Communication
When Erin Dempsey started at the College, she didn’t know what major she’d choose. But at a majors and minors fair, it clicked. “The people from the communication department – both the faculty and staff – were really open and excited about their discipline,” she says, “and that made the major so accessible.”
Erin confirmed her decision almost immediately. “The first class I took was one of the most challenging because it involved both communication theory and rhetoric, but I loved it. It was my most engaging course, and engagement is what this major is all about.”
Her experiences in the major included a unique study abroad course in Eastern Europe, where Erin spent time in Prague and Krakow. “The class was focused on communication and the Holocaust. It was so interesting because we examined the public relations work that has gone on there. Ordinarily, PR is concerned with shaping future perceptions, but in the case of the exhibitions there, it was focused on the past. That really expanded my perspective.”
With the help of her professors, Erin has landed several internships. For example, she worked with a local fitness chain. “I developed and managed that company’s entire presence on social media.”
A paid internship with a local marketing firm involved working with several of that company’s clients. “That’s a very important thing about communication. You become an essential piece connecting different industries, and that suits me. This major has taught me how to network. I’ve met incredible professionals and our department’s advisory council is amazingly influential with executives from CNN, General Motors, Google and Thompson Reuters.” Ultimately, Erin says, “I’ve learned so much and been able to develop so many important skills. I think communication is a major for anyone who truly wants to succeed.”
Communication majors benefit from a structured yet flexible curriculum.
Our courses cover a wide range of topics from public speaking to journalism to organizational communication, new and emerging media, public relations, social movements, digital media production and physician-patient communication.
Our students become experts who write clearly, speak eloquently, think critically and research effectively. These skills will serve them well as professionals no matter what new technologies evolve.
❱❱ Our advisory council includes nationally prominent communication industry professionals who assist in creating and improving our programs and provide unequaled co-curricular opportunities for our students.