Areas of Interest Within Communication

Areas of emphasis differ from one school to another, but listed below are some of the most common fields of study:

Applied Communication - The study of process used to analyze communication needs of organizations and social interaction, including the design of training to improve communication between supervisors and employees. Learn more: NCA's Journal of Applied Communication Research

Communication Education - The study of communication in the classroom and other pedagogical contexts. Learn more: NCA's Communication Education and Communication Teacher

Communication Theory - The study of principles that account for the impact of communication in human social interaction.

Electronic Media - The study of radio, television, media technology, and web design with streaming audio and video. Learn more: NCA's Critical Studies in Media Communication

Health Communication - The study of communication as it relates to health professionals and health education, including the study of provider-client interaction as well as the diffusion of health information through public health campaigns.

International and Intercultural Communication - The study of communication among individuals of different cultural backgrounds, including the study of similarities and differences across cultures.

Interpersonal Communication - The study of communication behaviors in dyads (pairs) and their impact on personal relationships.

Language and Social Interaction - The study of the structure of verbal and nonverbal behaviors occurring in social interaction.

Legal Communication - The study of the role of communication as it relates to the legal system.

Mass Communication and Media Literacy - The study of the structure of verbal and nonverbal behaviors occurring in social interaction. Learn more: NCA's Critical Studies in Media Communication

Mediation and Dispute Resolution - The study of understanding, management, and resolution of conflict within intrapersonal, interpersonal, and intergroup situations.

Organizational Communication - The study of processes used to analyze communication needs of organizations and social interaction, including how to improve communication between supervisors and employees.

Performance Studies - The study of components, such as performer(s), text, audience, and context within the communication discipline. Learn more: NCA's Text & Performance Quarterly

Political Communication - The study of the role that communication plays in political systems.

Public Address - The study of speakers and speeches, including the historical and social context of platforms, campaigns, and movements.

Public Relations - The study of the management of communication between an organization and its audiences.

Rhetorical Criticism - The study of principles that account for the impact of human communication between speaker and audience.

Semiotics - The use of verbal and nonverbal symbols and signs in human communication

Small Group Communication - The study of communication systems among three or more individuals who interact around a common purpose and who influence one another.

Speech Communication - The study of the nature, processes, and effects of human symbolic interaction. While speech is the most obvious mode of communication, human symbolic interaction includes a variety of verbal and nonverbal codes.

Theatre and Drama - The study and production of dramatic literature. Learn more: NCA's Text & Performance Quarterly

Visual Communication - The study of visual data, such as architecture, photography, visual art, advertising, film, and television as it relates to communication.