Effective communication is the lifeblood to building and maintaining successful personal and professional relationships.
Whether you are considering a four-year degree in Communication Studies at a transfer institution with a GRCC Pre-Major, fulfilling a course requirement for a specific degree or program or simply seeking personal or professional growth, our Communication Studies department has a lot to offer. Increasingly, employers are valuing and rewarding employees with strong communication skills, including the ability to actively listen, work collaboratively in teams, problem solve, manage conflict, demonstrate strong verbal and nonverbal communication skills and show the ability to identify and adapt to diverse perspectives.
With this in mind, GRCC's graduation requirements have been altered to include Communication Studies courses. To align with the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA), GRCC's graduation requirements were updated to allow students to choose either English 102 (EN 102) or Interpersonal Communication (COM 135) or Fundamentals of Public Speaking (COM 131). This reflects the increasing need for graduating students to develop the healthy balance of both written and verbal communication skills. Please be sure to check with your department, program, and/or transfer institution to confirm their specific requirements.
Our instructors are focused entirely on the classroom and emphasize hands-on application of communication skills to blend with a theoretical approach to learning. We provide a flexible schedule to meet the needs of our students, including daytime, evening and some weekend and online classes. Our classes are offered at a variety of sites around the area including the downtown Grand Rapids campus and at various satellite campus locations in Kent and Ottawa County.
For more information on communication classes offered, or careers in the communication field, stop into the Communication Studies offices in the Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall, room 317.
About the Pre-Communication Studies, A.A. Degree
The Communication Studies Pre-Major is designed to provide a path for GRCC students planning or considering transfer to a four-year college to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in the field of communication. While some degrees are geared to lead to a very specific job, degrees in general communication are designed to prepare students for entry into a variety of careers, some more specific than others.
This Pre-Major is designed to be part of an Associate of Arts degree (A.A.) and requires a total of 60 credits, 30 of which fall under the General Education requirements. Those completing the Pre-Major are required to take Fundamentals of Public Speaking (COM 131) and Interpersonal Communication (COM 135), listed under Program Courses, and then 12 additional Communication Studies and/or elective credits, listed under Program Elective Courses.
See a list of the courses and suggested courses based on your transfer school.
Visit the Pre-Communication Studies Pre-Major/Program for more information.
Full-Time Faculty Contacts
Full-time faculty offices are located at Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall, room 330.
Dennis Sutton
Phone: (616) 234-4606
Email: dsutton@grcc.edu
Mary Lucas
Phone: (616) 234-3604
Email: mlucas@grcc.edu
Dana Borzea
Phone: (616) 2343035
Email: danaborzea@grcc.edu
Derek Bolen
Phone: (616) 234-4666
Email: derekbolen@grcc.edu
Brooke Morenz
Phone: (616) 234-2284
Email: brookemorenz@grcc.edu
