The primary purposes are:

• to show that you have obtained the knowledge and skills suitable for an emerging communication professional or necessary to pursue graduate school
• to provide you with an assessment tool for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of your communication studies when used in conjunction with the degree plan
• to provide a resource for your job search or application to graduate school
• to assist the St. Edward's Communication Department in assessing the curriculum in accomplishing its intended outcomes and adjusting courses accordingly.

Benefits of the Portfolio are:

• allows you to manage your own degree plan from the time of major declaration to graduation
• provides a plan for determining your course schedules by semester
• highlights any potential problems in course scheduling,
• provides you with a means of collaborating with faculty advisors
• tracks the student learning outcomes and those needing improvement
• assesses competencies without standardized testing during undergraduate studies
• generates a set of work products that you can use when developing your resume, searching for a job, and applying to graduate school