Department of Communication Arts and Sciences

This department includes the majors of Speech Communication and Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences.

Speech Communication (SPE)

The Speech Communication Program at MSU Denver is based on the understanding that communication itself is the primary, constitutive social process that explains all human experience in a diverse and technological world. Students are grounded in theoretical understanding of communication, engaged in practical application, and encouraged to develop communication competencies that can be applied in interpersonal, family, group, organizational, and community contexts.

For instance, in Broadcasting, a graduate might aspire to careers in radio, television, cable and film as talent, writer, producer, director, or a specialist in promotion, public affairs, sales and marketing, management, production engineering, advertising, public information in business, industry and government.

Communication Theory prepares students for work as human resource specialists, employee managers, public relations specialists, personal relationship consultants, and is an excellent preparation for graduate studies in social science research programs.

Organizational Communication prepares students for work in consulting, training and conference planning. This concentration presents lucrative and satisfying careers to speech communication graduates. Job opportunities are available in education, government, business, and industry as well as private practice as a consultant.

Graduates in Rhetoric and Public Address have achieved success in law, industrial and organizational communication, religious leadership, educational administration, and public relations.

A minor is required for students majoring in Speech. Options include but are not limited to: linguistics, health professions, human services, management, marketing, psychology, public relations, and Spanish.

Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (SLHS)

A major in Speech, Language, Hearing Sciences (SLHS) provides a sound background for students pursuing careers in education, health care, and vocational rehabilitation. Graduates in Speech, Language, Hearing Sciences who complete the SLHS major will have the prerequisite coursework to pursue a graduate degree in speech-language pathology or audiology, which opens careers in schools, community clinics, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and private practice. Additionally, the SLHS program offers an optional concentration in Childhood Communication designed for educators and two certificates. The Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Certificate prepares students to become Speech-Language Pathology Assistants (SLPAs) and the Leveling Certificate allows students with a bachelor’s degree in another field to show they have completed some prerequisite coursework to apply to graduate school in speech-language pathology or audiology.