Students\u27 Perceived Usefulness and Relevance of Communication Skills in the Basic Course: Comparing University and Community College Students

Communication skills training is extremely important in terms of students\u27 career choices. However, few studies have been conducted regarding differences between community colleges and four-year universities in terms of students\u27 perceived usefulness and relevance of the study of communication in relation to career choice. The present study extends extant research by examining students\u27 perceptions of this issue. The participants in Study 1 were 155 community college and 291 four-year university students and participants in Study 2 were 205 community college students. The results demonstrate that students at both institutions perceive that the skills learned in basic communication courses are useful and relevant in relation to their future career. There were differences among students enrolled in interpersonal and public speaking courses, with those in interpersonal courses perceiving greater relevance of communication skills in terms of their future career