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Communication (2036)

Arts and Humanities
Arts and Humanities

Communication - Associate in Science (AS) (2036)

If you’re a natural wordsmith or people-person, and you enjoy finding ways to communicate messages, express ideas and engage with others, the field of communication might be the right fit for you. The Communication Associate in Science (AS) program at HACC can lead you to a rewarding career in two distinct concentration areas. As you receive your associate's degree, you have the option of transferring your credits to a four-year school to pursue a bachelor’s degree in your chosen concentration.
 

Jump to career information below!

When you first enroll in the Communication program at HACC, you will need to select a specific concentration based on your interests. Our two-year program and concentration options gives you the basic communication skills you need to work in:

  • Human Communication: You may find entry-level positions in customer service, advertising sales, audience and market research, government, industry,  human resources and business.
  • Public Communication: You may entry-level positions in organizations, institutions and companies where you are able to contribute to the planning, development and execution of an array of communication venues (pamphlets, press releases, newsletters, social) for an organization.

If you're interested in entering into the journalism arena, you may find opportunities as writers, reporters, editors, videographers and photographers at newspapers, magazines, television, radio and online publications.

No matter your interest, the diversity of career paths in the communication field leads to exciting opportunities that you can pair with your own interests. HACC can help you choose the concentration that best suits your passions and goals. Our Communication program is the right path for students who:  

  • Enjoy thinking critically
  • Are interested in communicating verbally or through the written word
  • Are perceptive to other people’s reactions and emotions
  • Know how to connect with different audiences

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Our Communication program prepares you for careers or further education within the field of communication. Our program allows you the opportunity to select between two distinct concentrations - Human or Public Communication. The Human Communication concentration offers coursework that pertains to interacting with others. The Public Communication concentration focuses on public relations and/or journalism. 

If your intent is to transfer your coursework to a four-year institution and pursue a Bachelor's degree, then you would work closely with your intended transfer institution to select your courses.  If you choose to only complete our associate's program, then you will have the basic skills needed to enter the workforce in a variety of fields related to communication. With either decision, our program teaches you to think, act and communicate effectively, critically and creatively. Thereby, enriching your personal and professional lives with a diverse environment. We can help you determine your career goals and choose your classes accordingly.

By enrolling in our program, our experienced professors teach students how to:  

  • Employ the communication skills necessary to engage in diverse personal, professional, civic and social relationships
  • Express their ideas in oral and written messages that are coherent, persuasive, ethical and appropriate for specific audiences
  • Analyze significant issues in the history, theory and criticism of human and mass communication
  • Use appropriate technology to the creation and dissemination of messages

 

  • View summaries of every course at HACC by browsing our class schedules database.
  • Review our program guide (pdf) to view a list of required courses, recommended course sequencing and program competencies.

Affordably YOURS, our two-year degree program is a transfer program. We designed our programs to be flexible enough to transfer to a wide variety of four-year colleges and universities with no loss of credit. If your intended transfer school participates in Pennsylvania’s statewide college credit transfer system, you will be able to begin at the junior level. Our programs also transfer well to schools outside of the statewide system. However, each individual college has its own unique program.  We encourage you to select a four-year school as soon as possible. This will allow you to learn the transfer college’s program requirements so you can take the proper classes at HACC.
We also encourage you to select your specific concentration area as quickly as possible when you enroll at HACC. We can then help you communicate with your transfer school to ensure you correctly coordinate the courses you take.

Our various transfer options for communication include:

 

Carlow University: Pennsylvania Statewide P2P Agreement (pdf)
Cheyney University of PA: Pennsylvania Statewide P2P Agreement (pdf)
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania - Bloomsburg: Pennsylvania Statewide P2P Agreement (pdf)
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania - Lock Haven: Pennsylvania Statewide P2P Agreement (pdf)
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania - Mansfield: Pennsylvania Statewide P2P Agreement (pdf)
East Stroudsburg University of PA: Pennsylvania Statewide P2P Agreement (pdf)
Elizabethtown College: Communication into Communication (pdf)
Elizabethtown College, Accelerated Programs: Communication into Corporate Communication (pdf)
Geneva College: Pennsylvania Statewide P2P Agreement (pdf)
Indiana University of PA: Pennsylvania Statewide P2P Agreement (pdf)
Juniata College: Communication (pdf)
Kutztown University of PA: Pennsylvania Statewide P2P Agreement (pdf)
Lincoln University: Pennsylvania Statewide P2P Agreement (pdf)
Millersville University of PA: Communication AS to BS Speech Communication (pdf)
Penn State Harrisburg: Communications (pdf)
Penn State York: Program to Program Transfer Information (pdf)
PennWest California: Pennsylvania Statewide P2P Agreement (pdf)
PennWest Clarion: Pennsylvania Statewide P2P Agreement (pdf)
PennWest Edinboro: Pennsylvania Statewide P2P Agreement (pdf)
Shippensburg University of PA: Pennsylvania Statewide P2P Agreement (pdf)
Slippery Rock University of PA: Pennsylvania Statewide P2P Agreement (pdf)
West Chester University of PA: Pennsylvania Statewide P2P Agreement (pdf)
West Virginia University: Advertising & Public Relations (B.S.J) (pdf)
West Virginia University: Journalism (B.S.J) (pdf)

You may complete this program at our GettysburgHarrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon and York campuses by taking their coursework through various modalities (e.g., on-campus/in-person instruction, hybrid, synchronous remote instruction and/or asynchronous instruction).

Yes! We offer many scholarships through the HACC Foundation. Each scholarship has specific eligibility requirements. To learn how to apply, please visit hacc.edu/Scholarships.

If you are interested in pursuing an associate degree in Communication from HACC, you can enroll in classes for the spring, summer and fall. Submit your application anytime on our website.

To ensure you apply for the correct program, please include the program code 2036 with your application and the sub-major code for the concentration of your interest.

 

Future students, we are excited to connect with you and answer your questions. Please choose the option that works best for you to meet with us.

Current HACC students, please contact our Advising Department with any questions.

“My favorite thing about HACC is the students. I love that each student brings his or her own story, goals, culture and experiences into the classroom. The best part is when the class, the entire group of very diverse individuals, connects as a group.” - Holly Cieri, M.S., communication faculty member

Meet Christian: Disney College Program Participant

“I think people view community college as a last resort for college, when in reality, HACC has better opportunities than plenty of ‘more prestigious’ schools.”