Communication is at the heart of being human and encompasses everything from how we create and maintain relationships to how we generate and distribute messages and information in our communities, in a workplace and around the world. Communication is essential to our identity and our culture. Within the framework of a sound liberal arts education, the Department of Communication offers students three exciting majors that help prepare them for careers in a wide variety of fields and industries: Communication and Media Studies, Journalism and Public Relations. All Communication majors should have good writing and verbal skills and should display a critical curiosity about the world.
The Journalism major teaches students the craft of newsgathering, writing and reporting that can be applied to any platform (print, electronic or digital), cultivating a superior understanding of news in all its forms.
The Journalism Major
At its core, Journalism is-regardless of the medium-a writing major. The purpose of the Journalism major is to teach students the craft of news gathering and writing. The curriculum begins with an emphasis on the rigor and traditions of news reporting before introducing tools and training for electronic-based media production. As students move through the major, they will add to their writing skills an appreciation for digital journalism. With completion of the Journalism major, students should have excellent writing and verbal skills, an understanding of media history and ethics, a proficiency in digital journalism and a superior understanding of news in all its forms.