What is Organizational and Professional Communication?

Organizational Communication professionals study the role of communication in increasing corporate productivity and employee satisfaction. KSU is the only Georgia institution offering an undergraduate concentration in Organizational Communication. Organizational Communication students learn the skills they need to develop employee training programs, training manuals, and employee handbooks. Students also conduct communication audits at area companies to measure employee satisfaction with company communication practices. Students often intern in corporate human resources or training and development departments.

The Organizational and Professional Communication major requires 18 credit hours of lower division course work (1000-2000 level) comprising various offerings, both inside and outside of the communication discipline, that serve as important groundwork leading to advanced studies. Lower division offerings include basic courses in communication research, visual communication, public speaking, writing, organizational communication careers, and an introductory course in organizational communication.

Learn More About Organizational and Professional Communication

Admission Requirements

Students may initially declare an "-Interest" based major in this subject, but must still meet additional requirements to be formally accepted into the degree program.

Students interested in applying for any of the School of Communication & Media (SOCM) majors must meet the Sophomore GPA requirement which consists of combined adjusted 2.75 GPA in the following five courses:

  • COMM 2020: CSI: Communication Sources and Investigations
  • COMM 1110: Public Speaking
  • COMM 2033: Visual Communication
  • COMM 2135: Writing for Public Communication
  • COMM 2240: Communication Law, Ethics and Diversity
    Students must also achieve a satisfactory score of 78% or higher on the SOCM Entrance Exams. Students may take the test no more than three times.

Related Minors or Certificates Available

  • Workplace Interpersonal Relationships Certificate
  • Organizational & Professional Communication Minor
  • Public Relations Minor

Sample Classes

  • This course is an introduction to organizational & professional communication as a discipline. It covers methods and applications of basic theories, interactive structures, and directions within various organizational environments.
  • This course introduces a model of effective conflict management in organizations and other contexts via appropriate communicative strategies. The model proposes that our perspective of dealing with conflict determines our approach to conflict situations. This course provides students with practical knowledge for understanding the benefits of conflict, recognizing its evolution, and applying various strategies for dealing with different people in a variety of contexts.
  • This course covers methods and practice in communication training and development for organizations including pre-assessment, writing objectives, training techniques, post-training evaluation, feedback, implementation. The emphasis is on communication processes and outcomes for the trainer and trainee plus communication skill development within training modules.
  • Leadership Communication distinguishes leadership as an influential message-centered process. Based on this perspective, the course examines the variables of message exchange (communicator role, message content and meaning, media, context, and culture) as they impact organizational goal achievement. Eight major communication approaches are used to explain leadership. Special attention is given to understanding communication theory and extending social science research.