Communication Skills for the Professional Speaker - Certificate of Achievement

This program map only provides one possible pathway for degree and/or certificate obtainment and is for reference only. Please schedule an appointment with a counselor to develop your individualized Student Education Plan.

The goal of the Communication Skills for the Professional Speaker l certificate is to provide essential job skills for current or future professionals who rely on effective use of public speaking. The certificate may also be stacked with other Communication Studies certificates toward an AA-T.

The pathway below represents an efficient and effective course taking sequence for this program. Individual circumstances might require some changes to this pathway. It is always recommended that you meet with an academic counselor to develop a personalized educational plan.

Demonstrate knowledge of communication theories.

Demonstrate competent communication behaviors to be used as a professional speaker.

Program Map

Requirement
GE General Education
E Elective

Fall Year 1

6 units
COMM 108
Oral Interpretation

Through theory and practice, students will discover and communicate the intellectual, emotional, and aesthetic meaning of literature by choosing, analyzing, rehearsing, and orally presenting short selections of prose, poetry, and drama. The course is not open to students who received credit for SPCH 108.

      1. C2 - Humanities
      1. Category 3: Humanities
        COMM C1000
        Introduction to Public Speaking

        In this course, students learn and apply foundational rhetorical theories and techniques of public speaking in a multicultural democratic society. Students discover, develop, and critically analyze ideas in public discourse through research, reasoning, organization, composition, delivery to a live audience and evaluation of various types of speeches, including informative and persuasive speeches.

        The course is not open to students who received credit for SPCH 101 or COMM 101. Per CalGETC requirements, this course is taught in English. 

              1. Category 1B: Oral Communication and Critical Thinking
              1. 1C - Oral Communication (CSU only)

              Spring Year 1

              3 units
              COMM 106
              Argumentation and Debate

              This course will address the topics of logic and reasoning, logical fallacies, research and ethical advocacy through the theory and practice of academic debate. Students will develop their critical thinking skills by conducting inquiry-driven research, reading and analyzing texts and speeches/debates,and preparing and participating in formal and informal debates. Students will develop, evaluate, and refine their argumentative writing through a sequence of essays and assignments with a minimum of 5,000 words/semester.  The course is not open to students who received credit for SPCH 106.

              1. Advisories: COMM C1000
              2. Advisories: COMM 100
              3. Prerequisite: ENGL C1000
                  1. Category 1B: Oral Communication and Critical Thinking
                  1. 1B - Critical Thinking