultural and linguistic skills so you can better serve communities where you work and live and address global health challenges.
• Certificate in Theatre
  Explore the art of performance in a vibrant urban setting with a particular focus on small group and solo performance. Along the way, you’ll explore different cultural and theoretical angles that help you think critically about what performance means today.

Learn to address specific issues and implement real change

Communication challenges are everywhere-from public health messaging to workplace dynamics. The Applied Communication M.A. helps you build the skills to tackle these issues head-on. You’ll learn how to analyze problems, design solutions, and create meaningful change in real-world settings.

This program blends theory with practice, giving you a deeper understanding of how communication works and how it can be used to address complex social issues. You’ll be prepared to lead projects, shape public discourse, and improve communication across organizations in a variety of industries.

For more information, contact Jen Bute , graduate director.

Training professionals to lead in health and patient interaction

This doctoral program prepares you to become a thought leader in the dynamic intersection of health and human connection. You’ll explore how communication influences health outcomes, policy, and equity across different populations. Coursework and research span intercultural health dynamics, ethical messaging, digital health literacy, and the evolving role of media in clinical and public health settings.

What You’ll Gain:

• Advanced Research Expertise: Design and conduct impactful studies that address pressing health communication challenges-from misinformation to patient-provider interactions.
• Educator Development: Strengthen your ability to teach and mentor in academic and clinical settings.
• Applied Theory Skills: Translate complex theories into practical interventions that improve health literacy, behavior change, and community engagement.
• Leadership Preparation: Position yourself for influential roles in academia, healthcare organizations, non-government organizations, and government agencies.
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Work across fields like public health, psychology, media studies, and sociology to tackle real-world problems.

Whether you're driven to improve health equity, shape public discourse, or lead institutional change, this program equips you with the intellectual tools and professional network to lead innovation in communication and care.

Learn how improved health communication improves healthcare delivery

Health communication is a rapidly growing field that contributes to the knowledge of and improvement in the delivery of healthcare.

In our Ph.D. minor, you’ll study areas such as patient advocacy, empowerment and activation, patient-provider communication, shared decision-making, patient-caregiver communication, successful transfers of care among clinicians, communicative approaches to reducing healthcare disparities, and addressing clinician burnout.

Health communication scholarship adds unique and important dimensions to the study of healthcare and its delivery in a variety of fields, including public health, nursing, psychology, biomedical informatics, rehabilitation science, and other disciplines.

For more information, contact Jen Bute, director of Ph.D. program and Ph.D. minors.

Round out your degree with the leadership and interpersonal skills

The graduate minor in communicating science is designed for master’s and doctoral students in the sciences and health professions. You’ll learn to develop audience-centered communication, distill scientific concepts into meaningful narratives, and connect effectively with collaborators and funders.

You’ll study communication and rhetorical theory combined with the techniques of applied improvisation to enhance your career prospects, help you secure funding, and teach you to serve as effective teachers.

The Communicating Science minor is not open to Health Communication Ph.D. students or Applied Communication M.A. students.

For more information, contact Krista Longtin, Ph.D., associate professor of Communication Studies.