Communication is a career field that requires hands-on exposure and preparation early on from people with real-world experience, while organizations are an inescapable part of social life, so an understanding of how human relationships work in organizations is an essential element of career success. The faculty in the Department of Communication and Organizational Leadership are practitioners and academics who subscribe to the teacher-scholar model as they guide the professional development of students’ leadership and career exploration through extracurricular clubs and national conference experiences. 

The department guides students in how to communicate effectively and ethically across a variety of media channels. Students get hands-on experience through our award-winning student converged media news website, Sentry Media, as well as through RMU Radio and RMU-TV. They also intern locally and nationally which positions them to launch careers in the professional market or for continuation in graduate studies. 

As an interdisciplinary field of study, organizational leadership complements other professional skills. Across private and public sectors, employers require people to lead skillfully, communicate effectively, manage interpersonal conflicts, solve organizational problems, work in teams, and make ethical decisions.