Overview
The Department of Communication provides students with a versatile, engaged and marketable curriculum in mass communication and rhetoric. A major in Mass Communication provides students with information and guidance to master the theory and practical applications of mass media. The curriculum covers the use of new technologies and functions that affect how journalism, public relations, advertising, broadcast, internet, and print media professionals work on a daily basis. The major in Rhetoric provides the knowledge and practice of oral and written communication skills in order to communicate and evaluate communication effectively in the workplace and within society.
A redesigned Communication major will be coming in 2025-2026, with emphases in Strategic Communication; Film, Television and Digital Media Production; Broadcast Journalism; and Communication Studies. Our new major will continue to offer a combination of practical training and the best of a liberal arts education while helping to prepare students for the opportunities and challenges posed by new forms of media and technology. Further details about the updates to the major will be posted soon to the website.
Department Mission
The mission of the Department of Communication encompasses the vision and goals of the university as a public liberal arts institution while providing students with a balance of theoretical and practical applications in Mass Communication and Rhetoric. The Department of Communication offers instruction in research, oral and written communication, critical thinking, and producing and disseminating information through various media outlets. Our curriculum is designed to prepare graduates who are independent and professional communicators with strong professional, research, theoretical and critical thinking skills. It is the desire of the faculty and department to produce graduates who are capable of meeting the high standards of a constantly evolving world.