Community Organization Major
Strong communication is one of the top skills that organizations look for in potential employees. Our communications program focuses on instilling those skills to help you become confident in the workplace. We communicate with others every day, whether that is through verbal or written communication - it is essential to be a clear and competent communicator.
You can expect to apply what they are learning in the classroom's to working with non-profit organizations where can take a look at survey's and questionnaires and analyze what is working within an organization, and changes that can be made for improvements. We focus on giving you the ability to be comfortable with handling real life situations and being able to properly communicate results before entering the workplace.
Program Details
Program Overview
You will understand how our necessary social institutions shape persistent inequities and inequalities of class, ethnicity, gender, age, race and nationality, and also will examine how individual and collective action, in turn, affects the impact of societal structures on people’s lives. You will learn strategies, tactics and skills for reaching out to donors and community members, and ways to motivate publics to achieve an organization’s goals.
Program Concentrations
This program is made up of the following concentrations. Learn more about concentrations.Concentration Overview
Business to Business and Community Relations Concentration is perfect for those looking to have a career in business or with a non-profit organization. Students learn strategies, tactics, and skills for reaching multiple publics (customers, donors, community members, etc.), how to effectively deal with a public relations crisis, and ways to motivate publics to achieve the organization’s goals.
Courses in this Concentration
Concentration Overview
Social institutions are necessary structures in human society, but they also shape persistent inequities and inequalities of class, ethnicity, gender, age, race and nationality in people’s lives. This concentration focuses on social structures that serve as mechanisms for the creation and perpetuation of social disparities, while also studying how individual and collective action in turn, affect the impact of societal structures on people’s lives.
Courses in this Concentration
Concentrations on this page are required for this program. Additional courses or concentrations may need to be added to meet program or credit requirements.
Program Coursework
- Applied Statistics
- Persuasive Communication
- Public Relations Strategies
- Public Relations Workshop
- Crisis Management
- Introduction to Sociology
- Contemporary Social Problems
- Sociological Theory
- Research Methods
- Research Seminar
The specific degree requirements on the website are for illustrative purposes and may change at any time. Please contact the Registrar's Office, Academic Advising or refer to the course catalog for detailed program requirements.
Liberal Arts Core
LEADERSHIP: 4 credits
- Freshman Seminar (1 cr.)
- Spiritual & Ethical Literacy (3 cr.)
- Personal Branding Communication (3 cr.)
- Writing for the 21st Century (3 cr.)*
- Quantitative Problem Solving (3 cr.)*
- Language & Culture (3 cr.)
CORE LITERACIES: 15 credits – Choose one (1) course from each broad theme. Course options can be found in the course catalog or on the academic advising page. Broad themes are:
- Narratives of Identity (3 cr.)
- Science, Environment & Culture (3 cr.)
- Social Tensions (3 cr.)
- The American Experience (3 cr.)
- Approving the Better Things (3 cr.)
Professional Core
Culminating Experience
- Pre-Internship
- Internship
- Capstone
Experiential Learning
The Stritch Communication program prepares students to gain direct experience through internship experiences.
Placement sites may include:
- Aflac
- Campus Vote Project
- Cardinal Stritch University (Admissions and Communications Department)
- Catholic Charities
- Elite Sports Club
- Leaders Initiative Program
- Medical College of Wisconsin
- Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
- Milwaukee Justice Center
- Milwaukee Radio Alliance
- National Basketball Academy
- Northwestern Mutual
- Spanish Journal Newspaper/Azteca WI 38
- St. Thomas More High School
- Target
- Urban Ecology Center - Riverside Park
- Venyoeu
- Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce
- WISN-TV
Dr. Barbara Spies
Chair - Undergraduate Business & Communication
Our program is dynamic. We are always changing and improving by looking at the world around us, making our courses adaptable to the organizations outside of them.
Miles Jett, '21
Interdisciplinary Studies
You have the opportunity to create your own future. You can always push past your potential depsite what life has to throw your way. I have the honor of being the very first student to graduate with an Interdisciplinary Studies degree.
Job Opportunities
A degree in communications can be the right fit for those who are interested in creating content that can be used to influence, entertain, and inform others to a greater audience!
Employment in media and communication occupations is projected to grow 4 percent from 2019 to 2029, about as fast as the average for all occupations, and will result in about 46,200 new jobs. Demand for media and communication occupations is expected to arise from the need to create, edit, translate, and disseminate information through a variety of different platforms (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017).
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Career Options Average Salaries
Other programs to consider:
Contact admissions or the program faculty with questions about this program.
Barb S. Spies
Director of Mission Integration
