Frequently Asked Questions About Our Program

How can I get involved with the Speech and Debate Club at De Anza College?

De Anza's Speech and Debate club provides you with an opportunity to apply communication and argumentation skills in a fun and competitive environment. Students of any skill level are welcome. You can earn 1.00 to 4.00 graded units per quarter under the course "Special Topics in Communicaton". Contact Alex Kramer for further information.

How can I earn a Certificate in Speech Communication at De Anza College? 

• Decide which certificate you would like to pursue from the list under Certificate of Achievement in Speech Communication.
• Successfully complete the courses for the certificate chosen earning a C or better grade.
  
• File a petition with counseling upon completion of all courses required for the certificate you selected.

What can I do with a Speech Communication Certificate?

A Speech Communication Certificate will be beneficial in meeting both your career and academic goals. Many companies in the Bay Area recognize De Anza College as an exceptional educational institution, and a Speech Communication Certificate from De Anza is evidence of a student's knowledge and ability in what these companies consider the most important skills an employee can have: communication skills. Having a Speech Communication Certificate on your resume definitely will make an impression when the personnel officer is reviewing applications for a job opening. Communication skills are also critical to your academic success. A Speech Communication Certificate serves as evidence of your ability to communicate effectively in your major field  of study.

How can I get an A.A. Degree in Speech Communication at De Anza College?

For all the details on what courses to take, on a web page you may want to print out, click here on A.A Degree in Speech Communication!

What can I do with a Speech Communication Degree?

As an undergraduate degree, a Speech Communication degree is one of the most practical for preparation for a number of career paths. Opportunities for one with a Speech Communication degree abound in Business, Law, Medicine, Education, Government, Law Enforcement, Media, Public Relations, Advertising, Arts and Entertainment, Social and Human Services, High Technology Industries, and International Relations. Knowing more about how people communicate, why they communicate the way they do, and the most effective ways to communicate in a variety of situations are important in any field if you are in sales, customer relations, teamwork, training, public information, negotiation, and on and on. As a minor or as a major, whether you enter the work force or go on to post graduate studies in any field, your undergraduate study in Speech Communication will serve you well.
Of course, if you find you love the study of Speech Communication so much that you wish to teach others at a Community College or University, you could decide to go on for a Master's Degree, or even a Ph.D.!

Where can I go to get a Bachelor's Degree in Speech Communication?

There are many colleges and universities throughout the United States that have excellent departments in Communication Studies (as it is generally called). One of the finest is San Jose State University which offers both a B.A. and a M.A. in Communication Studies.

Many other California State Universities also have excellent programs, including San Francisco State University, California State University East Bay, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Cal State Fresno, Cal State Fullerton, Humboldt State, San Diego State, Cal State Los Angeles, Cal State Long Beach, and Cal State Northridge. (click on underlined colleges to visit their web sites.)

What would I study in a Communication Studies department?

Most students find they like to focus on an area of Speech Communication, going to a college that emphasizes that area and/or taking courses that goes into depth in that area. Although you would want to get a good general foundation in communication theory and practice, you might decide then to focus on any of the following: Public Address; Communication in Groups; Business and/or Organizational Communication; Argumentation and Debate; Interpersonal Communication; Intercultural Communication; Mass Communication; Public Relations; International Communication; Communication Education; Rhetorical and Communication Theory; Political Communication; or any combination of these.

You can see that Speech Communication field is a broad one, and learning about communication can take you down a number of paths. Either as preparation for a career in the field of communication, or as preparation for one of the careers mentioned above (see What can I do with a Degree in Speech Communication), you have many choices available to you when you pursue the study of Speech Communication.