Associate of Arts - Communication Studies - Transfer to a California State University

Merritt College's Communication Studies program prepares students to transfer to a four-year college or university to obtain a degree in Communication or a related Social Science field. The courses in the program also improve job attainment and performance skills, providing them with the training necessary for public speaking, customer service, conflict resolution, and interviewing.

The Associate degree for transfer (ADT) program allows students to fulfill lower division major requirements at a community college and guarantees transfer with junior status to the California State University (CSU) system.

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to: • Critical Listening and Thinking- Speak, listen, and think critically, to set goals for effective communication, resolve conflict, and get a message across. • Public Speaking- Deliver presentations that are clear in message and voice, using appropriate nonverbal communication. • Group Cohesion- Strengthen group cohesion through shared vision creation and development. • Relationship between Mass Media and Face-to-Face Communication- Analyze the impact and influence that mass media and mediated communication have on face-to-face interactions. • Cultural Competency- Interact with people of different cultures in ways that result in shared understanding. • Self-Awareness and Ethics- Know how anyone's upbringing and cultural background affects their perceptions of themselves and others and integrate ethics into everyday communication interactions.

Career opportunities may include customer service representative, salesperson, nonprofit organizer, consultant, focus group facilitator, interviewer, human resource representative, negotiator, and startup job in mass media organization.