University of Cincinnati Online – Partner News, August 2026
What can a communication degree mean for you? At the University of Cincinnati, the answer can look different depending on the student.
The Bachelor of Arts in Communication, offered 100% online, through UC Online is designed to help students build versatile skills in areas like strategic communication, writing, research, and audience engagement. Those skills can apply to many career paths in many industries, from public relations to marketing, corporate communication, media, and beyond. The program combines communication theory and research with coursework in areas like public speaking, interpersonal communication, and public relations.
For the program director, Dr. Michelle Colpean, this versatility is one of the greatest strengths in studying a field like communication.
“A communication degree won’t necessarily teach you how to do one particular job, but will make you better at whatever job you choose to do.” Colpean explains.
She has seen graduates of UC’s program build careers in fields ranging from those previously mentioned, and beyond, including those who use their undergraduate study to pursue graduate study in other disciplines. For Colpean, studying communication means developing a deeper understanding of something people engage in every day—and learning how to use it more intentionally.
Colpean has taught college courses in both online and in-person environments, believes online learners deserve the same quality, engagement, and connection as students in a traditional classroom. Her recognition for Faculty Excellence and the SCFMS Teaching Award has reinforced this belief: that excellent education and meaningful faculty relationships can thrive online.
“I hope our students graduate with the sense of connection to the program and their faculty,” she says. “The time in the classroom is fleeting, but the relationships don’t have to be—we are invested in them!”
For Jeanne Delahunty, a student in the BA in Communication through UC Online expecting to graduate in Spring 2027, the online environment created an opportunity to return to an unfinished personal and professional goal.
After more than a decade away from college, Jeanne needed an education that could fit alongside a full-time career and a busy life. She describes the program’s fully online, asynchronous format as the main factor that made returning to college possible. The flexibility to pursue coursework in ways that fit her schedule changed her outlook on education and helped her succeed.
Her experience has also been shaped by faculty, like Dr. Colpean, who value the perspectives that students bring with them. Jeanne shared that hearing professors emphasize the importance of different voices and life experiences has been especially meaningful throughout her studies.
Ultimately, her reason for returning was deeply personal: to prove to herself that she could finish what she started.
“It has been incredibly rewarding to have the opportunity to invest in myself,” she says.
From students returning to school after years away, to working professionals interested in strengthening skills they can carry further, the online BA in Communication through UC Online reflects the versatility of the communication discipline. There are so many different experiences, different goals, and countless ways to put communication into practice in a way that allows for advancement.
Explore the University of Cincinnati Online Bachelor of Arts in Communication: https://www.online.uc.edu/degrees-programs/bachelors/ba-communication.html?utm_source=response-solutions&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=BACOMM-OCAPartnersCorner-FY27Q1&utm_content=Persona5