Ever dreamt of coming up with amazing campaigns like Coca Cola’s ‘Share a Coke’ that allows you to have your name on its can, or Nike’s ‘Just Do It’? A communications course will expose you to the creative and methodical process behind such campaigns.

 

Communication is really more about the art of conversing – asides from speech, you will learn how to communicate using the written word (journalism), visual representations (film or graphics) and the “less glamorous” aspect involving account management and pitching to clients.

 

Learning to communicate seems easy, but learning to communicate effectively is a different thing altogether. Colleges and universities therefore try to groom students into efficient communicators by equipping them with the proper set of knowledge and skills. Bear in mind that communications courses vary among universities; some are structured based on a specific major whereas some enable you to learn everything from broadcasting to corporate communications.

Course structure

There are, however, some similarities between communications courses. The common ones are mentioned below:

• Subjects

You will learn the different components of the media which include print (newspapers and magazines), radio, television, as well as the Internet. Each medium require a different style of writing, for instance, the writing style for a radio script would be more direct and succinct than a feature article where you can afford to be descriptive in your sentences. There will also be subjects to hone your writing skills where you learn accurate usage of grammar, and the various writing styles. You will also learn about media ethics and perhaps even communication law.

• Assignments
  Most of the time, you will have assignments to do and they may involve some practical work like producing videos or even organising campaigns. There are also written assignments and presentations so prepare yourself by sharpening your writing and presentation skills if you have not. Depending on your course, the weightage for assignments may be equal to, or greater than that of your final examinations.
  
• Dissertation/Thesis
  Some universities require you to do a final year thesis which bears a lot of weightage on your overall CGPA. In fact, a thesis is the most significant document that you could produce. A thesis usually requires you to do more extensive research than a standard assignment where you may even have to conduct a study that might involve you interviewing people.

 

• Internship

An internship may not be compulsory (depending on your university) but even so, doing an internship would be ideal for you to apply what you have learnt into practice. An internship will allow you to learn for instance, what it really means to chase deadlines (you cannot afford to procrastinate like you would for an assignment – the company’s clients pay for the services!) or going through tremendous editing of creative content because your supervisor or client may turn down some of your ideas.

 

In short, an internship gives you a feel of what working in the communications industry is like – you might be paid (yes, unpaid internships exist), you will learn beyond the classroom and if you do not like it, it’s only for a couple of months!

 

In conclusion, a communications course will teach you the importance of effective communication. It may not turn out to be as glamorous as you think it is, but being able to be part of the creative process will reward you in ways you never thought possible.