Welcome to the Communication Program
Students in the undergraduate major in Communication develop a practical and theoretical understanding of the processes and impact of human and media communication. The curriculum is designed to assist students in developing their abilities to communicate effectively and ethically in written, verbal, and visual forms within shifting technological, socio-cultural, political, leadership, and economic environments. Students are prepared to exemplify professional communication practices that promote human relations as informed and engaged global citizens.
In addition to a core of communication courses, students majoring in Communication choose a sequence of courses in advertising and public relations; journalism; filmmaking and multimedia, or human communication. Each sequence includes practical skills as well as the applied understanding necessary for career development. To gain real world experience, students may apply for internships in commercial and not-for-profit organizations, as well as Chicago media, or in the university’s division of Digital Learning and Media Design that creates award winning national teleconferences, public affairs shows, and multimedia courseware.
A concentration in advertising and public relations offers students a broad foundation in the theory and skills necessary for a career in these forms of strategic communication. Students interested in the field of journalism will explore the practices and theories of both traditional and contemporary forms of reporting in applied contexts throughout the journalism concentration. The undergraduate concentration in filmmaking and multimedia is designed for the student who wishes to pursue creative development and applied experience in media conception, writing, production, editing, and cinema studies. The human communication concentration explores multiple aspects of human interaction providing a foundation for students to communicate effectively and with integrity as informed and engaged global citizens.
Graduates of the program have careers in professions such as advertising, public relations, consulting, mentoring, customer service, sales, human resources and training, media management, media writing, public affairs, and TV production/directing in network and cable systems. The Communication program is deeply committed to offering instruction with computer and multimedia technology that is annually augmented and always contemporary, if not ahead of the curve.
Program Objectives for Undergraduate Students
- Develop skills for constructing effective messages across multiple forms of media
- Identify message meanings and their significance.
- Examine techniques of effective message design.
- Cultivate dynamic communication tools and skills to adapt to changing technological, socio-cultural, political, leadership, and economic environments.
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively and with integrity as informed and engaged global citizens.
- Identify paradigms of communication which encourage lifelong and experiential learning.
- Explore the relationships between communication and culture as a means of fostering intercultural relationships.
- Identify and exemplify ethical and professional communication practices that promote human relations.
- Demonstrate ability to use technology including: using appropriate software for assignments, searching the Internet and library databases to access relevant literature, and using electronic mail with attachments.
Program Fact Sheet
To view the program fact sheet, please go to BA Communications Fact Sheet
Articulation Agreements
Since GSU is an upper-division and graduate institution, our students are all transfer students. Therefore, we have developed articulation agreements to aid in the seamless transition from the area community college to GSU. The articulation/transfer guides can be found here.
