Why Choose Communication Studies?
We are an active department of approximately 150 undergraduate majors, seven faculty, and about 10 graduate students.
We boast an excellent faculty. All of our full-time faculty members have Ph.D.s., conduct research and publish original manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals, while also teaching undergraduate courses and advising undergraduate students. The student teaching evaluations of the instructors in our department are as strong as you'll see anywhere. In fact, we consistently have among the best teacher evaluations on campus!
Our department has small, friendly classes. Many of our courses are limited to 30 or fewer students. Additionally, our curriculum is flexible; it emphasizes broad knowledge of communication in personal, professional, and public life, along with speaking, writing, and analytic skills. The knowledge and skills taught in the department are essential in many careers. We also offer a number of honors courses and a chapter of the communication honor society, Lambda Pi Eta.
Our courses have strong ties to other programs and minors in areas such as Women's Studies, Human and Family Development, Public Health, Sociology, Environmental Studies, International Development, Climate Change Studies, and Nonprofit Administration.
Finally, student research, training, and volunteer work are an important part of our research methods and organizational communication courses. We encourage undergraduates to get involved in research and we help interested students to attend student research conferences.
Students may pursue a general major in Communication Studies or select one of three special options: Organizational and Strategic Communication, Interpersonal and Family Communication, or Advocacy and Social Movements. Each of these special options provides additional background important to particular careers.