Professional communication

Professional communication encompasses written, oral, and visual communication within a workplace context. The field of professional communication is closely related to that of technical communication though professional communication encompasses a wider variety of skills. Professional communicators use strategies, theories, and technologies to more effectively communicate in the business world.

Successful communication skills are critical to a business because all businesses, though to varying degrees, involve the following: writing, reading, editing, speaking, listening, software applications, computer graphics, and internet research. Job candidates with professional communication backgrounds are more likely to bring to the organization sophisticated perspectives on society, culture, science, and technology.

Studying professional communication

The study of professional communication includes the study of rhetoric, which serves as a theoretical basis, the study of technical writing, which serves as a form of professional communication, the study of visual communication, which also uses rhetoric as a theoretical basis for various aspects of creating visuals, and the study of various research methods. Other areas of study include global and intercultural communication, marketing and public relations, technical editing, digital literacy, composition theory, video production, corporate communication, and the publishing industry. A professional communication program may cater to a very specialized interest, or to several different interests.

Colleges and universites around the U.S. with Professional Communication programs include: Iowa State University, Clemson University, Clark University, LaSalle University, Regis College, Westminster College, and Stevens Institute of Technology.