Communications: Corporate and Community Relations Major
Organizations are looking for potential employees with good communication skills. We communicate with others on a daily basis — verbally and in writing — and it is essential to have effective communication skills.
At Stritch we focus on different types of communication while developing critical skills to help our students become confident in the workplace. Students can expect to learn applicable skills in the classroom to apply in their work with nonprofit organizations. Students will assess surveys and questionnaires, and analyze what is working for the organization to determine areas for improvement. We provide our students with real-life, professional experience to properly communicate results before entering the workplace.
Program Details
Program Overview
This major prepares you for a career in business or at a nonprofit organization. You will learn public relations strategies, tactics and skills along with strategies for communication at the corporate level.
Program Concentrations
This program is made up of the following concentrations. Learn more about concentrations.Concentration Overview
Corporate Communication Concentration equips students with the tools they need to communicate at the corporate level. Includes strategies and tactics for communicating with different audiences in writing and face-to-face, public speaking, and working in teams.
Courses in this Concentration
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
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
- Personal Branding
- Team Dynamics
- Communication Tactics
- Strategic Speaking
- Professional Communication
- Persuasive Communication
- Public Relations Strategies
- Public Relations Workshop
- Crisis Management
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.
Internship Sites
The Communications program prepares students to gain direct experience through internships.
Placement sites may include:
- Aflac
- Campus Vote Project
- Cardinal Stritch University (Admissions and Communications Departments)
- 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
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
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.
Cassie Ziegelbauer, ‘18
Arena Marketing Coordinator at Milwaukee Bucks, Inc
The faculty in the Communication department are the most supportive group of people. Throughout my college career I leaned on the faculty numerous times – how to navigate studying abroad, how to improve my public speaking skills, and just overall life lessons.
Corporate and Community Relations
This major prepares students for a career in business or with a nonprofit organization. Students learn public relations and corporate communications strategies, tactics and skills.
With our Limitless Curriculum, students can create an academic pathway that best fits their interest.
Required Concentrations
Overview
The Corporate Communications concentration equips students with the tools they need for success, including strategies and tactics for communicating with different audiences in writing and face-to-face, public speaking and working in teams.
Courses in this Concentration
Concentration Overview
The 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.), as well as how to effectively deal with a public relations crisis and ways to motivate stakeholders to achieve the organization’s goals.
Courses in this Concentration
Career Opportunities for Communication Majors
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!
Employment in media and communication occupations is projected to grow 4 percent from 2019 to 2029 — as fast as the average for all occupations — and will result in approximately 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 platforms (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017).
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Contact admissions or faculty with questions about this program.
Barb S. Spies
Director of Mission Integration
