The Department of Communication Studies at the University of Montana-Missoula focuses on three broad areas of study: interpersonal interaction and human relationships, organizational and institutional communication, and rhetoric and public discourse. The knowledge and skills the student may acquire in each of these areas are important to functioning effectively in one's personal life, at work, and as a citizen of the larger society in a rapidly changing world. Students may pursue a general major in Communication Studies or select one of three special options: Organizational Communication, Communication and Human Relationships, or Rhetoric and Public Discourse. Each of these special options provides additional background important to particular careers.We also have an excellent faculty. All of our full time faculty members have Ph.D.s. They all conduct research and publish articles on communication but everyone teaches undergraduate courses and advises undergraduate students. The student teaching evaluations of the instructors in our department are as strong as you'll see anywhere. In fact, we consistently have among the best teacher evaluations on campus<br><br>Many of our courses are limited to 30 or fewer students. The curriculum is flexible, it emphasizes broad knowledge of communication in personal, professional, and public life, along with speaking, writing, and analytic skills. The knowledge and skills taught in the department are essential in many careers. We also offer a number of honors courses and a chapter of the communication honor society, Lambda Pi Eta.<br><br>Our courses have strong ties to other programs and minors in areas such as Women's Studies, Human and Family Development, Environmental Studies, International Development, Climate Change Studies, and Nonprofit Administration. We also have one of the largest internship programs on campus.<br><br>Finally, student research, training, and volunteer work are an important part of our research methods and organizational communication courses. We encourage undergraduates to get involved in research and we help interested students to attend student research conferences.