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Overview
The diverse discipline of Communication focuses on how people use messages to generate meanings within and across various contexts, cultures, channels, and mediums. The discipline promotes the effective and ethical practice of human communication which includes critical thinking, innovation, civic engagement, and creative endeavors that produce and reproduce our social world.
Mission
The mission of the Communication program is to prepare students to successfully consider it, say it, and write it in order to create better lives for themselves and others in a global economy and democratic society.
Why This Program
Job growth is projected at 4% with over 27,000 new positions for communication majors over the next 10 years. Communication majors are in high-demand in every industry. Transfer agreements are in place with Boise State University, Idaho State University, Lewis-Clark State College, and University of Idaho. Communication students are provided a number of opportunities to apply their learning and gain work experience through internships, service learning projects, work study, school and community service, student clubs, presentations, symposiums, and more.
What You Will Learn to Do
- Produce effective oral, written, virtual and mediated communication. Demonstrate an understanding of methods of communication research and a basic understanding of APA.
- Create community and collaborative working relationships beyond the university.
- Understand, evaluate, communicate effectively within, and mediate among diverse cultural, social, public, and professional systems and enable change to occur within and among these systems in ways that are civil an
- Extend and appreciate skills and knowledge acquired during their communication studies in their careers beyond the college or in the continuation of their education.
- Analyze and evaluate communication both for its causes and consequences as well as demonstrate an understanding of at least one major theory in the field of communication.
Additional Opportunities
Speech & Debate ~ Eight-Time National Champions!
Contact Luke Yeates for more information.
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Requirements and Costs
Degrees and Certificates
Important Dates for Credit Programs
Summer 2023 | Fall 2023 | Spring 2024 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Priority Registration Begins1 | N/A | April 10 | Nov. 13, 2023 | |
Open Registration Begins | Feb. 27 | April 17 | Nov. 20, 2023 | |
Financial Aid Priority Deadline | May 13 | July 29 | Dec. 16, 2023 | |
Admission Deadline2 | May 27 | Aug. 12 | Jan. 6 | |
Last Day to Register for Classes | June 2 | Aug. 18 | Jan. 12 | |
Tuition and Fees Due | June 2 | Aug. 18 | Jan. 12 | |
Classes Begin3 | June 5 | Aug. 21 | Jan. 16 | |
1 Priority registration is limited to continuing students. Students are assigned a registration time based on their cumulative credits earned. Students should check myCWI and their CWI email to learn their assigned registration time. Students may register online anytime on or after their assigned registration time. | ||||
2 The admission deadline for international students is earlier than the deadline for non-international students and is only available during the fall and spring semesters. Please consult the Academic Calendar for the international student admission deadlines for the fall and spring semesters. | ||||
3 Classes in shorter sessions (including 4-, 5-, and 8-week sessions) may begin before or after this date. Please refer to the Registration and Refund Deadlines by Class Section Dates (located beneath each semester) of the Academic Calendar for more information. |
Advising
Navigating your way through college can be confusing, especially if you try to go it alone. CWI offers advising assistance to help in deciding which courses you need to take to reach your education and career goals. Visit Advising or contact One Stop Student Services for more information.
** Majors should take the Compass Test for math placement upon acceptance to CWI. There are currently two math tracks for COMM majors: MATH 123 or 143. The placement test will inform the student if a review course such as MATH 025 is needed prior to entering MATH 123 or MATH 108.
MATH 123 is a terminal math course based on Algebra and other liberal arts types of mathematical problems.
MATH 143 has a pre-requisite of MATH 108. If a student may change majors at the AA or BA level, or may consider graduate school the COMM Department suggests the COMM 143 pathway which prepares for Algebra and Pre-Calculus.
Connecting With Ideas
Connecting With Ideas (CWI 101) is the first semester student success course designed to help CWI students become engaged members of the academic community and cultivate habits for lifelong achievement and success. Each semester, students can select from a variety of themes. More information about next semesters CWI 101 themes
Transfer
Look beyond your degree at CWI and plan for continuing your education by working closely with CWI advising and representatives of your intended transfer school. Planning before you transfer can save you time and money. Visit Transfer Information for more information or contact One Stop Student Services.
Financial Aid Available
Did you know that as a student in this program you may be eligible for financial aid? Through grants, scholarships, and loans, more than 60 percent of first-time, full-time CWI students receive some form of financial assistance. To learn more about financial aid options and whether you may be eligible, visit Financial Aid.
Tuition and Fees
Tuition for a full-time CWI student averages half the cost of a state university and a third of the cost of a private college. Tuition and fees vary based on program and residence. Visit Tuition and Fees for more information.
Career Info
Professions
- Management Manager
- Personnel Recruiter Vice-president Human Resources
- Trainer Director of Training and Development
- Admissions Counselor Benefits Administrator
- Sales Representative Executive Manager
- Public Information Officer Industrial and Labor Relations
- Negotiator Customer Service Representative
- Newsletter Editor Human Resources Manager
- Mediator Buyer
- Social Media Expert
- Advertising Specialist Marketing Specialist
- Copy Writer Public Researcher
- Account Executive Manager
- Media Planner Media Buyer
- Creative Director Media Sales Representative
- Language Arts Coordinator High School
- Speech Forensics
- Drama Director Speech
- Communication Department Chairperson
- School Counselor Education Researcher
- Audiovisual Specialist Educational Administrator
- Director of College News Educational Tester
- Educational Fund-raiser Alumni Officer
- Broadcasting Station Manager Director of Broadcasting
- Film/Tape Librarian Community Relation Director
- Unit Manager News Writer
- Transmitter Engineer Technical Director
- Advertising Sales Coordinator Market Researcher
- Actor/Actress Announcer
- Disc Jockey News and Relation Manager
- Comedy Writer Casting Director
- Producer Business Manager
- Floor Manager Talk Show Host
- Reporter Editor
- Newscaster Author
- Copy Writer Script Writer
- Technical Writer News Service Researcher
- Acquisitions Editor Media Interviewer
- Publicity Manager Advertising Manager
- Marketing Specialist Lobbyist
- Public Affairs Specialist Public Information Officer
- Account Executive Development Officer
- Sales Manager Media Analyst
- Media Planner Creative Director
- News Writer Public Opinion Researcher
- Performing Artist Script Writer
- Arts Administrator Performing Arts Educator
- Costume Design Scenic Designer
- Lighting Theatre Critic
- Makeup Artist Stage Manager
- Model Theatre Professor
- Casting Director
- Public Information Writer Legislative Assistant
- Campaign Director Research Specialist
- Program Coordinator Elected Official
- Trainer for Comm. Tech. Circuit Television Producer / Director
- Systems Analyst Technical Copywriter
- Language Specialist Cognition Researcher
- Audio and Visual Computer Display Specialist
- Health Educator School Health Care Administrator
- Medical Grants Writer Hospital Director off Communication
- Clinic Public Relations Director Health Communication Analyst
- Research Analyst Medical Training Supervisor
- Health Personnel Educator Medical Center Publications Editor
- Hospice Manager Health Care Counselor
- Activities Director Marketing Director
- Corporate Representative On-Air International Broadcasting
- Translator Student Tour Coordinator
- Diplomat Foreign Correspondent
- Public Defender Corporate Lawyer
- District Attorney Private Practice Lawyer
- Legal Researcher Mediation and Negotiation Specialist
- Legal Secretary Legal Reporter
- Legal Educator
- Public Administrator Social Worker
- Recreation Supervisor Human Rights Office
- Community Affairs Liaison Park Service Public Relations Specialist
- Religious Leader Mental Counselor
- Debate Coach
There are many career paths that a person with a Communication Major can choose. Here are some job titles that former graduates with Communication Majors hold. Use this as an ideas list, remember that it represents some, but certainly not all of the careers you might consider. Some careers may take additional schooling.
Locations
Instructors
Program Department Chair
Instructor(s)
Respectful Community
The College of Western Idaho is committed to maintaining a Respectful Community by providing equal opportunity for all individuals and does not discriminate in services, benefits, or activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, veteran status, age, or any other legally protected status. More on Title IX
News and Blogs

Congratulations to Web Content Strategist UX, Jessica Argyle, College of Western Idaho’s Staff of the Month for June 2022.

Multimedia Storytelling, Mass Communication, and Audio Production students host an eclectic evening centered around how communication can make the world a better place.

CWI’s new media lab will provide cutting-edge learning experiences for students while additionally supporting online course development for faculty.

Resources, training, and contests during CTL's Accessibility Week for faculty highlight how small changes can help students access and engage in courses.

Congratulations to Dan Garrity, an instructor in the Communications and Marketing department and the College's Faculty of Distinction for September 2021.

Congratulations to CWI instructors, Liza Long, Anna Gamboa, Cathy Carson, Hollie Leavitt, Joel Gladd, and Charles Dickinson!
Academic Transfer
- Agriculture Business, Leadership, and Education
- Animal Veterinary Science
- Anthropology
- Biology
- Biotechnology Laboratory Assistant
- Business
- Chemistry
- Communication
- Computer Science
- Criminal Justice
- Education, Elementary
- Education, Secondary
- Engineering
- English
- Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management
- Exercise Science
- General Education
- Geographic Information Systems
- Geography
- Geosciences
- Health Science and Public Health
- History
- Liberal Arts
- Mathematics
- Media Arts
- Military Science (Army ROTC)
- Nursing, Professional
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)
- Sign Language Studies
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Spanish
- Studio Art