Should I Major in Communications?

Majors are expected to contribute to the intellectual and creative work of each course, and to be available to faculty and other students for work beyond class time. Most extend their academic interests by working in communication-related organizations or engaging in public-spirited advocacy.

All share a number of the department’s goals, including:

• Appreciate the generative force of audiences in the design of interpersonal, public and mediated communication.
• Respect and understand cultural differences within and outside of the United States.
• Respect and understand the role of freedom of expression in an open society.
• Be capable of creating messages or productions that are more original than derivative (moving from modeling to invention).
• Understand the assumptions and organizing principles governing key subdivisions of the communication discipline.
• Articulate basic conceptual frameworks for the assessment of film and video content, and interpersonal and public messages.
• Understand the forms and causes of communication problems in both small groups and public settings.
• Craft productions and messages with socially significant content.
• Recognize how advances in Communication technology have altered patterns of social interaction.
• Assess a range of communication “texts” and productions from a variety of critical perspectives.
• Write and speak with fluency.