Complete COMM-130
Upcoming Start Dates
Fall term A begins. Apply by Aug. 21.
Fall term B begins. Apply by Oct. 16.
Enhance Your Professional Communication Skills
Strengthen your career potential with Champlain College Online's (CCO) Undergraduate Certificate in Communication Studies. This 18-credit program provides foundational knowledge and skills employers consistently identify as essential for professional success. As digital tools reshape how we connect and collaborate, effective communication—from meaningful face-to-face interactions to thoughtful digital messaging—opens doors across many industries and roles.
Develop Practical Communication Skills for Workplace Success
- Interpersonal Communication Knowledge and Skills: Learn to build rapport, establish trust, and communicate clearly in one-on-one professional interactions.
- Public Speaking Foundations: Develop confidence in delivering messages to audiences of all sizes, with strategies for engaging presentations.
- Small Group Communication: Explore effective methods for contributing to and facilitating productive team discussions and collaborative projects.
- Organizational Communication: Understand how information flows within companies and how to navigate workplace communication channels successfully.
- Media Literacy: Recognize how technology and media impact communication practices and social interactions in professional settings.
- Conflict Engagement Strategies: Develop constructive approaches to addressing disagreements and facilitating productive dialogue in workplace environments.
Program Curriculum
Learn more about Champlain's 100% online undergraduate certificate in communication studies.
Starting with a frame of human communication as a dynamic system of interactions in which people make choices that impact their relationships, other people, and themselves, students will define theory-informed communication concepts and processes, and critically examine how they apply to everyday life across a variety of contexts. Students will reflect on how the theory, concepts and processes apply to their own lives in becoming competent communicators who are knowledgeable, skilled, and versatile.
In this course, students are introduced to the theory and practice of ethical public communication in a culturally diverse society. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the public communication process which includes determining speech purpose, researching and structuring messages with attention to audience analysis, and setting. They will identify and practice elements of effective delivery in their own public speaking performances and meaningfully critique others' speech performances.
This course is an historical overview, and examination of the evolution of digital, film, and print media, and their functions. Students will identify and analyze contemporary problems of the media such as the legal, social, economic and psychological implications of their relationships with society. They also will examine the ways in which marketing and PR professionals utilize the mass media channels to reach their intended target audiences.
This course draws on fundamental concepts of contemporary group communication research to help students identify and develop strategies to communicate effectively in small groups and teams for the cooperative purpose of advancing common goals. Students will draw on listening and responding strategies learned in COMM-130 Interpersonal Communication and apply them to communicating as a leader or member of a small group. They will also learn how to recognize and manage the types of conflicts that can arise in small groups. Prerequisite: COMM-130 Interpersonal Communication
Prerequisites
Students will apply communication theory and research to address the particular challenges to communicating effectively in organizations. Students will learn how to identify organizational communication problems, analyze those problems, and generate effective solutions. Students will examine the relationship between organizational structure and specific communicative practices, and how communication practices by organizational members establish, maintain, or change organizational culture. They will also learn how to anticipate communication deficiencies in organizations, and use communication as a means to facilitate organizational development and innovation.
Prerequisites
Complete COMM-130
Students will learn how to create conditions for successful conflict engagement, a necessary skill for any professional. The course focuses on the foundational capacities to remain calm and connected with oneself and others. In this state students can access helpful ideas and responses and be their best selves regardless of environment. Improving facility for conflict creates stronger relationships and reduces fear. By the end of the course, students will understand that disagreement and difference can become a source of personal and interpersonal growth.
Additional Program Details
- Identify and describe the key models of communication theory and how they provide the tools and strategies needed to address specific challenges.
- Develop and deliver messages created for specific audiences, settings, and purposes, including conflict engagement, using appropriate communication channels and strategies.
- Identify the intersections and impacts of media and technology on communication practices and social interactions.
- Explain the role of the communication specialist as a contributing member of a group, team, or organization in a variety of work scenarios.
Champlain College Online's social sciences faculty, led by Department Chair Dr. Janet Morrison, are expert practitioners in the field. Their industry expertise ensures that our curriculum is aligned with the needs of employers, and reflects the skills today’s social science professionals need for success. Classes led by our seasoned experts will give you real-world insight into the field, and create a rich community of career-focused learning.
Tuition & Costs
Online Undergraduate Tuition Fall '24 - Summer '26
$335
per credit
$290
per credit for Champlain alumni, associate degree graduates, veterans**, and family members of veterans and servicemembers
$250
per credit for military servicemembers
$150
One-time graduation fee
*Based on a 3-credit course; cost will vary if course is a different number of credits
** Veteran rate effective Spring 2025, not retroactive
See the undergraduate cost of attendance and fees here
Affordability and Paying For Your Education
We provide a number of options to make your online education affordable, including preferred tuition for alumni, associate degree graduates, community college graduates, and military.
Why Get An Undergraduate Certificate in Communication Studies?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be about 109,500 media and communication job openings annually through 2033*. Professionals in this field earn a median annual wage of $70,300—significantly higher than the national median for all occupations. This certificate also creates a pathway to seamlessly transition into CCO’s Associate of Arts in Communication Studies, allowing you to continue building credentials that reflect your growing skills.
*Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS, Media and Communication Occupations 2025
Top Reasons to Pursue this Certificate:
- Join a growing field with a strong salary potential
- Develop conflict resolution skills
- Enhance digital media literacy
- Build your ability to create powerful messages
- Strengthen team collaboration skills
Academic Excellence and Recognition
Regionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education
Designated as a Military Friendly School for our commitment to the military community
Ranked among the best by Tech Guide for game design and computer science
Named the among the best schools with accelerated bachelor's degrees by Intelligent.com
Meet the Program Director
Janet Morrison, Ph.D.
Academic Program Director, General Education
Oversees
- BS, Integrated Studies
- General Education Curriculum
About
Dr. Morrison has been with Champlain College since 2002, first as faculty; since 2013 as an Academic Advisor, and then as the Associate Director of Academic Advising. While in the Academic Advisor role, she also developed the role of student success coach, and contributed to the development of Champlain College Online's two orientation courses for new students: Introduction to Online Learning; and Introduction to Academic Integrity.
Her dedication to teaching excellence and students' lived experience in their classes began in graduate school at the University of Maine (M.A., Speech Communication), and Southern Illinois University (Ph.D., Speech Communication) and continued through several academic roles prior to continuing her career at Champlain College Online.
FAQs: Certificate in Communication Studies
Our online Certificate in Communications Studies includes courses that cover the essential areas of this dynamic field. You will learn to manage all types of professional communication, including interpersonal, public, small group, organizational, and mediated.
Upon completing this certificate in communication studies, you should be able to identify and apply tools and strategies to address professional challenges. You can also build the confidence to deliver messages to specific audiences using a variety of communication tools and techniques.
Yes, our undergraduate communications studies program can help you build on your current professional skills, education, and experience. Employers will see it as a sign that you can finish what you start, and you are interested in learning and growing in your career. Plus, upon completion, you can enter a bachelor’s program or pursue new career opportunities.
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