Communication Studies Program

We will be recognized across campus as the experts in human communication.
We will utilize our expertise to educate campus and community partners on the constantly evolving nature of communication in our world.
We will be the choice for students seeking to study communication.
We will be at the forefront of innovating undergraduate communication curriculum.
We will provide graduate students more opportunities to study communication.
We will purposefully cultivate meaningful relationships with students, spanning from before they join us to long after they graduate.
We will strengthen a thriving community where students feel comfortable, welcomed, supported, enriched, and confident.

The Communication Studies program is the academic unit at Iowa State University for exploring and improving human communication. We lead people to use communication in effectively navigating conflict situations, fostering healthy relationships, and affecting positive changes in organizations and communities.

Following a social science tradition, we teach students how to think critically and implement evidence-based research strategies to address complex communication processes. We equip students to communicate competently in face-to-face conversations and digital interactions in an ever-changing world. Students apply their learning through serving community partners and collaborating with faculty to produce new knowledge.

Faculty advance the understanding of human communication through teaching, practice, and research. In keeping with the land grant mission of Iowa State University, we share our expertise in the classroom, throughout the university, and with the broader community.