How do we use messages to generate meaning, and how do these meanings subsequently influence us?  These are among the questions that students will explore in the Media Studies concentration. This concentration spans both human (e.g. interpersonal, organizational, public and intercultural) and mass communication. An exciting new area in Media Studies involves understanding how emerging technologies are shaping and transforming everyday life.  This concentration is designed to expose students to these different, but interrelated, areas and provide them with the necessary tools to think critically and express themselves clearly.

Scholarship in human communication can include such topics as communication behaviors, nonverbal communication, adult relationships, and the role of communication in development, cognition, culture, and psychosocial behavior. Mass communication focuses on the effects of media institutions and texts on culture and society as well as the individual

The plan of study includes 15 credits of Media Studies electives. In addition, students are required to complete a professional internship for 3 credits which may be pursued in an area related to the student’s career goals. These include advertising, public relations, marketing, production, research, children’s media, media literacy and education.