Advanced Diploma In Human Communication

On a daily basis human being, regardless of who they are or where they come from, all take part in interpersonal communication. Often, we are unaware of our participation in an interpersonal communication interaction because these actions have become such an ingrained part of our daily lives that we go about them mindlessly and automatically—in the same fashion our bodies go about automatically keeping our hearts beating. We argue with our roommates and family members over who ate the last of the favorite cereal in the morning. We make comments about the weather with the individuals on the bus, in the elevator or at the coffee shop. We email professors for clarification on assignments and text friends to find out what’s going on later that night. These are things that may seem ordinary and mundane, but are all acts of human communication. At this point you may be asking, “If I am already an expert on interpersonal communication due to my life time of experiences, why then should I spend time learning more about it? The simple answer is that though we may “do” interpersonal communication on a daily basis, the majority of us aren’t actually that good at it. Interpersonal communication creates the foundations for the majority of the things in life that bring us the greatest of happiness and the

worst of sorrow. Therefore, we should all take time to get good at it. This Course will help you to understand what interpersonal communication is and how it works. Once we have a greater understanding of the processes of human communication, we can apply that knowledge to our personal situations. We can work towards a level of interpersonal communication competence that limits the times of sorrow and increases the times of happiness.

In the 1960’s, H. Marshall McLuhan, media theorist, critic, and visionary, asserted that societies are changed by the advances of technology, especially communication technologies. He is well known for his prophecy that communication technology would one day make us one great “global village”. In the end, the processes and theories regarding communication in our daily lives to exchange information, create meaning, and share understanding remain a critical component of human relationships. Whether we are chatting with a stranger while waiting for a bus, solving a problem with a group of coworkers, or sharing our dreams and goals with our best friend, principles and practices of human communication are at the foundation of each of these human transactions.

This course will introduce you to communication principles, common communication practices, and a selection of theories to better understand the communication transactions that you experience in your daily life. The principles and practices that you study in this course will provide the foundation for further study in communications.

This course begins with an overview of communication as a process along with basic principles and theories. Subsequent units in the course examine specific applications of human communication in your personal and professional life. These include interpersonal communication, small group communication and decision making, and organizational communication or human communication in the workplace.

By the end of this course, you will be able to identify the process of human communication in a number of settings that affect your daily activities. Additionally, you will be able to use the principles and theories to improve communication transactions in your life and understand how communication adds to the success of professional and personal relationships.

A total of 5 courses serves as prerequisites to complete this Advanced Diploma Course. The following courses must be completed as a whole:

Course Curriculum