CAS and your Career




	Communication skills are fundamental to success in most careers. Listed below are just a few of the studies that point to the importance of the skills and theory you will learn as a Communication Arts & Sciences minor.

	Research indicates that business professionals consider communication skills of major importance for graduating college students. A recent study by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business,which accredits MBA courses, found that MBA graduates think that the ability to communicate effectively with another person is the single most useful skill for their careers, but that only 6% of business schools are even “moderately effective” in teaching that skill (The Economist, July 27, 2002, p. 60). In addition, The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that a survey of 1,015 workers found that 87% rated communication skills as “very important” to performing their jobs in comparison to 50% who rated computer skills as “very important” (June 14, 2000).

	Business executives also complain that 14% of each 40 hour work week is wasted because of communication failures (USA Today, September 30, 1998). Also, communication skills and self motivation topped the list of personal qualities sought by 435 employers surveyed by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (Wall Street Journal, February 8, 2000). Studies also indicate the importance of communication training in specific fields such as chemical engineering, accounting, banking, computer careers and technology, and engineering, to name just a few.

	In spite of the research suggesting that communication skills are key to career success, most colleges and universities are not perceived as training students to communicate effectively. Therefore, a minor in Communication Arts & Sciences will likely give you the skills to stand out in your chosen career. In addition, according to the Wall Street Journal (December 29, 1998), in a survey of 480 companies and organizations, the ability to communicate ranked first among the personal qualities of college graduates sought by employers. Finally, communication education helps students become more effective in diverse environments.