The Bachelor of Arts in Communication at North Carolina State University (NC State), offered by the Department of Communication in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, combines communication theory with project work for real clients. This guide covers how the major is structured, what hands-on experience looks like, and what international applicants should know.
How the major is structured
Students complete 39 credit hours of communication coursework: five core courses plus 24 credit hours of electives (NC State Department of Communication). The core courses are:
- COM 110 Public Speaking
- COM 112 Interpersonal Communication
- COM 230 Communication Theory
- COM 240 Communication Inquiry
- COM 250 Communication and Technology
Electives are organized around six areas of competency:
- Interpersonal Communication
- Organizational Communication
- Public Relations and Strategic Communication
- Rhetoric and Civic Engagement
- Media Studies and Production
- Science, Health, Environmental and Risk Communication
The department says its graduates manage public relations campaigns, work in front of and behind the camera, and handle publicity and event planning. It also offers a Science Communication minor, a Master of Science in Communication and the Ph.D. program in Communication, Rhetoric and Digital Media (CRDM).
Hands-on work: a student example
NC State News profiled the major in its “Discover Our Majors” series in November 2025 through second-year student Ashley Scott, a communication major with a journalism minor (NC State News, November 10, 2025):
- Classroom practice: in Interpersonal Communication, taught by senior lecturer Julie Mayberry, students act out communication concepts through interactions in class.
- Client project: in Introduction to Public Relations with assistant professor Kalyca Becktel, students build mock PR campaigns for real clients. Scott’s group worked with the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Rail Division on a campaign about women’s safety on North Carolina railways, meeting Rail Division staff and touring facilities. She said the project taught her the value of fact-checking, evaluating sources and building client relationships.
- Campus job: Scott works as a student creator for University Communications and Marketing, which connected her to a National Association of Black Journalists workshop on press releases, interviews and commercial production.
- Student organizations: she is active in the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter, among other groups, and hopes to become a television reporter in a major market such as New York or Washington, D.C.
The department also maintains an internships page for students seeking placements in communication fields.
Notes for international students
- Admission: according to IPEDS, NC State received 44,047 first-year applications for fall 2025 and admitted about 42%. Of 38,464 students that fall, 3,733 were international (722 undergraduates and 3,011 graduate students), so international undergraduates are a small group.
- Cost: IPEDS lists 2025–26 undergraduate tuition and fees of $8,799 for North Carolina residents and $32,847 for out-of-state and international students, plus about $14,332 for room and board. Check NC State’s cost of attendance page for the current year.
- Work after graduation: F-1 graduates can apply for 12 months of OPT in their field. Communication degrees are generally not on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List, so the 24-month STEM OPT extension usually does not apply; check the CIP code on your I-20 against the DHS STEM list.
- Language: the major is writing- and speaking-intensive. Public speaking, client meetings and media production reward strong spoken English, so use the campus writing and speaking tutoring early.
- Ranking: NC State is No. 73 among national universities in the 2027 U.S. News ranking (Forward Pathway, U.S. college rankings). See our NC State profile for more data.