Communication Studies

Communications Studies: A liberal arts major in a professional school setting

The Communications Studies major is designed to  enable students to contribute to an informed and participatory democratic society, foster their critical perspectives, integrate theory and practice, and allow them to respond to local and global demands for communication knowledge. The major integrates the liberal arts aspect of our students’ education with the practical applications that prepare them for a job in the 21st century.

The Communication Studies major focuses on the forms and effects of media (books, radio, film, television, photography, print, digital and electronic media) including:

• aesthetics and form and individual perception;
• the history of media;
• the ethics and effects of media in the arena of policy studies;
• the social impact of media on public opinion;
• and the relations between media and the law, free speech issues, as well as the commerce and regulation of media in the public sphere.

Communication Studies graduates have a broader range of employment possibilities because they are skilled in both the liberal arts and the practice of media. In fact, many employers in the media industry prefer graduates who have a humanities/social sciences/liberal arts background of critical thinking, which enhances their pre-professional training. The Communication Studies major prepares students for careers as analysts, evaluators and producers of media messages and policies in government and private industry, as well as for graduate education in the social sciences, humanities and law.