Goals

• To develop effective communicators who understand their chosen media of communication and use them well;
• to develop critical and sensitive receivers of communication, who can interpret and evaluate the messages to which they are exposed;
• to develop an appreciation for the interrelationship of theory, research, and practice;
• to develop an understanding and application of ethical systems in communication;
• to provide a sound foundation upon which students may build and adapt to future technological and social change.

Program

The communication studies and theatre arts programs include courses representing all aspects of the discipline. Required courses are interpersonal communication, listening, nonverbal communication, persuasion, and a senior-level research-oriented seminar. Directed electives allow choices from the other areas of the discipline.

Faculty

The department of communication studies and theatre arts is composed of ten faculty Members and 10 adjunct instructors. Four faculty teach principally in the communication studies area; four teach principally in theatre; one teaches principally in digital film and television; and one teaches both theatre and digital film and television courses. All teach Fundamentals of Oral Communication. Faculty members direct the three co-curricular student activity programs offered by the department: forensics, theatre, and television. Faculty members also advise the student organizations associated with those three activities as well as the National Communication Association Student Club.

Career Opportunities

Because communication is so vital to all aspects of our personal and professional lives, the human communication or public communication track is an excellent choice for students preparing for a variety of professional careers, such as law, the clergy, college teaching, or international relations and negotiations. The professional and organizational communication track features the communication skills most needed by the student preparing for a career in the business, government, or nonprofit sector. Such employers recognize the centrality of good communication in the world of work, regardless of their specific field. Consequently, the student who chooses this track is prepared for a career in a variety of institutions—retail, service, health-related, charitable, governmental, educational—often in a management track. The digital film television track provides students with the necessary background for careers in film and television broadcasting, as well as for those who anticipate using these skills in other occupations. The theatre major is designed to expose students to all aspects of theatre. Students are required to take core courses in acting, directing, history and technology. Students choose a track in their area of special interest—performance, design/technical, management, or dramaturgy.