Intercultural Communication
In our ever-changing society, there is more expected from a college graduate now than ever before. Mass media, the Internet, and a global economy force us to interact every day with more and more people from diverse backgrounds. If you wish to become a competent and effective communicator in intercultural interactions, there are a variety of courses in the intercultural communication specialization that may be of interest to you. Courses in the intercultural communication specialization focus on applying intercultural communication theory and research to everyday encounters with individuals with different races, ethnicities, religions, gender, ages, sexual orientations and physical abilities.

Interpersonal Communication
The communication we engage in every day with our friends, family, romantic partners, and colleagues shapes the relationships we have with these individuals. Our interpersonal relationships are often complex. There is much that we can learn from the study of interpersonal communication that will help us to have happier, more fulfilling relationships. Courses in Interpersonal Communication offer insight into: how to become a better listener, how to work effectively in small groups, how to build, maintain, and even end relationships in a healthy and productive manner, among many others. If you are interested in a career in education, conflict mediation, interviewing, communication skills training, or counseling, and if you enjoy working with people and are fascinated by the intricacies of interpersonal relationships, the specialization in interpersonal communication may be the one for you.

Organizational Communication
Wherever people work in groups, effective formal and informal communication is crucial to the success of their enterprise. If you plan to work in any type of organization, you might select the specialization in organizational communication where your course work will include business and professional speaking, persuasion, interviewing, and the climate and culture of organizations. As a community member and student within the university system, you already are involved in many organizational activities which offer you a unique perspective on organizational communication dynamics. In addition, your participation in activities such as student government, athletics, community service, and the workplace will extend the knowledge gained from your coursework with practical experience as you explore and refine your communicative skills in a variety of organizational settings.

Performance Studies
If you are interested in performance, you may choose the specialization in performance studies. Along with course work in performing written and oral literature, you will study adapting and directing for the stage, the relationship between performance and culture, and the performances of everyday life including, gender roles or conversational interaction. You may also choose to take courses in other departments, such as theater, music, English, and art and design. You will also have many opportunities to perform in the Kleinau Theatre main stage productions and spotlight hours.

Persuasive Communication
If you are interested in the persuasive dimension of human communication, or if you are planning a career in politics, corporate or public advocacy, law or sales, you will find the specialization in persuasive communication helpful. Some of your courses will focus on the practical task of persuading others by means of public speeches and written discourse. Others may explore theories of persuasion and rhetoric as they apply to political speaking, public controversy, the mass media and interpersonal communication. This specialization will help you become more aware and reflective of the persuasive messages you encounter every day in the classroom, at home and work, in the media, and in relationships.

Public Relations
The specialization in public relations has been designed with the assistance of the Public Relations Society of America. It emphasizes strong writing, speaking, research, planning, and management skills by making you familiar with the wide range of disciplines required in the public relations field. In addition to courses in the Department of Speech Communication, courses in other departments such as marketing, journalism, psychology, management, and political science, will allow you to prepare for specific career objectives. You can obtain public relations experience while you are a student at SIUC through practicum or internship opportunities arranged with administrative offices at SIUC, with area businesses, or through student organizations such as the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and the student PR agency, Pyramid Public Relations.