Can you imagine yourself in a leadership role? Do you enjoy communicating with others and building meaningful relationships? If so, a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Communication could be the right choice for you.

PLNU Organizational Communication majors learn invaluable skills that allow them to expertly navigate any company, industry, or nonprofit group. Organizational Communication focuses on the relationship between communication and human behavior in all organizational contexts, including business, government, and non-profits. At the heart of the discipline is a recognition that organizations are created, maintained, and changed through human communication. An ability to assess and manage interpersonal, group, and organizational communication processes and create a collaborative environment is essential in today’s turbulent information environment.

The Organizational Communication program offers you a flexible curriculum grounded in social scientific and interpretive theories, focusing on the study and practice of those organizational activities most dependent on communicative behavior. It also provides practice in oral and written communication; collaboration skills; and critical thinking through in-class activities, service-learning projects, and internship opportunities.

The Organizational Communication vision is to think deeply about life — set your sights higher than grades, money, and professional accomplishments (as good as these may be) — and on your journey embrace spirituality, practice empathy, find the humor in everything, and strive for originality, for you are made in the image of God.

The B.A. in Organizational Communication is an approved program under PLNU's WASC Regional Accreditation, WSCUC. Since it is not a business major, it is not an Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) approved program.

For information about the courses required for the Organizational Communication, B.A. program, view the PLNU Catalog. 

Course Information

Major Map

PLNU organizational communication graduates are exceptionally skilled in the intangible aspects of their discipline that can form, sustain, and strengthen any company or community. These soft skills are highly sought after by employers, and according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers' Job Outlook 2019 report, employers rated written communication skills as the most important candidate quality.

A Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Communication can lead to a wide variety of careers and industries, including:

• Management
• Advertising
• Marketing
• Human resources
• International relations
• Government
• Ministry
• Education
• Law
• Entrepreneurship

What can you do with a organizational communication degree?

Point Loma organizational communication studies alumni have gone into a broad array of employment. The following companies are just some examples that employ PLNU alumni: Amazon, Allegis Group, Inc., Alliant Insurance Services, Asml Us, and Aya Healthcare. Along with a wide array of companies, there’s a versatile set of titles that PLNU organizational communication studies alumni hold, the most prominent being: sales managers, business development and marketing managers, management consultants and business analysts, secretaries and administrative assistants, and social and human service specialists.

The following are more examples of positions that PLNU communication studies alumni currently hold:

General and Operations Managers

2020 Median annual salary $123,880

General and operations managers are responsible for managing activities that are part of the production of services in wide-ranging fields from social media to election campaigns. Operations managers' responsibilities include human resource management, asset management, and cost management. Their indirect responsibilities can include interacting with the managers in other functional areas within the organization whose roles have an impact on operations. 

What it takes to be a general and operations manager:

• Strategic planning skills
• Financial planning skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Leadership skills
• Communication skills
• Innovative thinking

Public Relations Specialists

2020 Median annual salary $62,810

Public relations specialists create and uphold a favorable public image for the organization they represent. These specialists write media releases and craft social media programs to shape a positive public perception of their organization, while also increasing awareness of the organization’s work and goals.

Necessary attributes and skills include the ability to:

• Write and speak effectively
• Draft speeches, press releases, and arrange interviews
• Maintain and make quick deadlines
• Interpret social media trends and public interactions
• Aid their clients in effectively communicating with the public 

Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists

2020 Median annual salary $65,810

Marketing research analysts and marketing specialists follow and interpret market conditions to capitalize on and inform clients and organizations of potential sales of a product or service. They’re experts at understanding which products people want, the buyers of those products, and what price those buyers are willing to pay. 

Necessary attributes and skills:

• Robust understanding of market trends and patterns
• Innovation in creating methods for collecting data (surveys, questionnaires, polls, etc.)
• Ability to gather, interpret, and utilizate data
• Strong writing and communications skills in presenting reports and results

Student Profile

Jeremy Carter

In his role at Hurley, Jeremy Carter gets to combine his passions for both working with kids and surfing as he heads up the digital portion of the Hurley Surf Club.

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Alumni listed the following skills as the top strengths they acquired as an organizational communication student at PLNU: 

• Event planning
• Social networks
• Public relations
• Social media marketing
• Event management
• Marketing strategies

Organizational communication as a lifelong skill: 

Being able to communicate and collaborate efficiently and effectively with others is an invaluable skill that can carry you through life, and one any employer would value. As the talented American motivational speaker Les Brown once said, “Your ability to communicate is an important tool in your pursuit of your goals, whether it is with your family, your co-workers or your clients and customers.” By being an organizational communication major at PLNU, you’ll be working on learning to communicate in an abundance of ways through your entire academic journey, meaning communication will always be a strong and important aspect of your relationships for any path you choose to follow. 

Apply to PLNU today or get connected with one of our counselors for additional support and answers to any questions you may have.