Overview

Courses in this interdisciplinary major are designed to help you develop a strong understanding of organizational structures, business ethics and human motivation. You'll also foster skills in persuasive communication, business writing, spreadsheets, media production and managerial accounting. An internship in advertising, public relations, marketing or sales will give you practical experience as you plan for your career.

Careers in Organizational Communication

• Film Critic
• Director
• Journalist
• Office Manager
• Publicist
• Editor
• More

See job placement rates for Calvin grads.

Student involvement

Join Calvin Video Network; Write for the Chimes or Dialogue; Try out for the Improv team; Help out with Prism, Calvin's year book; Join the Film Arts Committee.

Course Requirements 2012-13

Organizational Communication

A grade of at least a C in BUS 160 and in either CAS 141 or 190 is required to be accepted into this major. (34-35 semester hours)

• One course from:
  • CAS-141 Visual Rhetoric
  • CAS-190 Visual Rhetoric
• CAS-240 Group Communication
• One course from:
  • CAS-262 Business Communication
  • ENGL-262 Business Writing
• BUS-160 Business Foundations
• BUS-203 Introduction to Managerial Accounting
• BUS-360 Management and Organizational Behavior
• Two courses from:
  • CAS-285 Advertising and Public Relations
  • BUS-365 Human Resource Management
  • BUS-380 Marketing
  • BUS-382 Consumer Behavior Theory and Practice
• One course from:
  • CAS-352 Communication Ethics
  • BUS-362 Ethics in Business
  • PHIL-215 Business Ethics
• One course from:
  • CAS-211 Argumentation and Advocacy
  • CAS-305 Persuasion and Propaganda
• One course from:
  • CAS-253 Intercultural Communication
  • CAS-260 Interpersonal Communication
  • CAS-270 Communication and Gender
  • SOC-250 Diversity and Inequality in the United States

Cognates (12 semester hours)

• ECON-221 Principles of Microeconomics
• ECON-222 Principles of Macroeconomics
• MATH-143 Introductions to Probability and Statistics
• IS-171 Computing with Spreadsheets
• One course from:
  • IS-141 Computing with Databases
  • IS-151 Computing Presentation
  • IS-153 Computing with the Internet

Scholarships

Dollar amounts reflect awards given for the 2012-13 academic year.

Michigan Industrial Tools Pathway to Business Possibilities Scholarship

• award amount: $2,500
• junior or senior
• GPA 2.5+
• financial need required; intending to go into for-profit business

William and Matilda Monsma Scholarship

• award amount: $2,500
• sophomore, junior, or senior
• GPA 3.0+
• financial need required; preference to students from the South Chicago area
• apply through the Calvin Portal

Kenneth and Phyllis Timmer Family Scholarship

• award amount: $2,000
• junior
• GPA 2.5+
• financial need considered; Michigan resident
• automatic consideration

View all scholarship opportunities

Faculty

Randall Bytwerk Professor Department of Communication Arts & Sciences DCC 250-A bytw@calvin.edu (616) 526-6286 Brian Cawley Associate Professor Department of Business NH190 bc27@calvin.edu (616) 526-7849 David Cook Professor Department of Business NH 183 dcook@calvin.edu (616) 526-7025 Phil de Haan Adjunct Professor Department of Communication Arts & Sciences DCC 260-O dehp@calvin.edu (616) 526-7806 Margaret Edgell Associate Professor Department of Business NH 194 mjs6@calvin.edu (616) 526-6193 Mark Fackler Professor Department of Communication Arts & Sciences DCC 250E mfackler@calvin.edu (616) 526-6274 Brian Fuller Associate Professor Department of Communication Arts & Sciences DCC 025E bdf4@calvin.edu (616) 526-8787 Kathi Groenendyk Associate Professor Department of Communication Arts & Sciences DCC 267 kgroenen@calvin.edu (616) 526-6317

Nancy Hull Assistant Professor Department of English CFAC 286 nhull@calvin.edu (616) 526-6728 Cal Jen Associate Professor Department of Business NH 171 ccj2@calvin.edu (616) 526-7626 Robert Medema Associate Professor Department of Business NH 193 rmedema@calvin.edu (616) 526-6380 Garth Pauley Professor Department of Communication Arts & Sciences DCC 269 gpauley@calvin.edu (616) 526-6294 Peter Snyder Assistant Professor Department of Business North Hall 172 pjs23@calvin.edu (616) 526-7164 Marilyn Stansbury Assistant Professor Department of Business NH 189 msc5@calvin.edu (616) 526-7795 Jason Stansbury Assistant Professor Department of Business NH 170 jms58@calvin.edu (616) 526-7714 Steven Van Oostenbrugge Assistant Professor Department of Business NH 173 sjv47@calvin.edu (616) 526-7624