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Undergraduate Certificate in Communications and Rhetoric

Program Overview

The Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies offers the Undergraduate Certificate in Communications and Rhetoric as an interdisciplinary study of communication skills and rhetoric which will help students communicate persuasively through different media, in personal, professional, and digital contexts. The Certificate offers students value-added professional credentials to their academic degree in order to enhance employability and professional progression. They will develop core competencies to communicate persuasively through different media in their university and post-university careers within personal, professional, and digital contexts. Students gain a conceptual and theoretical understanding of communication from an interdisciplinary perspective, and also apply their knowledge through engagement in community service learning and experiential practice within professional and community settings.

Students already enrolled in a degree program offered by the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, the Faculty of Health and Social Development, the Faculty of Management, the Faculty of Science, and the School of Engineering at UBC Okanagan are eligible to receive the Undergraduate Certificate in Communications and Rhetoric upon successful completion of the Certificate requirements.

Students must register in the Certificate program prior to registration in the capstone course.

Admission Requirements

Students must have completed the English or Communication requirement for their degree program before registering for the Certificate program.

Certificate Requirements

To earn an Undergraduate Certificate in Communications and Rhetoric, students must complete a minimum of 15 credits (four 3-credit courses from the 200-level or higher, and a final communication capstone). They are required to select at least one course from each of the four thematic clusters listed below (please note the additional program approved courses that are included):

6 of these credits must be from CORH courses. Up to two courses (6 credits) used to satisfy a degree program requirement may also be used to satisfy the certificate requirements.

Some of this certificate's course options are from other established programs, which may have program-based prerequisites that will limit students' choices. Students are advised to make themselves aware of these prerequisites as they plan their courses. Some program-specific courses may also have limited availability.

Students should consult with their program advisor and see their program website regarding additional, program-specific courses that may be used towards the certificate.

    1. The Self: Understandings of self and how the self impacts relationships with others are a foundation for effective personal and professional communication.
    3 credits from:
  • CORH 321 Personal and Professional Identity and Interpersonal Communication
  • ANTH 230 Culture, Happiness, and Wellness
  • CULT 375/ENGL 342 Auto/Biography Survey
  • GWST 333 Perspectives on Gendered Bodies
  • THTR 201 Performer/Creator Resources
  • THTR 212 Creativity as Source and Resource
    2. The Individual and Others: Interpersonal communication skills across a range of digital, written, and oral platforms can enhance students’ abilities to navigate professional, personal, and academic contexts.
    3 credits from:
  • CORH 331 Social Writing: Studies in Multimodal Communication
  • ANTH 373 The Acquisition of Language and Cultural Practice
  • ANTH 377 Sociolinguistics
  • ANTH 474 Language Emergence: From Contact to Constructed Languages
  • CRWR 472 Editing and Publishing
  • CULT 230/ENGL 224 Foundations: Reading Across Borders
  • CULT 346/ENGL 384 Human Rights, Literature, and Culture
  • GWST 333 Perspectives on Gendered Bodies
  • HES 231 Exercise Counseling and Behavioural Modification
  • INDG 310 Indigenous Women’s Perspectives: Gender, Nation, State, Resistance
  • MGMT 230 Introduction to Organizational Behaviour
  • MGMT 410 Leadership in Complex Environments
  • MGMT 411 Human Resource Management
  • MGMT 412 Negotiations
  • PHIL 425 Philosophy of Language
  • SOCI 209 Foundations of Sociological Thought
  • THTR 201 Performer/Creator Resources
  • WRLD 382 Cross-Cultural Travel Narratives
    3. The Community: Communication genres and styles are agreed upon within communities; this cluster offers students in-depth understanding of communications expectations, needs, and challenges within a range of communities.
    3 credits from:
  • CORH 203 Communication in the Sciences
  • CORH 204 Communications in the Humanities
  • CORH 205 Communication in the Social Sciences
  • CORH 206 Communicating Indigeneity
  • ANTH 252 Visual Anthropology and New Media
  • ANTH 277 Anthropology of Reading and Writing
  • APSC 201 Technical Communication
  • ARTH 202 The Critical Viewer
  • CRWR 210 The Power of Story
  • CRWR 310 The Power of Metaphor
  • CRWR 472 Editing and Publishing
  • CRWR 473 Writing and Community Learning
  • CULT 360 Public Memory, Commemoration, and Identity
  • DIHU 220 Research with Media in the Humanities
  • ECON 310 Writing Economics for the Media
  • ECON 351 Women in the Economy
  • EESC 398 Technical Communications
  • ENGL 203 Topics in Composition
  • GEOG/ SUST 201 Introduction to Research in Sustainability and Geography
  • GWST 323 Feminist Epistemologies: Gender, Science, and Knowledge
  • HES 433 Knowledge Translation in Health and Exercise Sciences
  • HINT 408 Cultural Safety in Health: Indigenous Perspectives
  • INDG/ ENGL 202 Okanagan Syilx Literatures: Concepts and Frameworks
  • INDG 301 Examining an Indigenous Methodology: En’owkinwixw
  • INDG 310 Indigenous Women’s Perspectives: Gender, Nation, State, Resistance
  • MGMT 220 Introduction to Marketing
  • MGMT 230 Introduction to Organizational Behaviour
  • MGMT 240 Introduction to Management Communications
  • MGMT 410 Leadership in Complex Environments
  • MGMT 411 Human Resource Management
  • MGMT 414 Managing and Leading Non-Profit and Public Sector Organizations
  • PSYO 270 Introduction to Research Methods and Design
  • SOCI 209 Foundations of Sociological Thought
  • SOCI 320 Cultural Studies in Sociology
  • THTR 204/SUST 204 Creative Communication and Engagement
    4. The Media: By researching, analyzing and creating digital, textual, audio, and visual media, students will engage with contemporary communication theory and practice.
    3 credits from:
  • CORH 216 Communication and Media
  • ANTH 252 Visual Anthropology and New Media
  • ARTH 323/CULT 320 Creative Activism: Art Media and Social Justice
  • ARTH 390 Indigenous Art and Visual Culture, and Culture
  • ARTH 411/DIHU 411 Digital Media for Interpretive Centres
  • ARTH 451 Politics of Exhibition and Representation
  • COSC 247 Networks and Social Media
  • COSC 341 Human Computer Interaction
  • CRWR 474 Writing with Media
  • CULT 315/ENGL 376 Television Studies
  • CULT 316/FILM 303/THTR 303 Narrative Film Production
  • CULT 317/FILM 371 Digital Documentary Production
  • CULT 325 Media and the Politics of Identity
  • ECON 310 Writing Economics for the Media
  • HES 433 Knowledge Translation in Health and Exercise Sciences
  • GWST 215 Gender and Popular Culture
  • MGMT 220 Introduction to Marketing
  • MGMT 440 Brands, Culture and Marketing
  • MGMT 441 Marketing Strategy
  • THTR 401 Live Art/New Media
  • VISA 268 Strategies in Digital Art: Visual Communication
  • VISA 269 Strategies in Digital Art: Virtual Worlds

In addition, all students must complete the mandatory course, CORH 499, Communication Capstone.

Students are expected to contact their academic advisors before enrolling in the Certificate program to assess their eligibility and academic progression.

Registration

Interested students can register for the Certificate by going to the website and completing the Undergraduate Certificate in Communications and Rhetoric Option registration process.


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