Communication and Sociology

Undergraduate

Lynette Sharp Penya, Chair
ACU Box 28156
Abilene, Texas 79699-8156
Sherrod Building - Don Morris Center, Room 128

Phone: 325-674-2136
Email: penyal@acu.edu
Web: https://www.acu.edu/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/departments/communication- sociology/

Faculty

Jonathan Camp, Associate Professor
Joe Cardot, Professor
Dorothy Collins Andreas, Associate Professor
Randall Fowler, Assistant Professor
Suzanne Macaluso, Associate Professor
Sheila Ritchie, Instructor and Director of Forensics
Cynthia Roper, Professor
Lynette Sharp Penya, Professor
J.D. Wallace, Professor

Communication

The Communication program offers both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in communication. A minor in communication may be added to other majors. The department also offers a master’s degree in communication. For more information about this program, see the graduate section below. Click here to learn about scholarships available to entering freshmen and majors.

Introduction

Communication plays a vital role in society, permeating all social, corporate, civic, educational, and religious contexts. The ability to communicate well in oral and written formats is one of the top skills employers seek.

The focus of our discipline is on designing, communicating, and mediating messages among diverse groups in organizations and society. Graduates are especially prepared in such essential areas as team building, leadership, advocacy, and critical thinking. Students successfully completing a major in communication equip themselves for careers in a variety of fields, including business, healthcare, law, ministry, consulting, government, higher education, and nonprofits.

Three concentrations help students tailor their undergraduate experience:

Corporate and nonprofit concentration. Students who choose this concentration select from courses such as crisis management, nonprofit event communication, leadership, and organizational communication. These courses develop students’ business-related knowledge and skills, preparing them for a variety of careers in profit and nonprofit contexts. Potential careers include management, training, marketing, executive leadership, consulting, human resources, and public relations.
Persuasion and advocacy concentration. Students who select this concentration will develop knowledge and skills needed to influence and advocate in a variety of contexts. Courses include civil discourse, persuasion, political communication, risk communication, and health communication. These courses provide students with a wide range of advocacy experiences and a pathway into careers such as fundraising, lobbying, risk management, mediation, campaign management, social justice advocacy, and law school.
Communication studies concentration. This concentration provides the most flexible degree plan. Students choosing this concentration will develop knowledge and skills in the foundations of the communication field while sampling advanced coursework related to advocacy, interpersonal communication, and career paths for communication professionals. This generalist concentration equips students for teaching, ministry, communication roles in any workplace, and graduate education.

The department staffs and operates the ACU Speaking Center housed in the campus library. The Center provides expertise in all aspects of the creation and delivery of presentations. The services are available to all students, faculty, staff, and community members.

The department is also home to Abilene Christian University’s speech and debate team, which enjoys a long and rich tradition of excellence. The nationally-ranked team is open to all majors, and competitive scholarships are available.

Study Abroad Expectations

All students are encouraged to participate in ACU’s Study Abroad program. Classes offered at Study Abroad sites vary depending on the site. Academic advisors can assist students in planning ahead for their Study Abroad experience and should be consulted during the freshman year.

Admission Requirements

Before being admitted to the program in communication, a student must satisfy the requirements listed in the ACT/SAT Placement Information section of this catalog.

Sociology

Suzie Macaluso, Director
ACU Box 28156
Abilene, Texas 79699-7890
Sherrod Building, Room 129

Phone: 325-674-8963
Email: Suzie.Macaluso@acu.edu
Web: https://www.acu.edu/academics/undergraduate/bachelor-of-science-in-sociology/

Faculty

Suzanne Macaluso, Associate Professor

The Sociology program offers the Bachelor of Science degree in sociology. A minor in sociology may be added to other majors. Click here to learn about scholarships available to entering freshmen and majors.

Introduction

Sociology is the scientific study of social life. Few fields have such a broad scope and relevance for research, theory, and application. The department offers courses in sociological theory, social inequality, health, race and ethnicity, gender, crime and deviance, and social problems. Students who major in sociology learn to conduct research, analyze and interpret data, understand diverse cultures, critically examine the interaction of groups and societies, and write and speak skillfully.

The primary goal of the sociology program is to provide a quality educational experience within a Christian, liberal arts perspective. Students will be prepared to assume entry level careers of service and leadership in communities or continue graduate studies in related fields of study.

Sociology is devoted to understanding our social world – how and why it is changing and how to make it better. Its primary subject matter is the group, not the individual. Sociology attempts to give people an insight into intergroup relationships at work, in the family, the church, the community and the world. Since all human activity is social, our subject matter ranges from family relationships to mob violence, from religion to organized crime, from divisions over gender, race and social class to consensus on basic values, from the sociology of work to the sociology of sports. In fact, few fields of study have such a global scope and relevance for so many applications.

Because sociology offers special training in a broad range of social issues and competency in gathering, organizing and evaluating data, a degree in sociology helps open numerous job opportunities in our information-oriented society. At the baccalaureate level, sociology majors acquire positions in such diverse occupational settings as social service agencies, management, criminal justice, community research, gerontology, public relations, medical facilities, church ministries, case workers, lobbyists, community planning, public school teaching, legal offices, public/social policy, and numerous others.

Many undergraduates in sociology pursue their master’s and doctorates in specialized fields of sociology. Others use their sociology training in diverse graduate fields such as community studies and development, family therapy, social work, urban planning, church ministry and missions. Sociology also provides excellent preparation for law school by exposing students to critical thinking and research skills, interpersonal and organizational dynamics, and social policy issues.

Study Abroad Expectations

Admission Requirements

Before being admitted to this program, a student must satisfy the requirements listed in the ACT/SAT Placement Information section of this catalog.

Graduate

Communication

Lynette Sharp Penya, Chair

Dorothy Collins Andreas, Graduate Director
ACU Box 28156
Abilene, Texas 79699-8156
Sherrod Building, Room 134B

Phone: 325-674-2136
Email: dca20a@acu.edu
Web: https://resgrad.acu.edu/master-of-arts-in-communication

Faculty

Jonathan Camp, Associate Professor
Joe Cardot, Professor
Dorothy Collins Andreas, Associate Professor
Randall Fowler, Assistant Professor
Cindy Roper, Professor
Lynette Sharp Penya, Professor
J.D. Wallace, Professor

Introduction

Communication is the cornerstone for success in virtually every career field. To equip students with this essential foundation, the Department of Communication and Sociology offers a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Communication. This degree prepares students for leadership roles in a variety of contexts, including nonprofit organizations, business, international corporations, media/public relations, churches, education, advocacy, and law or doctoral studies.

The department prepares graduates to understand the nature of communication on both the theoretical and practical levels. Students study topics and skills in a wide variety of relational, group, organizational, mediated, and intercultural contexts, including, but not limited to crafting and analyzing persuasive messages, leading organizations through change, communicating with stakeholders during a crisis, conducting successful focus groups, working with individuals and companies from diverse cultures, organizing and leading trainings, representing an organization on social media, writing and analyzing survey data, and understanding how to construct and lead productive groups and teams.

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for an M.A. in communication are:

A completed application for admission with a nonrefundable application fee;
An official transcript(s) in English (or translated to English) of all previous colleges attended. The transcript must indicate an earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university or equivalent;
A cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale;
Two letters of recommendation;
A satisfactory GRE score;
An essay describing the applicant’s purpose for pursuing a graduate degree in communication;
A writing sample representing high quality work (e.g. term paper) by the applicant.

Programs

Master of Arts

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Science

Minor

Courses

Anthropology

Communication

Sociology