The CAS department boasts award-winning teachers and researchers who bring to their work with undergraduate students an equal measure of expertise and enthusiasm.
In a top-ranked department that spans the humanities and social sciences, majors and minors learn together to: think and listen critically; undertake independent and collaborative research; influence people; analyze public discourse; understand empirical studies that test communication theories; and participate more richly in civic, communal, and relational life.
As a reflection of our unique status as a humanities and a social sciences department, CAS allows students to choose either a bachelor of arts (B.A.) or a bachelor of science (B.S.) degree program. On World Campus exclusively, CAS offers a B.A. or B.S. in Organizational and Professional Communication.
CAS offers the following minors: CAS; Rhetoric; Civic and Community Engagement; Dispute Management and Resolution; Information Science and Technology.
Graduates of our program tend to go on to such jobs as: analysts and strategists, lawyers, professors, community organizers, corporate executives, freelance writers, and more.
What sets our program apart?
Beyond our financial support, the department is a vibrant intellectual community devoted to developing students’ particular interests. We embrace the value of an interdisciplinary education.
Our communication science students can participate in a Health and Risk Communication brown bag series, learn big data science through SoDA, learn new methodologies through the Methodology Center, pursue research and teaching at the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, learn to pursue fMRI research through the Social, Life, and Engineering Sciences Imaging Center, and participate in The McCourtney Institute for Democracy Roundtable.
Our rhetoric students can take classes in allied departments, including English, philosophy, sociology, history, and media studies, pursue graduate minors, work with the Rock Ethics Institute to develop their understanding of ethics literacy and pedagogy, receive fellowships and research support through the Humanities Institute, work closely with the Center for Democratic Deliberation to improve public deliberation, and complete a Digital Pedagogy Graduate Internship through the Penn State Office of Digital Pedagogy and Scholarship.
Alumni Spotlight:
Shanna Wise
Biography:
Wise graduated from Penn State in 2009 with degrees in Communication Arts and Sciences and Latin American Studies. While at Penn State, Wise worked as a communication research intern. After graduation, Wise worked for Americorps. After these experiences, Wise moved to Scottsdale, Arizona and found a career as a Web Development Manager at Grand Canyon University. Currently, Wise is a Business Advisory Solutions Management Consultant for Slalom Consulting. Wise pursued both an MBA and an EdD while working as a program manager at GCU and recently completed her EdD in Organizational Leadership in July 2019.
If you are a CAS alum, we’d love to add your name to this list! Submit an alumni update below to be featured here!