Communication and Media Studies (BA)

Study how communication and technology affect the world we live in.

As part of a growing department on campus, the B.A. in Communication and Media Studies program offers you a well-rounded program of education, facilitating access to communication-related industry jobs, as well as prestigious Communication graduate programs in North Carolina and around the country.

Why Choose a Communication and Media Studies major?

The Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies prepares you to be expert communicators. Communication skills are regularly ranked as the top skill needed for employment, and the communication industry needs well-trained professionals who are competent in an assortment of positions. If you focus on professional communication studies you will take courses in public speaking, interpersonal and gender communication, speech-writing and computer mediated communication. Students with an interest in mass communication take courses in audio and video production, media programming, telecommunications management, and media writing. Those who focus on journalism take courses in news reporting and writing, magazine journalism, investigative journalism, and news editing. Choose an area or mix them to fit your career choice.

What Will You Learn?

We provide a variety of courses in the Communication Bachelor of Arts program. Here are some examples of our core courses: introduction to communication, introduction to mass communication, interpersonal communication, communication theory, intercultural communication, and communication research. We also offer different elective courses, such as: organizational communication, religion and spirituality in the media, nonverbal communication, health communication, fundamentals of journalism, telecommunications management, or news writing and reporting. For more information, please visit our catalog

What Will You Do with a Communication Degree?

There is a wide range of jobs for which communication majors are prepared. Some of these jobs include the following:

  • producers and writers for television;
  • producers and writers for national or local television;
  • news photographers; journalists for print, electronic, and online publications;
  • PR and advertising specialists;
  • crisis specialists;
  • health communication consultants;
  • event and meeting management;
  • social media coordinators;
  • community relations professionals;
  • human resources;
  • speechwriters;
  • educators, and more.
Faculty
  • Dr. Eugenie Almeida
  • Prof. Deirdre Hawkins
  • Dr. Todd Frobish
  • Dr. Alanna Miller
Staff
  • Ray Thomas
Part Time Faculty
  • Prof. Darlene Johnson
  • Prof. Susan Paschal
  • Professor Sean Sweeny
  • Professor Kate Tabor
Courses

Some of the courses that we offer include:

  • Introduction to Communication
  • Introduction to Mass Communication
  • Fundamentals of Journalism
  • Film & Video Appreciation
  • PR and Advertising
  • Interpersonal Communication
  • Magazine and Feature Writing
  • Health Communication
  • Communication Theory
  • Intercultural Communication
  • Organizational Communication
  • Communication Research
Jobs

There is a wide range of jobs available for communication majors, including:

  • National and local TV writers and producers
  • News photographers
  • Journalists for print, electronic, and online publications
  • PR and advertising specialists
  • Crisis consultants
  • Health communication consultants
  • Event and meeting management
  • Social media coordinators
  • Community relations professionals
  • Human resources
  • Speechwriters
  • Educators