Student Testimonials

Carmen Cedeno

“Majoring in Corporate Communication has made me a more effective speaker and an empathetic, open-minded listener. Effective communication is at the core of our everyday lives, and each of our successes can be traced to how well we communicate with others. From presenting in class, to collaborating in a group, or to negotiating a multi-million dollar deal with an important business stakeholder: communication is key. I owe many of my successes, including my leadership in Baruch’s Conversation Partners Program, to the various communication courses I have taken in the Department of Communication Studies.”

Marina Del Giacco

“Majoring in Communication Studies was an easy decision for me. I’m a people-person and enjoy interacting with people from all different walks of life. I chose Interpersonal and Group Communication because it strengthens our ability to understand people and situations, have positive and uplifting conversations, and a productive outlook on life. Learning how to understand others and ourselves is a key component in a happy lifestyle.”

Suhee Kim

“I love my major: Interpersonal and Group Communication. I chose it, expecting to improve my communication skills. Human interaction occurs every day and everywhere, in our personal and professional lives. Communication during these interactions appears simple but is complex, and therefore very important and invaluable to learn. During the lab exercises in Group Communication class, for example, students form groups and learn how to work well together, including with members who have various cultural backgrounds and characteristics.”

Bryan Sulicki

“The Intercultural and International Communication major allows me expand on my interest in other cultures—whether they be nationalities or social. Learning how to communicate between cultures is needed in our globalized society in business and global politics. I hope to be able to pursue a career in either international business or international politics. In international business I can play a role in being the link between countries for a company. A career like this would also feed my want to travel the world and see it. A career in international politics would allow me to use my interest in cultures and create positive communication between nations.”

Jennifer Rubinshteyn

“When choosing my major, I was presented with a wonderful new choice: The major in Communication Studies. As someone who is greatly interested in communal political engagement, I am captivated by all of the courses in my chosen focus of Rhetoric and Public Advocacy, as well as the variety of other courses offered the major. I have seen an overall improvement in my understanding of others and myself, and I am excited that I am able to connect ideas between the seemingly different discussions within my various courses. I am ever-grateful for being offered a program that has already been so beneficial to both my professional and personal competence.”

Ariel Peterson

“I knew Communication Studies was for me since I attended The High School for Innovation in Advertising and Media. I had my first paying client for a project called DCMET (focusing on the decrease of student drop-out rates), and I enjoyed sharing my ideas and being creative. The internships that I’ve completed and the executives that I had the privilege of being mentored by also played a vital role in my decision to major in Communication Studies. I chose the concentration in Digital Communication and Culture to expand my knowledge of media and media production and to make a difference through innovation.”

Chris Garner

“I chose the Minor in Communication Studies because I knew the skills I would learn and develop would benefit me indefinitely, both personally and professionally. The rapid spread of globalization has created the necessity to communicate with people from many different backgrounds. As a result of my studies, I now have a higher level of confidence when communicating with my coworkers, friends, and family. It has become easier to express my ideas and interpret theirs. In my opinion, these courses are fundamental to becoming a well-rounded world citizen.”

Keri-Ann Knight-Francis

“I decided to become a Minor in Communication Studies because, as a major in Business/
International Marketing, effective communication skills are needed. Three very important communication courses I took are Intercultural Communication, which has allowed me the opportunity of interacting with various cultures and becoming exposed to those that I was ignorant towards; Business Communication, which has taught me the language of the how to communicate in the corporate world (through business reports, letters, memos, e-mail, etc.); and Persuasion, where I learned how to present a persuasive argument effectively. These courses have helped me get closer to my future goal.”

Modeline Delacruz

“I was extremely shy and found it difficult to express myself in front of other people, but in the course COM 1010: Speech Communication I learned techniques and now I’m able to open up and express myself clearly. I’ve been able to see it in other students as well. The class is not exclusively based on public speaking but speech writing, research, group assignments, and body language. Overall, the textbook The Art of Public Speaking, my professor, and materials my professor provided have all helped me battle my fear throughout this course. This has been a very fundamental course, and I will definitely use the things I’ve learned later on in life.”

Alvin Tran

“The world is changing every day. Whether it is managing reputation, handling a crisis, or conducting business internationally, communicating effectively is the key to success. This is why I chose the MA in Corporate Communication. Not only did this program teach me how to think on my feet, it also helped me view each situation using different angles. I plan to use my degree to advance the public relations strategies of my company and to expand our relations internationally.”

Ran Xiang

“I am an MBA student in Finance. The reason I chose a communication class (International Business Communication) as my general elective is because I deeply believe that, in the 21st century, a person’s most competitive ability lies in his or her communication skills. This is a world inhabited by human beings, not software or hardware. It is humans we face everyday. With excellent communication skills, you will not only have more chances in this competitive world but also work and live more enjoyably.”

Student Projects

Dana Frenkel on Campus Dynamics

Creative Inquiry Day celebrates undergraduate research and creative endeavors at Baruch. During CID 2016, Dana Frenkel (Communication Studies major and Valentin Lizana y Parrague Social Justice Fellow) presented a poster session on “Decoding College Campus Dynamics”. Her study, under faculty mentor Rick Wilkins, associate professor of communication studies, gauged Baruch students’ and professors’ conflicting attitudes and beliefs towards political correctness. Findings suggests that the use of the speech code is associated with increased intercultural apprehensiveness, which can impede students’ overall learning experience.

Group Communication: The Kindness Effect

In COM 3078 Group Communication taught by Elizabeth Minei, associate professor of communication studies, student teams complete a Do-Good Capstone Project. A recent project, the Kindness Effect, conducted by Miriam Yardeni, Dafnie St. Juliette, Marieliz De La Cruz, Juan Huasipoma, and Natia Gvazava called on people to commit random acts of kindness and post about them on Facebook. The project spread as far as Sri Lanka and inspired a professor there to challenge her students to one random act of kindness. Altogether, the group documented over 1465 acts of kindness as a result of their initiative.