Our Mission

“To provide a first-class education in the art and analysis of communications media to undergraduates preparing to work in the media industries.”

The Department of Communication and Media Studies achieves this mission by offering courses that allow students to combine the theory and the practice of media. The faculty encourages and facilitates critical-analytical thinking, advanced written and oral communication, the mastery of media technologies, and both individual and group projects, all of which prepares students to work creatively in the media industries and to be discerning citizens and consumers.

To realize its mission, Communication and Media Studies pursues the following goals in student learning:

• Awareness of the economic and political power and potential influence of media industries.
• An understanding of the historical development of communication, from human speech to the Internet.
• The ability to analyze and evaluate media messages and meanings. 
• A solid grasp of—and the ability to apply—key social scientific theoretical approaches to the study of communications media. 
• Courses providing advanced competency in written and oral communication, and mastery of current media technologies, platforms, and programs.
• Student participation in on-campus media outlets designed to develop skills in media writing, video and film production, radio broadcasting, and public relations.
• An internship facilitating the application of the student's classroom knowledge to media industry work, and a more promising, smoother transition from undergraduate academic life to a career.

• Promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Sustainability.

• Provide High Impact Practices (including service learning work in student media outlets and internships, research experiences, and capstones)