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Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Communication

Communication Image

The Merritt College's Communication Department offers a variety of courses designed to increase student success in interpersonal and group interactions and public speaking engagements and to give students the tools to analyze what they witness in mass media.

Department Overview

With hands-on practice of effective listening, public speaking, and discussion of the cultural implications of verbal, nonverbal, and mass communication in a diverse world, students will become better citizens of a global population. Additionally, this communication training will improve students’ potential to acquire, maintain, and advance in their careers and relationships, transfer to four-year colleges, and navigate through an increasingly intercultural landscape of interpersonal and group associations.

Career options include advertising, broadcasting, community relations, consulting, counseling, education, film, foreign service, fund raising, human resources, journalism, international relations, law, management, marketing, mediation, ministry, politics, public relations, sales, speechwriting, social work, and other related fields.

Communication Slide 1

Two Merritt Alumni, an Emmy award-winning KTVU reporter, and so much more!!!  Hear how these successful people have navigated through multiple careers to land their dream jobs and the importance of communication skills in the process.

Degrees & Certificates

Communication Studies 2.0 – AA-T Degree Communication Studies 2.0 – AA-T Degree

The Communication Studies 2.0 program prepares students to transfer to a four-year college or university to obtain a degree in Communication or a related Social Science field.

Faculty & Staff

Hilary Altman, Ph.D.

Hilary AltmanDepartment Chair
Building A-201
haltman@peralta.edu
(510) 436-2510

Hilary Altman, Ph.D., has been teaching at Merritt College since 2002.  Dr. Altman’s passion for student success and social justice keeps her busy on- and off-campus.  She developed the Communication AA-T degree to enable students with an interest in Communication as a major to easily transfer to a four-year college and complete their Bachelor’s degrees.  As a Disability Advocate, Dr. Altman has worked with East Bay Innovations (San Leandro, CA), the California Autism Foundation (Richmond, CA), and the Center for Independent Futures (Evanston, IL) towards facilitating independent living for people with physical, developmental, and mental differences. 

In pursuit of her interest in Health Communication, Dr. Altman has worked with the U.S. Dept of Health & Human Services (Washington, DC) and conducted research at the Center for Health   Professionals (Saginaw, MI). She is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in the state of California. Dr. Altman co-wrote “Asset-Based Strategies for Faith Communities” as part of the Asset-Based Community Development Institute. Early in her career, she served as the Executive Director (as well as Music Director and Morning Drive disc jockey) for a small alternative radio station in upstate New York.

Brielle Erike

Brielle ErikeBuilding A-202
bplump@peralta.edu
(510) 436-2511

Charles Iyoho
Cole McLean

Cole McLeanBuilding A-202
cmclean@peralta.edu
(510) 436-2511

Erik Johnson
James Johnson

Building A-202
jjohnson@peralta.edu
(510) 436-2511

Jayi Thompson

Jayi ThompsonBuilding A-202
jthompson@peralta.edu
(510) 436-2511

Rebeca Moran

Rebeca MoranBuilding A-202
rmoran@peralta.edu
(510) 436-2511

Shiela Rodolfo

Shiela RodolfoBuilding A-202
srodolfo@peralta.edu
(510) 436-2511

Contact Information

Sheila Metcalf Tobin

Department Chair
Sheila Metcalf-Tobin

smetcalftobin@peralta.edu

 

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Department Chair
Hilary Altman, Ph.D.
Building A-201
haltman@peralta.edu
(510) 436-2510

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Dean of Division
I-Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Dr. Chriss Warren Foster
Building L-123
cfoster@peralta.edu
(510) 434-3897

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Assistant to the Dean
Denise Woodward
Building D-216
dwoodward@peralta.edu
(510) 436-2425

Merritt-College-Campus-2

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