Communication and Leadership
Where communication becomes strategy, leadership, and impact.
In Butler’s Communication and Leadership (CAL) department, you’ll learn to do more than “talk to an audience.” You’ll research, plan, and execute communication that builds trust, shapes perception, and helps organizations lead through change. Whether you’re drawn to persuasive storytelling for brands and causes or to fostering collaboration and healthy workplaces, you’ll graduate ready not just to land your first job, but to build a career of purpose.
Two Ways to Lead: Compare Our Majors
No matter which major you choose, you’ll build a shared foundation in research, ethics, audience analysis, and strategic thinking. You’ll learn how people make meaning, how messages shape perception, and how communication can solve problems in organizations and communities. From there, you’ll choose the path that best fits how you want to use your voice and leadership.
Strategic Communication (STR)
Strategic Communication blends public relations, advertising, and digital media so you can tell persuasive stories for brands, organizations, and causes. You’ll research audiences, develop campaign strategies, and create content that helps people pay attention, care, and act.
Graduates are ready for roles in agencies, in-house communication teams, and nonprofits where they manage brand reputation, social media, content, and campaigns.
Organizational Communication & Leadership (ORG)
Organizational Communication & Leadership focuses on how people work together inside organizations. You’ll study communication, culture, and leadership so you can facilitate collaboration, handle conflict, and support meaningful change.
Graduates step into roles that center on people and culture—internal communications, employee engagement, training and development, HR and people operations, project and operations management, and more.
Five Fountains & Client Work
Agency-style experience with real clients.
Work with real organizations (for-profit and non-profit) in our student-run five fountains agency and in client-based classes. You’ll research, pitch, and execute strategic communication campaigns that deliver results—serving as your portfolio-ready work.
Capstones & Signature Projects
Your Professional Launch (with Portfolio)
Through capstones and course projects you build experiences valuable to employers—and your confidence. You won’t just earn a grade; you will build a professional narrative with real examples. Starting in your first class and culminating with your capstone experience, you will design communication solutions for real-world problems and leave with a polished, professional portfolio that showcases your abilities to employers.
Courses that Meet the Moment
From fandoms to major events and cultural shifts.
High-touch, specialized courses let you explore timely topics (and how they activate in the real-world)—like Taylor Swift’s fandom, the NCAA Final Four, and LIV Golf—so you can see how theories of media, culture, and leadership come to life through planned promotion, social media, and production.
Internships & Professional Practice
Test-drive career options before graduation.
With strong connections in Indianapolis, you will gain on-the-job experience with agencies, nonprofits, and corporations. More than half of CAL students complete two or more internships, and faculty help align placements with your academic and career goals. Indianapolis serves as an excellent learning laboratory for CAL students.
Global Experiences, Research & Mentorship
Go deeper with travel, inquiry, and guidance.
From Spring Break excursions and summer study abroad to student research, honors work, and close mentoring relationships, you’ll have opportunities to see communication in new contexts and collaborate with faculty as partners in learning.
Outcomes & Mentorship
Graduates from our Strategic Communication and Organizational Communication & Leadership majors step into roles across agencies, nonprofits, corporations, sports and entertainment, healthcare, education, and more. Along the way, they build portfolios of real client work, internships, and capstone projects—plus relationships with mentors who know their strengths. Communication skills travel, and so do our graduates.
Launch Your Impactful Career
Graduates from CAL move quickly into jobs and graduate programs where communication is central to strategy, culture, and leadership. Our placement rate is 96%—our students go places.
Where Graduates Work
- PR and advertising agencies
- Corporate and nonprofit communication teams
- Sports and entertainment organizations
- Healthcare, education, and government
[ADD GRAPHIC WITH LOGO WALL/LOG LINEUP]
Experience Employers Notice
- Internships with agencies, nonprofits, and companies
- Client-based projects and capstones
- Portfolio pieces that show real results
Mentors & Networks
- Faculty who help you connect coursework to careers
- Alumni and industry partners who share advice and opportunities
- Support for internships, applications, and interviews