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Communication

Overview Degrees/Certificates Courses Faculty

Students making presentation in classroom

The number-one skill identified by employers is the ability to communicate clearly in both oral and written form. The number-two skill identified by employers is the ability to work effectively as a member of a group or team. Communication courses are vital to developing the communication skills necessary for personal and professional success.

Communication courses offer instruction and practice in a variety of communication settings. The program includes theory and practice in public speaking, group work, and interpersonal relationships. Critical thinking, listening, and communicating across cultures are also part of the program.

Roadmaps

Road maps lay out all of the courses you need to take for a given degree or certificate.

AA-T/AS-T Transfer Degrees

Dean Pam Chao
Department Chair David Austin
HomeBase Language and Communication HomeBase
Phone (916) 484-8653
Email askhb-LAC@arc.losrios.edu

Associate Degree for Transfer

A.A.-T. in Communication Studies 2.0

The Associate in Arts in Communication Studies 2.0 for Transfer (AA-T) program provides students with a major that fulfills the general requirements for transfer to a California State University. Students with this degree will receive priority admission with junior status to the California State University system. Students should work closely with their American River College counselor to ensure that they are taking the appropriate coursework to prepare for majoring in Communication Studies, Communication, or Communications at the institution they wish to transfer to because major and general education requirements may vary for each CSU and the degree may only transfer to specific institutions.

Students must complete the following Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) requirements (pursuant to SB1440, §66746):
• 60 semester or 90 quarter CSU-transferable units
• the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) pattern
• a minimum of 18 semester or 27 quarter units in the major or area of emphasis as determined by the community college district
• obtain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0

All ADTs also require that students must earn a “C” or better in all courses required for the major or area of emphasis. A "P" (Pass) grade is also an acceptable grade for courses in the major if the course is taken on a Pass/No Pass basis.

Catalog Date: August 1, 2025

Degree Requirements

Course Code	Course Title	Units
Required Core:
COMM C1000	Introduction to Public Speaking	3
COMM 321	Interpersonal Communication	3
List A:
A minimum of 9 units from the following:		9
COMM 302	Persuasive Speech (3)
COMM 311	Argumentation and Debate (3)
COMM 325	Intercultural Communication (3)
COMM 331	Group Discussion (3)
COMM 361	The Communication Experience (3)
COMM 362	Mediated Communication Experience (3)
JOUR 310	Mass Media and Society (3)
List B:
A minimum of 3 units from the following:		3
Any course not already used from List A or
ANTH 310	Cultural Anthropology (3)
or ANTH 481	Honors Cultural Anthropology (3)
ENGL C1001	Critical Thinking and Writing (3)
or ENGWR 303	Argumentative Writing and Critical Thinking Through Literature (4)
or ENGL C1001H	Critical Thinking and Writing - Honors (3)
JOUR 300	Newswriting and Reporting (3)
PSYC C1000	Introduction to Psychology (3)
or PSYC C1000H	Introduction to Psychology - Honors (3)
SOC 300	Introductory Sociology (3)
or SOC 480	Introductory Sociology - Honors (3)
Total Units:		18

The Associate in Arts in Communication Studies 2.0 for Transfer (AA-T) degree may be obtained by completion of 60 transferable, semester units with a minimum 2.0 GPA, including (a) the major or area of emphasis described in the Required Program, and (b) the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) Requirement.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:

assess the factors which contribute to communication competency.
generate strategies to communicate effectively with others in dyads, groups, and public situations.
evaluate the role of communication in human interactions.
analyze evidence, reasoning, and persuasive appeals for credibility, logic, and relevance.
demonstrate skills and behaviors which contribute to open and respectful communication of diverse ideas and beliefs.

Career Information

A primary skill employers in all fields seek is effective communication. A degree in Communication Studies enriches personal development and enhances opportunities for employment and promotion in such diverse professional fields as education, law, law enforcement, health, science, management, organizational development, psychology, public service, sales, training, entertainment, and social services.

Communication (COMM) Courses

COMM C1000 Introduction to Public Speaking

Units:3
Hours:54 hours LEC
Prerequisite:None.
Transferable:CSU; UC
General Education:Local GE L1B (effective Fall 2025); Cal-GETC Area 1C (effective Fall 2025)
C-ID:C-ID COMM 110
Catalog Date:August 1, 2025

This course was formerly known as COMM 301 Introduction to Public Speaking.

In this course, students learn and apply foundational rhetorical theories and techniques of public speaking in a multicultural democratic society. Students discover, develop, and critically analyze ideas in public discourse through research, reasoning, organization, composition, delivery to a live audience and evaluation of various types of speeches, including informative and persuasive speeches. By the end of the course, students will be more confident managing public speaking anxiety and effective in oral communication situations with diverse audiences. Use of audio/video recording equipment may be required.

This course is formerly known as COMM 301 and is not open to students who have already completed COMM 301.