Application deadline
Credits and costs
In today's complex world of information and knowledge, organizations large and small increasingly recognize that effective communication is an essential ingredient for success. Penn State's 12-credit online certificate program in organizational communication is designed to help you make practical improvements in this critical area in order to make communication with peers, supervisors, customers, and other stakeholders as efficient and effective as possible. All of the program's courses can be completed around your own schedule, where and when it's most convenient for you.
In this program, you will have the opportunity to study with highly regarded faculty from Penn State's College of the Liberal Arts, one of the premier institutions in the world to study and work in the liberal arts disciplines.
Study Relevant Subject Matter
When asked by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) to rate the importance of candidate qualities and skills for the Job Outlook 2012 Survey, employers rated "communication skills" and "ability to work in teams" among the top three qualities. This certificate can help you develop these skills to gain an advantage in the job market.
Add Value to Your Organization
This program can help you improve internal and external communications in the context of your current position, or prepare you to move into a new career as a communications professional.
Build Fundamental, Long-Term Skills
Because they focus on research-based skills that go beyond mere technical expertise with presentation software, the practical insights presented in this program will hold their value throughout your career.
Courses
The online certificate in organizational communication is a 4-course, 12-credit program of study. To earn this certificate, you must successfully complete:
- 6 credits of required courses
- 6 credits of related electives
Upon successful completion of the program, a Certificate of Academic Accomplishment is awarded. The certificate program in organizational communication is an outreach service of Penn State's College of the Liberal Arts.
Required Courses (6 credits)
Elective Courses (select 6 credits)
Course Availability
If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search (opens in new window) to start planning ahead.
Costs and Financial Aid
Undergraduate Tuition
Undergraduate tuition is calculated based on the number of credits for which you register and the number of total credits you have accrued at or transferred to Penn State. Tuition is due shortly after each semester begins and rates are assessed every semester of enrollment.
| How many credits do you plan to take per semester? | If you have 59 or fewer credits | If you have 60 or more credits |
|---|---|---|
| 11 or fewer | $620 per credit | $664 per credit |
| 12 or more | $7,527 per semester | $8,125 per semester |
Financial Aid and Military Benefits
Some students may qualify for financial aid. Take the time to research financial aid, scholarships, and payment options as you prepare to apply. Military service members, veterans, and their spouses or dependents should explore these potential military education benefits and financial aid opportunities, as well.
Paying for Your Certificate
Students pursuing a certificate are considered "nondegree," a status that is not eligible for federal student aid, including the Federal Direct Stafford Loan program. A private alternative loan may be an option to consider.
Additionally, Penn State offers many ways to pay for your education, including an installment plan and third-party payments. Penn State World Campus also offers an Employer Reimbursement and Tuition Deferment Plan. Learn more about the options for paying for your education.
Students pursuing a degree and meeting all other eligibility requirements may qualify for financial aid.
How to Apply
Deadlines and Important Dates
All supporting materials should be sent following the submission of your application.
For current and future course registration deadlines, visit the Registrar's website to view the academic calendar by semester.
Admissions Help
If you have questions about the admissions process, contact [email protected].
Admission Requirements
To apply for this program, you must be a high school graduate, or have completed your GED.
Technical Requirements
Review the technical requirements for this program.
Get the resources you need to make informed decisions about your education. Request information on this program and other programs of interest by completing this form.
Start or Advance Your Career
Start or Advance Your Career
You can use the knowledge gained from this program and the support of Penn State career resources to pursue careers in a variety of fields, depending on your goals.
A Head Start toward a Bachelor’s Degree
A Head Start toward a Bachelor’s Degree
Not only can this program help create opportunities in your career, it can also give you a solid head start toward a full bachelor’s degree.
Contact Us
For questions about admissions and applications, please contact World Campus Central:
World Campus Central
Phone: 814-865-1146
[email protected]
Faculty
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Kurt Braddock
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DegreePh.D., Communication Arts and Sciences, Penn State
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DegreeM.A., Communication, University of Delaware
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DegreeB.A., Business Management, The College of New Jersey
Dr. Kurt Braddock is an assistant teaching professor of communication arts and sciences and homeland security. His research centers on the persuasive tactics employed by terrorist groups to radicalize and recruit fighters, as well as how persuasion strategies can be used for counter-radicalization. He teaches Violence and Threats; Radicalization, Counter-Radicalization, and De-radicalization; Disaster Communication; and Effective Speech: Group Communication.
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Kristin Mathe Coletta
Kristin Mathe Coletta studies the rhetorical dynamics and techniques that bring certain social policies into being. Her research focuses on social movements of homeless and working-class individuals. She approaches these movements by looking at the perspectives of participants, leaders within movements, and policy makers. Her dissertation considered to what extent democratic practices can extend into the workplace without undermining the stability of government. She considered historical moments in which the rights of public workers to organize, strike, and/or bargain collectively were called into question.
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Lyn Freymiller
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DegreePh.D., Penn State
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DegreeM.A., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
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DegreeB.A., University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Dr. Lyn Freymiller is particularly interested in studying media portrayals of underrepresented or socially stigmatized populations, both in terms of the portrayals themselves and the cultural impacts of such representation. His research involves rhetorical analysis of texts (most notably television programs) and qualitative research methods such as interviewing. Dr. Freymiller has presented his research at professional conventions across the country and is also represented in publications. He has received formal recognition on several occasions for teaching excellence and his contributions to the education of undergraduates at Penn State.
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Amanda Goodwin
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DegreePh.D., Penn State
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DegreeM.A., University of Maine
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DegreeB.A., University of Connecticut
Dr. Amanda Goodwin is a communication scientist with expertise in the area of interpersonal communication. She teaches courses on interpersonal communication (CAS 203), human communication (CAS 101), conflict resolution (CAS 404), effective speech (CAS 100A, CAS 100B, CAS 100A for engineers), small group communication (CAS 100B, CAS 250), and organizational communication (CAS 352).
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Christopher Kroft
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DegreeD.Ed. course work, Penn State
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DegreeM.L.A., Johns Hopkins University
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DegreeB.A., York College of Pennsylvania
Dr. Christopher Kroft studies the communication experiences of adults with mood disorders. He is particularly interested in how adults with bipolar spectrum disorder communicate during euthymic mood states. His research also investigates the ways in which students with cognitive disabilities approach higher education courses in communication. He has previously worked within the Department of Public Health Sciences at Penn State College of Medicine, and he volunteers his time with Consumer Satisfaction Services of Harrisburg, an organization that studies relapse among patients receiving mental health treatment.
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Matthew Lamb
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DegreePh.D., Bowling Green State University
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DegreeM.A., Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
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DegreeB.A., Purdue University
Dr. Matthew Lamb conducts research at the intersections of urban communication, architectural theory and criticism, performance studies, cultural studies, and philosophies centering on the production of space. Primarily, his research focuses on architecture's place in communication processes, which produce understandings of how to use and efforts to control and frame interpretations of the moving body in city space. Dr. Lamb’s work has been featured in Liminalities: A Journal of Performance Studies, Journal of Urban Cultural Studies, Communication and Sport, and others. He is also a regular attendee and active participant with the Urban Communication Foundation.
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Erina MacGeorge
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DegreePh.D., University of Illinois
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DegreeB.A., University of Alaska
Dr. Erina MacGeorge is a social scientist specializing in interpersonal and health communication. Her research examines social support and social influence, with a particular focus on advice. Her work includes the development of Advice Response Theory, which explains advice outcomes for recipients as a function of message, adviser, situation, and recipient characteristics. Recent research examines advice between doctors and parents about childhood antibiotic use, breast cancer patients making surgical decisions with input from their social network, and college student friends coping with everyday problems.
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Ines Meyer-Hoess
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DegreeM.A., American University, School of International Service
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DegreeM.A., Boise State University
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DegreeM.A., University of Vienna
Ines Meyer-Hoess is the lead faculty and organizer of the department's study abroad program in Vienna, Austria. She worked as a political consultant before attending the School of International Service at American University in Washington, D.C., where she focused on international politics and international communication. What she finds most rewarding is the opportunity to connect with the many dedicated, hardworking Penn State students she teaches online, on campus, and abroad.
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Marcy Milhomme
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DegreePh.D., Penn State
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DegreeM.A., Suffolk University
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DegreeB.A., Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Marcy Milhomme's pedagogy is largely informed by an epistemological underpinning of sociological factors that powerfully shape and affect civil discourse. In the classroom, students are encouraged to contextualize communication based on the probable needs of one's audience, appropriate problem-solving strategies, identification of policy instruments, and the ethics of deliberative speaking. She integrates classical rhetorical strategies, such as Aristotle's Appeals, historically significant rhetorical events, and contemporary phenomena like that found in "hashtag activism." Her passion for teaching relies upon high levels of student engagement and student growth as consumers and technicians of the rhetorical situation.
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Elizabeth Mills
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DegreeM.A., Ball State University
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DegreeB.A., Ball State University
Elizabeth "Betsy" Mills' teaching interests center on making her classroom a welcoming and productive space for students, reaching them across the globe through Penn State World Campus, and raising their sense of civic duty, both during the semester and beyond it. She also serves as an affiliate member on the Penn State President's Commission for LGBTQ Equity.
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Peter Miraldi
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DegreePh.D., Kent State University
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DegreeM.A.C.T.M., Cleveland State University
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DegreeB.A., Cleveland State University
Dr. Peter Miraldi has been teaching communication, conflict management (e.g., CAS 404), and presentation skills (e.g., CAS 100) for more than 15 years at colleges and universities. Dr. Miraldi has taught several courses and workshops on public speaking, group communication, mediation, and technical presentation. In addition, he has served as a judge for several public speaking competitions, including the Speak for Peace: MLK Oratorical Contest and the New York Times’ Civic Engagement Public Speaking Contest. He serves as the lead speaker consultant for TEDxPSU.
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Karen Peters
DegreePh.D., Penn State -
Robert Richards
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DegreePh.D., Penn State
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DegreeJ.D., University of Virginia
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DegreeM.S., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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DegreeM.A., University of Iowa
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DegreeB.A., Yale University
Dr. Robert Richards studies legal and political communication and information. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, he conducts research on ordinary citizens' legal communication, legal information intermediaries such as lawyers and legal journalists, and legal information systems. He also studies deliberative democratic theory. His dissertation concerns how legal information about ballot initiatives is communicated to voters.
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Denise Solomon
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DegreePh.D., Northwestern University
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DegreeM.A., Northwestern University
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DegreeB.A., Lewis & Clark College
Dr. Denise Solomon is a communication scientist with expertise in interpersonal communication. Her research focuses on communication experiences in personal relationships, such as support and conflict, which enhance or erode well-being. Dr. Solomon developed the relational turbulence model, which describes how transitions in romantic relationships promote relationship qualities that polarize cognitive, emotional, and communicative reactions to both ordinary and extraordinary experiences. The relational turbulence model has been used to gain insight into how people experience breast cancer survivorship, cope with infertility, and navigate post-deployment military family life.
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Ellen Taricani
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DegreePh.D., Penn State
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DegreeMaster's Certificate, Penn State
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DegreeM.A., Penn State
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DegreeB.S., Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Ellen Taricani’s scholarly explorations include a capacious range of topics related to learning and communication integration. Many of the publications relate to topics ranging from connected life online to cognitive mapping and to learning design, as well as social media applications and influence. She is interested in finding ways to capture structural knowledge and making connections both online and face-to-face.
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Tara Traeder
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DegreePh.D., Penn State
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DegreeM.A., Emerson College
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DegreeB.A., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Dr. Tara Traeder has been studying and practicing health communication for more than a decade. Her research has predominantly focused on cancer communication, with specific focus on disparities in cancer prevention rates and breast cancer communication with nurse navigators. She is a supporting author on two publications in the Journal of Health Communication and Health Communication, both of which consider genetic determinism in single-gene disorders. Future research endeavors will consider the use of technology as a tool for discharge planning in hospitalized heart disease patients, with a focus on reducing readmission rates.
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Amber Walker Jackson
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DegreePh.D., Penn State
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DegreeM.A., University of Arkansas
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DegreeB.A., Columbus State University
Dr. Amber Walker Jackson studies family and relational communication, focusing primarily on parent-child communication. She often teaches courses in public speaking (CAS 100), communication and technology (CAS 283), and communication and conflict (CAS 404). She is a recipient of the Cynthia Finch Award for Teaching Excellence. In addition to teaching and scholarship, Dr. Jackson is involved in the oversight of Penn State World Campus courses and degree programs for the department.
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