The number two most popular major at High Point University for 2017-2018 is Strategic Communication. The communication major is housed at the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication. Named for the university’s president, who is an acclaimed international speaker and communicator, the School of Communication is a model of how contemporary communication should be studied at liberal arts universities. Our goal is to help students become responsible global citizens by discovering their own identities through intense small class interaction and hands-on activities produced in close collaboration with experienced faculty.
Strategic communication encompasses the traditional practices of public relations and advertising, and is designed to help various kinds of organizations (for-profit corporations, healthcare, education, sports, government, social service, etc.) accomplish their goals. Courses in this sequence examine organizational problems in areas such as marketing, employee relations, community relations, etc., and then draw upon communication and social science theories to find creative communication solutions to these problems. By drawing on a base of theoretical knowledge and developing students’ written and oral communication skills, this sequence prepares students to enter public relations and advertising where they can work in either agencies or in organizations that have a formal communication function. Typical entry-level job titles include account coordinator, media buyer, assistant account executive, copywriter, public relations specialist, special events coordinator, sports information specialist, public affairs or public information specialists.
