BSc Minor Communication for Change (WUCCH) / BSc

Profile

In their future work, all students with a life science or social science background can benefit from understanding human communication processes in relation to individual and organisational problem solving and change. This BSc minor gives such students a comprehensive introduction to the interdisciplinary field of applied communication sciences. After a general introduction, the BSc minor offers basic insight in social psychological mechanisms and offers specialised courses to zoom in first on communication and individual change, and later on communication and organisational change.
In a first course of all students come to understand, why people say what they say, how and why miscommunication occurs, what roles communication can play in processes of individual and collective problem solving and change, and what the potential and limitations are of different communication media and methods. In a second course students get a basic understanding of the psychological mechanisms that shape human behaviour, and touches on issues such as self-perception, prejudice, pro-social behaviour, (group) conflict, interpersonal behaviour, social cognition, aggression and collective behaviour. In doing so, the course provides relevant background to what will be discussed in the deepening courses. A third course aims to deepen the students understanding of how communication messages and campaigns can influence individual human behaviour. The fourth course discusses the way in which organisations can use external communication to not only to serve clients or manage their image and reputation, but also to adapt to an ever changing environment. In connection with this, the course emphasises the importance and challenge of linking external communication to processes of internal communication and organisational change.

Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of this minor students are expected to be able to:
- explain the basic theories regarding human communication and change;
- understand the potential and limitations of different types and forms of communicative intervention;
- explain the basic social psychological mechanisms that are relevant to understanding individual and collective behaviour;
- understand the social psychological mechanisms through which communication can influence perceptions, attitudes, intentions and individual behaviour;
- analyse the role of (and relations between) external and internal communication in organisations;
- translate and apply these insights to practical problem situations in their own domain of study.

BSc Minor Coordinator

V. Mentzel
Phone: 0317-(4)83537
Email: vera.mentzel@wur.nl

Target Group

This minor is interesting for students of a broad range of BSc programmes.

Components of the BSc Minor

http://www.minors.wur.nl