Welcome to Communication Studies

You and Communication Studies can get you there.

Studies agree, employers are looking for what Communication Studies graduates have:

• “Communication Most Valued Graduate Skill” HR Magazine 
• “Employers Want Communication Skills in New Hires” Graduate Management Admission Council
• “The Best Jobs Now Require You to Be a People Person” FiveThirtyEight
• “Communication Studies Rise to Relevance” Huffington Post
• We specialize in the top 5 skills employers want as reported by the National Association of Colleges and Employers
• We specialize in the top 5 skills employers want as reported by Monster.com 
• We specialize in the top 2 out of 3 skills employers want as reported by the Association of American Colleges and Universities 
• We specialize in the top 2 skills employers want as reported by Inc.

Employers across the country report they want employees with communication and teamwork skills. They want to hire people who can build relationships, understand human diversity, and are highly persuasive, confident, and motivated. In Communication Studies, we teach you what you need to know to meet employer expectations so you can compete and advance in the workforce.

Our students tell us our program builds community and helps them create close ties with our faculty and with each other.  They report Communication Studies classes help them develop personal relationships that are stronger and understand their social world better.

If you want to strengthen relationships with your friends, partners, and family members, to be better at managing conflict, or to win arguments, Communication Studies courses will help you reach these goals.  If you want to know how you can have a positive influence on others, be an activist, or make societies more equitable and humane, Communication Studies faculty are here for you.  If you want to learn about how film, television, and technology influence society, how messages about health and the body impact people’s lives, how to be a sophisticated, critical thinker, and how to leave an imprint that makes a difference, sign up for our classes.

Dr. Wesley Buerkle

Program Head
buerkle@etsu.edu

Recent graduates have gone on to: 

• Law school
• Counseling degrees
• Pharmaceutical sales
• Policy advocacy
• Medical industry administration
• College recruiting
• International and public policy graduate programs
• Human resources/training & development

In short, we work to prepare students for the changing needs of a variety of job fields by teaching professional skills, equipping students for work across diverse communities, and emphasizing the importance of advocacy and social justice. You will graduate a more competent interpersonal and public communicator.

For the names and descriptions of our courses, visit the course catalog

• "Top Ten Things Employers Look for in New Graduates" Association of American Colleges and Universities 
• "The Best Jobs Now Require You to be a People Person" FiveThirtyEight 
• "Employers Want Communication Skills in New Hires" Graduate Management Admission Council 
• "Communication Most Valued Graduate Skill, say SME Employers" HR Magazine
• "Communication Studies Rise to Relevance" Huffington Post
• "8 Essential Skills Every Employer Looks for in Recent Graduates" Inc.
• "Skills Employers Look for in College Graduates" Monster 
• "Job Outlook 2016: The Attributes Employers Want to See on New College Graduates' Resumes"National Association of Colleges and Employers