Corporate Communications, BA/BS

The corporate communication major leads to either a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science. It requires 128 hours of coursework:

• BELL core requirements: 53 hours
• Major requirements (including 12 hours of electives): 30 hours
• Minor requirements: 18 hours
• General electives: 27 hours

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Courses You'll Take

Students explore theories of interpersonal communication and learn how to better manage their interpersonal behavior in work, family, romance, friendship and everyday interaction.

This course is an introduction to software and technology used for creating, understanding and presenting messages used by communicators in professional environments.

This course enables students to improve their professional communication skills, including business writing, interviewing and professional decorum.

Provides advanced skills in the development of messages that aim to influence human behavior, attitudes and values.

This course explores the role of communication in organizations. Students learn prominent theories of organizational communication and use them to analyze real-world organizational contexts. Technology, corporate culture, leadership, teamwork, ethics and diversity are among the topics examined.

This interactive and application-based course is designed to enhance students’ understanding of and experience with the design, development, presentation and evaluation of organizational training programs centered around communication skills specifically. Students will conduct a needs assessment to determine specific training needs within a real organization setting. Further they will consider factors that shape the needs of the organization and how training can (or cannot) address these needs. They will individually construct training content-in person and online-that covers a minimum of a half day (four contact hour) workshop. In all, this experiential course will build students’ capacity to create and deliver a training program that can be adapted to and implemented in an organization.

In addition, students choose 12 credit hours from the following elective courses:

This introductory course in digital imaging will introduce students to the basic Macintosh hardware and operating system. In addition, the course is a survey of basic animation, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. Project may incorporate a variety of mediums. including print and motion media. $150.00 course fee.

This course explores the use of teams in organizational settings. It provides students with the knowledge and practice of the methods and techniques of effective leadership and participation in committee work, informal groups and business conferences.

This course provides practical training and experience that enhances students’ vocational objectives. Normally taken after a student successfully completes COM 2340 Business and Professional Communication. Students may repeat COM 3000 up to 6 total hours, but may only apply 3 credit hours towards major elective credit.

The course involves studying the basic communication elements of cultural systems, the research and literature in the field, and the interpersonal interaction characteristics of specific cultures.

This course will analyze the persuasive strategies and tactics employed by agitators and the establishment they seek to change. It explores the nature and types of social movements and the rhetorical requirements, obstacles, and needs of leaders and followers within the movement. Activists from social movements, both past and present, will visit the class to answer questions about their participation in social protest.

This course explores communication about the environment as it occurs in public discourse, primarily in the United States. Students will explain, analyze, critically judge and generate environmental messages which take into account the complexity and challenges of contemporary communication settings.

This course examines how organizations strategically communicate to internal and external audiences during crises and their aftermath. Additionally, the course will explore how effective issues management can avert future crises.

This course explores the key concepts, issues, and challenges of corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a growing field of organizational study and critically examines the discourse and practices or companies engaged in CSR efforts.

Topic is variable. Examination of selected theories of organizational communication as they relate to specific organizational trends and/or social problems.

An introduction to the art of writing in business and technology. Course topics include Technology and Writing, and Technical and Professional Writing. May not be used in substitution for ENG 3010 Third-Year Writing. Course may be repeated, given a different course topic.

An introduction to the journalistic field focusing on the structure, purpose and function of news from story inception to completion. Students will also be exposed to storytelling for print, the web and broadcast. Ethics and legal limitations and rights of the journalist will also be introduced. Typing skills required.

A course in the fundamentals of law in relation to business. Areas studied include: law and its sources, the judicial system, methods of resolving disputes, constitutional law, torts, criminal law, property and contracts.

This course presents a practical approach that examines ethical issues faced in the contemporary business environment. A comprehensive body of information about business and managerial ethics is presented. This course uses real-world case studies to enable students to make responsible business ethics decisions.

An introductory marketing course designed to give a basic understanding of marketing principles used by businesses and organizations, and the operation of our marketing system. The marketing mix, marketing environment, strategic marketing planning, marketing of services and international marketing are some of the topics discussed.

This course introduces students to the basic concept, style and techniques of public relations writing for journalistic (i.e., uncontrolled or earned) media. It will familiarize students with the principles of strategic and ethical public relations writing for a converged media market. Students will develop and edit strategic messages and determine the optimal time and method for distributing these messages. Particular attention will be placed on the development of news releases, fact sheets, pitches and news advisories for print, broadcast and digital communication. Emphasis will also include industry-standard conventions, such as Associated Press (AP) style.

This course introduces students to the basic concept, style and techniques of public relations writing for organizational (i.e., owned and paid) media. It will familiarize students with the principles of strategic and ethical public relations writing for diverse publics. Students will develop and edit strategic messages for the organizational channels through which those messages are distributed. Particular attention will be placed on the development of fliers, brochures, newsletters, reports, appeals, advertisements and speeches for print, digital and oral communication.

This course explores the role of strategic communication management in advancing the mission and causes of nonprofit organizations. Emphasis will also include the operations of a development program, including how to find donors, manage the fundraising process, write grant applications and secure other financial support.

This course examines current and emerging web-based and mobile technologies and associated trends that are affecting public relations. Emphasis is placed on the use of social media to discover and interact with connected publics by curating, creating and sharing content, monitoring and measuring engagement and analyzing and applying insights to integrated communication strategies.

PRL 2820 Public Relations Design & Production

This course equips students with the knowledge and technical skills to conceptualize, design, produce and manage various print and digital media that are commonly used in public relations programs and campaigns.
PRL 3180 Public Relations Research

This course examines the roles and techniques of research for effective public relations theory building, decision making and accountability/reporting. Among the topics explored are the research process, background/secondary research, identification of publics, environmental scanning/monitoring, qualitative and quantitative methods, content analysis, in-depth and focus group interviews, surveys and experiments.
PRL 3710 Event Planning

This course focuses on planning, promotion, implementation and evaluation of events as a communication tactic. Emphasis is placed on creating events that are aligned with public relations strategies and support communication objectives.

• Speech and Debate Team: Join this team of students with varying majors and interests: future lawyers, aspiring broadcasters, theatre enthusiasts, people seeking to conquer their fear of public speaking and people looking for a fun and challenging extra curricular activity. Our students travel to weekend tournaments and participate in rounds of competition with students from colleges and universities all over the United States. All travel expenses are covered by the university.
• Tower Creative Communications is the nationally affiliated, student-run strategic communication agency at Belmont University. Established in 2006 as a professional development initiative of Belmont’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), Tower Creative strives to deliver excellent communication strategies and tactics to meet actual needs, solve real problems and, ultimately, advance their clients’ missions. The agency welcomes a diverse group of student associates—from any major or minor—with knowledge and skills in public relations, marketing, management, audio/video production, graphic design, photography, social media management, web design and writing. Working together, associates sharpen their skills, build their portfolios and bolster their confidence while serving the communication needs of on- and off-campus clients.
• Belmont University Volunteers for Literacy: BU Volunteers for Literacy sponsors one of the largest community service projects for Belmont every year. This event is called Family Literacy Day and is the culmination of a year's worth of promoting literacy in local elementary schools and the local community. We typically host anywhere from 300-500 kids and 150-200 Belmont students at Rose Park in Nashville for the event. Volunteers for Literacy is unique because it gives members hands-on experience in promoting a large scale event. With the full backing of the Office of Service-Learning, BUVL members can be assured that their participation will reap considerable experience in event planning as well as fulfill your call to serve.