Public Speaking and Forensics

Effective: Fall 2020
Certificate of Achievement Program Map
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This program map from the 2024-2025 catalog year represents one possible pathway to complete this program. Your pathway may vary depending on your transfer plans and also previous college credit, including AP Test scores, concurrent enrollment courses and high school articulated courses.

I'm ready to get started. What do I do next?

  1. Review this program map to get an overview of the required courses
  2. Meet with a counselor to develop your customized student education plan www.chabotcollege.edu/counseling
  3. Use DegreeWorks, an online student education planning tool, to track your progress toward graduation www.chabotcollege.edu / admissions / degreeworks
Program Description

This certificate is designed to help you to develop your skills as a public speaker. You will learn how to create messages, receive and transmit information, and influence others. This certificate will help you in creating and understanding the impact of messages, and developing effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills . You can use your communication skills in everyday life and nearly any career, but you are especially working towards careers in public relations, advertising, corporate training, customer service, politics, and hospitality.


What can I do with this major?

Many forensics students go on to receive degrees in Communication and a large number go on to graduate school programs in Communication and Law. These students are more likely to teach and coach forensics, or enter legal careers.

Public Speaking skills are valuable in numerous careers and in maintaining civic discourse and democracy.


Learning and Career Pathway
  • Communication, Language & Media

Icon Key

= Critical Course = Prerequisite for Other Courses = Prerequisite Required = Required for Major GE = General Education

Semester 1

6 units

COMM 1
Fundamentals of Speech Communication

3 units
Fundamentals of speech communication; emphasis on developing, stating, organizing, and researching ideas, and presenting to an audience; includes developing the faculties of critical listening and problem-solving.
Course Details:
  1. Strongly Recommended: ENGL 1A
  • Transfers to CSU

    • COMM 46
    Argumentation and Debate

    3 units
    Analysis of contemporary questions through written and spoken discourse. Analysis, criticism, and synthesis of contemporary moral, political, economic and philosophical issues of a diverse, multicultural society, using traditional and modern models of argumentation.
    Course Details:
    1. Strongly Recommended: ENGL 1A

    Semester 2

    10 units

    COMM 2
    Oral Interpretation of Literature

    3 units
    Development of skills in reading quality literature aloud; practice in writing scholarly criticism of the literature presented orally.
    Course Details:

    COMM 46
    Argumentation and Debate

    3 units
    Analysis of contemporary questions through written and spoken discourse. Analysis, criticism, and synthesis of contemporary moral, political, economic and philosophical issues of a diverse, multicultural society, using traditional and modern models of argumentation.
    Course Details:
    1. Strongly Recommended: ENGL 1A

    COMM 48
    Activities in Forensics

    4 units
    Intercollegiate competition in the areas of public address, evidence-based and limited preparation debate, and oral interpretation of literature. Preparation of events includes research, writing, practice, and performance. Other activities may include performance in workshops, festivals, concert reading and the community. Variable unit course-Take 4 units of this course.
    Course Details:
  • Transfers to CSU
    • Total Units: 16 units
    This program map is not a guarantee of course availability or financial aid applicability.