Communication Studies

Take advantage of every opportunity to practice your communication skills so that when important occasions arise, you will have the gift, the style, the sharpness, the clarity, and the emotions to affect other people.

– Jim Rohn
Student raising hand in class

Communication Studies is the study of human interaction as it pertains to the dynamics of individual, social, intercultural and civic life.  It is premised on the belief that effective communication is the cornerstone of successful professional careers, relationship partnerships, and responsible citizenship.  Communication Studies gives students a solid basis for many career paths and can be enhanced with multidisciplinary study in related fields.

Speech and Debate/Forensics

Join the Cypress College Speech and Debate (Forensics) Team and participate in speech and debate tournaments. We regularly compete in local, state, and national competitions, with our travel expenses paid.


What You’ll Study
  • Oral Communication
  • Effective Communication
  • Human Communication
  • Interpersonal Communication
  • Intercultural Communication
  • Small Group Communication
  • Argument and Critical Thinking
  • Forensics
  • Rhetoric of the City
Catalog

Visit our catalog for more information about the degrees and certificates, courses, and program learning outcomes for students majoring in Communication Studies.


Careers & Salary

Careers

  • Communications Teacher
  • Public Address System Announcer
  • Public Relations Specialist
  • Radio Announcer
  • Television Announcer
  • Writer
  • Author

Salary

  • Low: $18k
  • Average: $53k
  • High: $192k

Program Mapper

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Visit our Program Mapper for more information.

What Students Say

“I have been involved in the Cypress College Forensics (Speech and Debate) team. It’s not something that I was planning on becoming a part of. …[L]ike many students out there, the idea of speaking as solely myself in front of a room full of people seemed like a terrifying thought. Thankfully, I had a truly spectacular COMM 100 professor who convinced me that it was something I could excel in. She empathized with everything I had going on and worked with my schedule, but still pushed me to find strengths in myself that I didn’t even know that I had. I’m proudly the captain of our growing Forensics Team and have even gone on to win awards, which is something I would have never thought I could do when this first began.”

Jolene Gazmen

“Once I got to Cypress and took a few classes I realized I was right where I was supposed to be. At Cypress, my love for politics, debate, and art collided when I took my first communications class.”

Nate Garcia


Faculty
Adjunct Faculty
  • Kasim Alimahomed
  • Maryam Biganeh
  • James Bunker
  • Kenneth Carrell
  • Chris Forsythe
  • Brittany Hubble
  • Charmaine Kaimikaua
  • David Kensinger
  • Julia Leslie
  • Barry Lyrse
  • Denisse Morones
  • Abraham Nesheiwat
  • Justin Perkins
  • MarySarah (Alice) Reid
  • Jordan Sandoval
  • Dawn Trickett
  • Susan Virzi
  • Helene Wagner
  • Zachary White
Communication Studies Department

Location: Humanities, Room 240
T: (714) 484-7169
Department Chair: Liana Koeppel, lkoeppel@cypresscollege.edu