Communication Studies

Public communication & advocacy emphasis

Public Communication and Advocacy Emphasis

(Current Undergraduate Catalog and List of Courses)

This emphasis area focuses on the use of communication as a tool to accomplish specific goals in the public sector. Many of our students who work in Public Communication & Advocacy are interested in careers centered in civic life, law, government, politics, or the non-profit sector – because they want to be opinion leaders who make the world a better place for all of us. This emphasis area will involve students in multiple opportunities to build their writing, speaking, and problem-solving abilities. Students will also learn about public issues and the debate/ discussion of those issues in the public sector. It’s quite common to have one of our students intern with U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D-La Crosse). After graduation, many of our students have gone on to work in Congressional offices in Washington, or have found employment with foundations or non-profit organizations. Others have gone to work in the lucrative field of pharmaceutical sales.

Student Learning Outcomes: Public Communication & Advocacy

Students in the Public Communication & Advocacy emphasis will achieve the following learning outcomes after completing the major:

Public Message Construction: Create ethical and effective persuasive messages appropriate to the audience, purpose, and or/context

Public Communication Perspectives: Employ theories, perspectives, principles, and concepts to analyze public communication and advocacy artifacts.

Diverse Messages: Use public communication and advocacy theories to analyze and construct messages that engage with diverse audiences