Program Overview

Communication Certificate

The Communication Certificate is a 24-credit program offered by the College of General Studies in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh's Communication department. This certificate aims to help individuals develop their communication skills, whether it's to enhance persuasive speaking and presentation abilities, improve writing, or gain an understanding of how mass media affects society.

The CGS Difference

This certificate can be pursued as a standalone program or in conjunction with the completion of another degree at Pitt.

Who Should Participate

• Business people and professionals whose success may be enhanced by improved communication skills and further understanding of the communication process
• Those who wish to increase their personal knowledge of communication for use in their careers
• Citizens involved in community and public positions in which persuasive delivery and analysis are vital
• Persons seeking a better understanding of the impact of interpersonal, organizational, public, and mass communication in the contemporary world
• Students already enrolled in the College of General Studies or other University programs who want to concentrate on communication skills

Program Expectations

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Understand the makeup of a persuasive presentation
• Polish and refine their written and oral communication skills
• Apply knowledge of specialized communications topics

This certificate is applicable to fields such as education, writing, broadcasting, public relations, sales, communication training, personnel, promotions, advertising, market research, lobbying, politics, communications, and related fields.

Credit Requirements

• The communication certificate is composed of three basic communication courses (nine credits) and five communication elective courses (15 credits), for a total of 24 credits.
• Students must achieve a minimum grade of C (2.0) or better for all courses required for the program.
• Up to nine credits may be transferred from other accredited educational institutions through a transfer-of-credit evaluation process. A minimum of five courses (15 credits) must be completed at Pitt.

Required Courses: (9 credits)

Choose three of the following courses.

• COMMRC 0500 - ARGUMENT
• COMMRC 0520 - PUBLIC SPEAKING
• COMMRC 0530 - INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
• COMMRC 0540 - DISCUSSION
• COMMRC 0550 - SPEECH COMPOSITION

Electives: (15 credits)

Choose five COMMRC courses. Here is a sampling of courses that can be used to fulfill the certificate requirements. You may elect to concentrate your studies in such areas as nonverbal, small group, interpersonal, organizational, or mass communication; persuasion in political settings; or the construction, analysis, and delivery of public speech.

• COMMRC 0300 - COMMUNICATION AND SOCIETY
• COMMRC 0310 - RHETORIC & SOCIETY
• COMMRC 0320 - MASS COMMUNICATION AND SOCIETY
• COMMRC 1101 - EVIDENCE
• COMMRC 1102 - ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION
• COMMRC 1103 - RHETORIC AND CULTURE
• COMMRC 1104 - POLITICAL COMMUNICATION
• COMMRC 1105 - TELEVISION AND SOCIETY
• COMMRC 1106 - SMALL GROUP COMMUNICATION
• COMMRC 1109 - NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
• COMMRC 1110 - THEORIES OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
• COMMRC 1111 - THEORIES OF PERSUASION
• COMMRC 1112 - THEORIES OF RHETORIC
• COMMRC 1114 - FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND PRESS
• COMMRC 1117 - PROPAGANDA AND MISINFORMATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY
• COMMRC 1119 - PRESIDENTIAL RHETORIC 2
• COMMRC 1121 - HISTORY OF MASS MEDIA
• COMMRC 1122 - MEDIA CRITICISM
• COMMRC 1730 - SPECIAL TOPICS IN COMMUNICATION
• CGS 1900 - CHOOSING YOUR PATH: INTERNSHIP SEMINAR

Program Planning Checklist

A handy Communication certificate checklist is available to plan and track progress in the program.

Important: Course Overlap Rules

As you plan your certificate coursework, please review the CGS Course Overlap policy for information on how many courses can be double-counted if a student elects to pursue a CGS certificate in combination with other CGS and non-CGS majors, minors, and certificates.

Certificates

Other available certificates include:

• Accounting
• Community Health Assessment
• Corporate/ Community Relations
• Digital Media
• Disability Studies
• Gender, Sexuality, and Womens Studies
• Information System Design
• Leadership
• Managing Health Services Programs and Projects
• National Preparedness and Homeland Security
• Nonprofit Management
• Writing
• Writing for the Professions

Certificate at a Glance

• Flexible Format: Study online and on campus.
• How Many Courses?: 8 courses (24 credits). Some have prerequisites.
• Completion Time: Finish in as little as 3-4 terms or at a pace that fits your schedule.

Certificate Admissions

Students must meet requirements for admission to the College of General Studies. An application must be completed and returned to CGS.