Communication departments used to concentrate on one of two traditional fields: speech or journalism. The older programs focused on skills training, production experience, and preparation for entry-level practical work. In the past decade, the communication discipline has changed. The arrival of the internet has blurred the separation of personal (speech) communication from public (journalism) communication. On line, the media fuse with interpersonal activities. Leading universities have merged speech and media into one department. Instead of focusing on production and entry-level jobs, the new departments train students for a lifetime of career changes.
The Department of Communication provides undergraduate students with a broad liberal education that covers communication from the personal through the international levels and builds responsible citizenship. Students gain depth in understanding communication processes in a diverse metropolitan setting. The Department approach is conceptual, helping students build critical thinking and research skills to face challenges from the multiple careers they will pursue.
Within the communication discipline, the Department specializes in areas where speech and media converge:
new technology
intercultural diversity (including race, ethnicity, and gender/sexuality)
politics and rhetoric
cultural and visual studies
