Bachelor’s in Communications programs in California prepare students for entering a number of different career fields. You can use the skills you develop and the knowledge you gain to work in the business industry, become a teacher or even work in the news industry. Though some assume these programs simply focus on how to communicate with others, you’ll also take classes on public speaking, research methods and other subjects. Many of these programs include journalism and/or mass communications courses as well. You can use those courses to find work in the media industry or to work for a newspaper or magazine.
Academy of Art University
School of Communication & Media Technologies
Founded in 1929, the Academy of Art University opened as the Academy of Advertising Art and offered programs that taught students how to create artwork for advertising campaigns and how to find jobs in the marketing industry. The daughter of its original founder took over the operations of the academy in later years and helped enrollment grow through programs designed to help students prepare for their careers and finds jobs in California. Located in San Francisco, the Academy of Art University is now one of the largest campuses in the state and one of the biggest art schools in the world.
Bachelor of Arts Degree
As you look over some of the Bachelor’s in Communications programs in California, you may find that you like the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications that the Academy of Art University offers. The program features 36 credits of core communications classes, 15 credits of other courses within the major, a number of electives and some liberal arts classes. The university expects students to take classes on both written and oral communications, but you can also take classes that show you how to communicate through art and other forms of media. All communications students must maintain a C average in all required classes to remain in the program.
Accreditation
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
79 New Montgomery St.
San Francisco, CA 94105
(800) 544-2787
American Jewish University
Literature, Communication and Media Department
American Jewish University is one of the few Jewish institutions of higher learning in the United States. Founded in 1947 as the University of Judaism, it offered a number of Jewish Study programs as well as programs designed to help students learn more about their own faith. After merging with another campus in 2007, it adopted the name American Jewish University. The university now offers programs in business, media arts, psychology and a number of other subjects. Its campus is also home to two art galleries that are open to the general public. The university has a small campus in the Bel Air neighborhood.
Literature, Communication and Media Program
One of the more unique Bachelor’s in Communications programs in California is the one from American Jewish University, which is its Literature, Communication and Media Program. This program consists of three core areas: media studies, communications and arts/society. Though the university lets anyone major in this subject, you must take 200 level classes and pass with a high grade before moving on to 300 and 400 level classes. During your final year in the program, you have the option of doing an independent study project or completing an internship. The university has an honors thesis class available too that lets you do a project based on a topic in your major.
Accreditation
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
15600 Mulholland Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90077
(310) 476-9777
rpotter@aju.edu
Ashford University
Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies
Mount St. Claire College opened in 1918 as an offshoot of a boarding school by the same name that once operated in the area and offered opportunities for girls and young women. This college graduated a number of teachers who later worked in urban and rural settings, but it then switched to four-year programs and became a university. After going through a few name changes, the school became Ashford University after Bridgepoint Education purchased the campus. Ashford has a main campus in San Francisco, but its enrollment climbs to more than 40,000 when you add in the students enrolled in its online classes.
Bachelor of Arts in Communications
Ashford University offers one of the only Bachelor’s in Communications programs in California designed for students who attended another college in the past. This program lets you transfer up to 90 credits earned at another accredited campus and features classes that run for just five weeks. Those shorter classes make it easier for you to maintain your same schedule while earning your degree. To earn your BA in Journalism and Mass Communication, you must take required courses in speech, computer graphic design, communications, journalism, sociology and English. You’ll study different areas of communications, including interpersonal communications, persuasion, media writing and the way people in organizations communicate with each other.
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication
Earning a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication is a great way to get your foot in the door of leading publications around the world. Unlike the university’s standard communications program, this one focuses more on writing and reporting. In addition to core courses and required courses, the program requires that students take 39 credits of journalism classes. The 13 classes you take include digital and media literacy, elements of journalism, journalism law, ethics in journalism and journalism and politics. You will also take a journalism and mass communication capstone course that allows you to do some type of final project.
Accreditation
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
8620 Spectrum Center Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92123
(563) 242-4023
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa Pacific University opened at the turn of the 21st century after a group of Methodists and Quakers decided to work together to open a school. Originally called the Training College for Christian Workers, it became an Evangelical college after the Quakers stopped their support. The college changed its name to the Pacific Bible College after changing from training programs to degree programs. Once it gained university status, it became Azusa Pacific University. The university ranks as one of the nation’s best institutions of higher learning, according to lists released by both Washington Monthly and U.S. News & World Report.
Communication Studies Major
Azusa Pacific University designed its Communication Studies Major as a way to help students learn how to make others hear their messages clearly. As one of the top Bachelor’s in Communications programs in California, the program focuses heavily on interpersonal communications, which can help you succeed in the human resources department of a business or as a reporter. Though you can choose the type of electives that you want to take, you must take 51 units of both lower-division and upper-division classes. Some of those classes include rhetorical writing, professional communication, public communication, introduction to communication studies, conflict management and ethics in human communications, which is a seminar course.
Accreditation
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
901 E. Alosta Ave., PO Box 7000
Azusa, CA 91702-7000
(626) 969-3434
Biola University
Located less than 20 minutes from downtown Los Angeles, Bola University has a convenient location that allows students living in neighboring areas to commute to classes. The name of the university is actually an acronym that stands for Biblie Institute of Los Angeles, which was the name first given to the school. Founded by a group of Presbyterian and Christian leaders, the institute served to foster the next generation of religious leaders. Though many of the students who attend the university are either Evangelical or Baptist, the school has an open door policy and accepts students from all denominations and faiths.
Communication Studies, B.A.
Though Biola University is a religious college, it offers one of the top Bachelor’s in Communications programs in California because it gives students access to more classes than other religious schools do. Biola designed this program to cover three key areas: interpersonal and group communications, mass communication and speech and language pathology. The university believes that its graduates will learn how to effectively communicate with others and how to carry their faith with them. You can pick a concentration in rhetorical and interpersonal communications, dramatic arts or interdisciplinary studies. Required classes in the B.A. program include interpersonal communication, methods of communication research and communication and diversity.
Communication Sciences and Disorders, B.S.
If you have an interest in communications but do not want to enroll in a traditional communication program, the Biola Communication Sciences and Disorders, B.S. program might be right for you. The university gives undergrads access to modern laboratories that feature new programs and software they can use in their classes and for independent research. This program can help you work as a pathologist and with patients suffering from certain disorders. The classes that you must take to graduate include fluency disorders, speech and language development and disorders of children between the ages of birth to five years and diagnostic methods.
Accreditation
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
13800 Biola Ave.
La Mirada, CA 90639
(562) 903-6000
Brandman University
Arts & Sciences
Brandman University is one of the more unique colleges in California because if primarily offers opportunities for adult students, working professionals and those who took time off from their studies in the past. Chapman University opened in the area in the 1860s and later offer education programs for those stationed on a nearby military base. The Residence Education Center Program opened in 1958 and began offering opportunities for adult learners. This branch later spun off and became Brandman University. U.S. News & World Report ranked Brandman as one of the best online colleges in the country and ranked its graduate programs highly too.
Bachelor of Arts in Communications & Media
Getting your degree from Brandman University lets you attend one of the top schools that offers Bachelor’s in Communications programs in California. This program is available on the campus in Irvine and other campuses across the state, but you can also sign up for an online version of the program. It consists of a major core of 42 credits that include classes like strategic social media, public relations, multimedia journalism, media psychology and a communication and media capstone. You must also take at least six credits of electives in media, art and similar subjects. You can take classes like modern art, critical thinking or team building.
Accreditation
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
16355 Laguna Canyon Rd.
Irvine, CA 92618
(800) 746-0082
California Baptist University
California Baptist University ranks as one of the largest and most popular Baptist colleges in the United States. Founded in 1950, it opened as a small college with just 120 students. As enrollment grew, the college designed and built a new campus to accommodate its students and moved its campus to Riverside. The college later expanded and took over nearby properties and now covers 160 square acres. A change in its curriculum, which led to the college offering courses in nursing, business, education, communications and other subjects, led to it becoming a university. Many call this campus CBU or Cal Baptist.
Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies
Graduates of the Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies program at Cal Baptist work in advertising, public relations, marketing and teaching, but some graduates also work as writers and reporters. This is one of the only programs in the state that requires students take a forensic communications class, which requires that you take part in special events taking place on campus. The program includes some unique electives too like drama in the church, drama in the classroom and small group communications. You will also take classes on oral interpretations, interpersonal communications, organizational communications, argument and debate and rhetoric and persuasion.
Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders
One of the best Bachelor’s in Communications programs in California with an emphasis on scientific learning is the Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders available at California Baptist University. After completing the 126 hours of clinical fieldwork required for graduation, you will meet one of the requirements for becoming a licensed and registered pathologist in the state. This program includes courses on chemistry, biology and other sciences, but you’ll also take some courses on communications and speech disorders. Those classes include speech and hearing anatomy and physiology, lifespan development, introduction to audiology, language disorders in children and cognitive development in infancy and early childhood.
Accreditation
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
8432 Magnolia Avenue
Riverside, CA 92504
(877) 228-3615
California Lutheran University
Undergraduate Majors & Minors
Also called Cal Lutheran and CLU, California Lutheran University is a private and religious university that has an affiliation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Lutheran Church in America and the American Lutheran Church, the predecessors to the Evangelical Lutheran Church, came together in 1954 with an idea for a college, which opened a few years later. Though it grew rapidly over the years, it still has the few of a smaller college with an enrollment of less than 5,000 students. In 2013, U.S. News & World Report ranked Cal Lutheran as the 14th best college in the west.
Communication B.A.
Bachelor’s in Communications programs in California like this one at California Lutheran University teach you the fundamentals of human and interpersonal communications. As a B.A. program, it does not include a lot of the science courses that B.S. programs do. Your courses will help you gain some practical experience because you can work for one of the campus news stations, write for the paper or even work on real advertising campaigns. The university allows students to pick a concentration in advertising and public relations, journalism or film and television production too. Cal Lutheran can also help you land an internship working for a major company like Disney or FOX Television.
Accreditation
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
60 West Olsen Rd.
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
(805) 492-2411
California State University System
Please see: Bachelor’s in Communication Programs in (California State University System)
Chapman University
Academic Programs
Chapman University is one of several religious institutions of higher learning in California. Located in the city of Orange, the university has its roots in a small college that opened in 1861. California Christian College later took over the operations of that campus and moved the campus closer to Los Angeles, which is where it had its main campus. Though it operated as Chapman College for several years, it became a university the early 1990s. U.S. News & World Report considers the university a top tier college. Chapman hosts a series of events to remember the Holocaust every year and encourages students to participate in those events.
BA in Communication Studies
The BA in Communication Studies available at Chapman University prepares you for working in advertising, as a media buyer or even as a forensic specialist. Though you can declare your major after enrolling, you’ll have the chance to take some of the required courses in this program before declaring your major. It includes courses on arguments and debates, group communications, the impact and history of radio and persuasion. This ranks as one of the top Bachelor’s in Communications programs in California because of the practical experience it provides to students. In addition to working on-campus, you can also sign up for an internship and work for a company within your specific field of study
Accreditation
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
One University Drive
Orange, CA 92866
(714) 997-6815
Concordia University Irvine
Concordia University Irvine is a small private college in Irvine, California. Plans for the college began in the 1950s, but those early founders wanted a religious institution that would encourage students to use their own faiths and religious beliefs while in school. This college later joined the Concordia University School System, which consists of 10 college campus and an online or virtual campus. Though the university is still home to Christ College, which is a seminary, it also offers classes though different schools like the School of Education and School of Business. More than 4,000 students attend Concordia University Irvine.
Communications Study Major
Concordia University Irvine offers a Communications Study Major, which is one of the top Bachelor’s in Communications programs in California, for those who want to learn more about the way humans communicate with each other. The program is available with an emphasis in general communications or in mass communications. When you select an emphasis in mass communications, you’ll spend more time learning about journalism and reporting, including writing for magazines and newspapers as well as writing for television and online sources. The communication studies core, which is worth 25 units, includes classes on interpersonal communications, research methods in communications and public speaking. You will also take 18 units within your emphasis area.
Accreditation
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
1530 Concordia West
Irvine, CA 92612
(800) 229-1200
No matter which of these colleges you decide to attend, you’ll have the chance to hone your skills and enhance your college experience with internships and other practical programs. With Bachelor’s in Communications programs in California, any student with an interest in communications can become a better and more effective communicator.
To learn about more bachelor’s in communications degrees in California, continue here:
- Bachelor’s in Communications Programs in California (D-L)
- Bachelor’s in Communications Programs in California (M-P)
- Bachelor’s in Communications Programs in California (Q-S)
- Bachelor’s in Communications Programs in California (T-Z)