Looking for a course of study that will suit a multitude of careers? Georgia State’s Speech Communication Pathway exposes students to a wide array of needed skills that will best equip them to compete in the workforce.
The Speech Communication Pathway is an Associate of Arts degree in the Department of Humanities at GSU. While classes are offered in person at all of Perimeter College’s campuses, all required courses can be completed online. The robust offering of communication courses enhances student’s professional development while ensuring they master soft skills like conflict resolution and public speaking. Additionally, choosing this pathway lays the foundation for further study in one of the many bachelor’s degree options GSU offers.
The need for strong oral and written communication competency was deemed essential by employers in this 2018 study from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, showing that many jobs value the ability to converse with purpose. Though this competency is highly valued, the same employers deemed that a majority of recent graduates are only somewhat proficient in these skills. Graduating with competency in these oral and written communication roles will set you far ahead of others entering the workforce.
Across the board, the Speech Communication Pathway is an advantageous course of study for the skills it encourages. Though the pathway builds on competency for a multitude of jobs, the following five careers are made possible by strong speech communication.
- Advertising
At its core, advertising requires the ability to communicate an idea effectively. Young professionals working in advertising are often challenged with the task of taking several ideas and boiling them down to effectively promote a product or service. For example, working as a copywriter in advertising utilizes persuasive writing to capture the voice of a brand. Copywriters earn an average yearly salary of $69,510, and they are most successful when they properly capture the essence of the organization for whom they write. Participating in a Business Professional Communication course teaches this vocational skill.
- Education
Whether teaching elementary school students or counseling high school seniors, utilizing the proper communication strategies can be essential to success in the education field. Many students are auditory learners and must have educational content explained to them in order to understand it. Thus, having a working knowledge of developmental communication, both verbal and nonverbal, is helpful in education careers. Students learn more in these areas in the Human Communication course.
- Sales
The role of a sales representative is one which encapsulates the need for interpersonal skills in the career field. In order to succeed in the daily tasks of a sales representative, one must have the ability to understand the varying concerns of customers and recommend their company’s products and services. Young professionals in various sales positions may specialize in consulting, account managing and collecting among other duties. Thus, strong interpersonal communication skills are a must.
- Politics
In the field of politics, one must be prepared to encounter opposing views consistently. Keeping in line with personal ideologies while making concessions to move forward, many politicians succeed by effectively communicating with their peers. GSU’s coursework in Argumentation aids students in constructing their own arguments and evaluating the soundness of other’s arguments. This useful tool can be applied to many roles in politics, such as campaign managers and legal consultants.
- Broadcasting
Recruiters for careers in broadcasting look for confidence as a staple skill in their candidates. This is not a hard skill that can be transferred- confidence is emulated by individuals who feel assured in their role. In this way, having the ability to remain unphased while working as a live broadcaster or news editor differentiates a novice from a professional. Public Speaking courses at GSU can improve confidence in presenting and speaking to an audience.
From these five career examples, it's clear to see the transferable skills the Speech Communications Pathway brings to real life jobs.
Speech communication is rooted in face-to-face communication, but it starts online. See GSU’s Speech Communication Pathway page for information on how to get started. To begin the Speech Communication Pathway in Spring 2024, applications must be submitted by December 1, 2023. Email [email protected] for more information.