COMMUNICATION – Chair Hilary Altman Ph.D.
Communication skills are essential to forming and maintaining personal relationships, acquiring and excelling in a job, and relating to the world around us. Through the study and practice of interpersonal, professional, and intercultural communication skills, students will learn how their perceptions and self-esteem affect their interactions with others. Beyond this, students will improve their abilities to speak, write, and present information effectively, whether in face-to-face interactions or in public or mass-media settings.
The Communication program prepares students to transfer to a four-year college or university to obtain a degree in Communication or a related Social Science field. The courses in the program also improve job attainment and performance skills, providing students with the training necessary for public speaking, customer service, conflict resolution, and interviewing. Students who complete the AA degree requirements in Communication will learn and practice cultural awareness, situation analyses, and goal-oriented solutions to practical problems, giving them valuable assets in their future relationships and workplaces. Lastly, this course of study improves students’ logic and reasoning skills, thus providing the foundation for understanding math and science, the world around them, and the skills and insights necessary to think through ethical issues and achieve their goals. The AA-T degree in Communication will be awarded upon satisfactory completion of the Major course requirements, and certified completion of the California State University General Education-Breadth pattern (CSU GE Breadth), OR the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) pattern. (Pending State Approval)
Program Outcomes
- Outcome 1.1 Cultural Competency
Interact with people of different cultures in ways that result in a shared understanding
- Outcome 1.2 Critical Listening and Thinking
Speak, listen and think critically, to set goals for effective communication, resolve conflict and get your message across
- Outcome 1.3 Public Speaking
Deliver presentations that are clear in message and voice using appropriate nonverbal communication
- Outcome 1.4 Relationship between Mass Media and Face-to-Face
Analyze the impact and influence that mass media and mediated communications have on face-to-face interactions.
- Outcome 1.5 Group Cohesion
Strengthen group cohesion through shared vision creation & development
- Outcome 1.6 Self-Awareness and Ethics
Know how your own upbringing and cultural background affect your perceptions of yourself and others and integrate ethics in your everyday communication interactions
Degree Major Requirements:
| Dept/No. | Title | Units |
| Group A | ||
| Required Courses: | ||
| COMM 4 | The Dynamics of Group Discussion | 3 |
| COMM 20 | Interpersonal Communication Skills | 3 |
| COMM 45 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| Subtotal: | 9 | |
| Group B: | ||
| Select two courses for 6 units from the following: | ||
| COMM 3 | Introduction to Human Communication (3) | |
| COMM 6 | Intercultural Communication (3) | |
| COMM 19 | Survey of Mass Media (3) | 6 |
| Group C: | ||
| Select one course for 3-4 units from the following: | ||
| ANTHR 3 | Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology (3) | |
| COMM 10 | Gender and Communication (3) | |
| COMM 13 | Ethnic Perceptions in the Mass Media (3) | |
| COMM 18 | Aging and Communication (3) | |
| ENGL 1B | Composition and Reading (4) | |
| ENGL 5 | Critical Thinking in Reading and Writing (3) | |
| PSYCH 1A | Introduction to General Psychology (3) | |
| SOC 1 | Introduction to Sociology (3) | 3-4 |
| Degree Major Total | 18-19 | |
| Required Units: | ||
| Plus: | ||
| GE Courses | CSU or IGETC GE Requirements (refer to CSU/IGETC patterns) 37-39 Electives to total 60 units required for AA-T degree | 2-5 |
| AA-T Degree Total | ||
| Required Units: | 60 |
NOTE: See a counselor for more information about this major.
COMMUNICATION (AA-T DEGREE)
Communication skills are essential to forming and maintaining personal relationships, acquiring and excelling in a job, and relating to the world around us. Through the study and practice of interpersonal, professional, and intercultural communication skills, students will learn how their perceptions and self-esteem affect their interactions with others. Beyond this, students will improve their abilities to speak, write, and present information effectively, whether in face-to-face interactions or in public or mass-media settings. The Communication program prepares students to transfer to a four-year college or university to obtain a degree in Communication or a related Social Science field. The courses in the program also improve job attainment and performance skills, providing students with the training necessary for public speaking, customer service, conflict resolution, and interviewing. Students who complete the AA degree requirements in Communication will learn and practice cultural awareness, situation analyses, and goal-oriented solutions to practical problems, giving them valuable assets in their future relationships and workplaces. Lastly, this course of study improves students’ logic and reasoning skills, thus providing the foundation for understanding math and science, the world around them, and the skills and insights necessary to think through ethical issues and achieve their goals. The AA degree in Communication will be awarded upon satisfactory completion of the Major course requirements and the General Education requirements.
Degree Major Requirements:
| Dept/No. | Title | Units |
| List A | ||
| Required 3 Courses (9 units) | ||
| COMM 45 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| and | ||
| COMM 4 | The Dynamics of Group Discussion | 3 |
| and | ||
| COMM 20 | Interpersonal Communication Skills | 3 |
| List B | ||
| Any 2 Courses (6 units) Units | ||
| COMM 6 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| COMM 19 | Survey of Mass Media | 3 |
| COMM 3 | Introduction to Human Communication | 3 |
| List C | ||
| Any 1 Course (3 units) Units | ||
| COMM 13 | Ethnic Perceptions in the Mass Media | 3 |
| or | ||
| COMM 18 | Aging and Communication | 3 |
| or | ||
| ANTHR 3 | Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| or | ||
| PSYCH 1A | Introduction to General Psychology | 3 |
| or | ||
| SOC 1 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| or | ||
| COMM 10 | Gender and Communication | 3 |
| or | ||
| ENGL 1B | Composition and Reading | 4 |
| or | ||
| ENGL 5 | Critical Thinking in Reading and Writing | 3 |
| Total Units: | 18-19 |
