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_O 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_O 321 Personal and Professional Identity and Interpersonal Communication
• ANTH_O 230 Culture, Happiness, and Wellness
• CULT_O 375 / ENGL_O 342 Auto/Biography Survey
• GWST_O 333 Perspectives on Gendered Bodies
• THTR_O 201 Performer/Creator Resources
• THTR_O 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_O 331 Social Writing: Studies in Multimodal Communication
• ANTH_O 373 The Acquisition of Language and Cultural Practice
• ANTH_O 377 Sociolinguistics
• ANTH_O 474 Language Emergence: From Contact to Constructed Languages
• CRWR_O 472 Editing and Publishing
• CULT_O 230 / ENGL_O 224 Foundations: Reading Across Borders
• CULT_O 346 / ENGL_O 384 Human Rights, Literature, and Culture
• GWST_O 333 Perspectives on Gendered Bodies
• HES_O 231 Exercise Counseling and Behavioural Modification
• INDG_O 310 Indigenous Women’s Perspectives: Gender, Nation, State, Resistance
• MGMT_O 230 Introduction to Organizational Behaviour
• MGMT_O 410 Leadership in Complex Environments
• MGMT_O 411 Human Resource Management
• MGMT_O 412 Negotiations
• PHIL_O 425 Philosophy of Language
• SOCI_O 209 Foundations of Sociological Thought
• THTR_O 201 Performer/Creator Resources
• WRLD_O 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_O 203 Communication in the Sciences
• CORH_O 204 Communications in the Humanities
• CORH_O 205 Communication in the Social Sciences
• CORH_O 206 Communicating Indigeneity
• ANTH_O 252 Visual Anthropology and New Media
• ANTH_O 277 Anthropology of Reading and Writing
• APSC_O 201 Technical Communication
• ARTH_O 202 The Critical Viewer
• CRWR_O 210 The Power of Story
• CRWR_O 310 The Power of Metaphor
• CRWR_O 472 Editing and Publishing
• CRWR_O 473 Writing and Community Learning
• CULT_O 360 Public Memory, Commemoration, and Identity
• DIHU_O 220 Research with Media in the Humanities
• ECON_O 310 Writing Economics for the Media
• ECON_O 351 Women in the Economy
• EESC_O 398 Technical Communications
• ENGL_O 203 Topics in Composition
• GEOG_O / SUST_O 201 Introduction to Research in Sustainability and Geography
• GWST_O 323 Feminist Epistemologies: Gender, Science, and Knowledge
• HES_O 433 Knowledge Translation in Health and Exercise Sciences
• HINT_O 408 Cultural Safety in Health: Indigenous Perspectives
• INDG_O / ENGL_O 202 Okanagan Syilx Literatures: Concepts and Frameworks
• INDG_O 301 Examining an Indigenous Methodology: En’owkinwixw
• INDG_O 310 Indigenous Women’s Perspectives: Gender, Nation, State, Resistance
• MGMT_O 220 Introduction to Marketing
• MGMT_O 230 Introduction to Organizational Behaviour
• MGMT_O 240 Introduction to Management Communications
• MGMT_O 410 Leadership in Complex Environments
• MGMT_O 411 Human Resource Management
• MGMT_O 414 Managing and Leading Non-Profit and Public Sector Organizations
• PSYO_O 270 Introduction to Research Methods and Design
• SOCI_O 209 Foundations of Sociological Thought
• SOCI_O 320 Cultural Studies in Sociology
• THTR_O 204 / SUST_O 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_O 216 Communication and Media
• ANTH_O 252 Visual Anthropology and New Media
• ARTH_O 323 / CULT_O 320 Creative Activism: Art Media and Social Justice
• ARTH_O 390 Indigenous Art and Visual Culture, and Culture
• ARTH_O 411/ DIHU_O 411 Digital Media for Interpretive Centres
• ARTH_O 451 Politics of Exhibition and Representation
• COSC_O 247 Networks and Social Media
• COSC_O 341 Human Computer Interaction
• CRWR_O 474 Writing with Media
• CULT_O 315/ ENGL_O 376 Television Studies
• CULT_O 316 / FILM_O 303 / THTR_O 303 Narrative Film Production
• CULT_O 317 / FILM_O 371 Digital Documentary Production
• CULT_O 325 Media and the Politics of Identity
• ECON_O 310 Writing Economics for the Media
• HES_O 433 Knowledge Translation in Health and Exercise Sciences
• GWST_O 215 Gender and Popular Culture
• MGMT_O 220 Introduction to Marketing
• MGMT_O 440 Brands, Culture and Marketing
• MGMT_O 441 Marketing Strategy
• THTR_O 401 Live Art/New Media
• VISA_O 268 Strategies in Digital Art: Visual Communication
• VISA_O 269 Strategies in Digital Art: Virtual Worlds

In addition, all students must complete the mandatory course, CORH_O 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.