Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies

Communication majors at STU learn to think critically and better communicate personally and professionally, verbally, in writing, and across platforms, while building employable vocational skills for journalism, public relations, advertising, marketing, and other fields.

Program Overview

Every part of a person’s life benefits from learning how to communicate better – interpersonal relationships with friends, family and partners; professional relationships with current and future employers; and academic relationships with teachers and mentors. The Communication and Media Studies major teaches valuable skills for journalism, public relations, advertising, marketing and other careers. Plus, the major is foundational for a variety of degrees and professions in the humanities, science, technology, engineering and math. Communication majors learn cross-platform vocational skills in writing, design, social media, audiovisual production, human communications and mass communications concepts and theories, and how to think critically, analytically and creatively.

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14%

Job growth through 2030 in media and communications.

$66,320

Median annual wage for media and communications workforce.

147 minutes

Average daily social media engagement.

Specializations

The Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies degree program offers students a strong foundation in communication principles, media strategies, and public relations. Students can choose specialized tracks to thrive in the fast-paced media industry.

Broadcasting

Broadcasting specialization students work in industries such as TV and radio. They learn to:

demonstrate an understanding of how news media industries operate across industry subsegments, from podcasting to radio and TV reporting.
apply fundamental production skills such as producing, recording, shooting, editing, and mixing to create multimedia narratives.
produce accurate, entertaining, ethical, and informative multimedia narratives that can be used for journalism or strategic communications.

Media Studies

Media studies specialization students often pursue master’s degrees, doctorates and other terminal degrees. Such students are well-prepared to think critically and communicate clearly and engagingly. They learn to:

Characterize the mass media’s economic, political, and socio-cultural effects on individuals and society and how individuals and society affect mass media.
Analyze messaging across mass media to understand the fundamental principles behind their messaging and composition, from their wording to their design, artistry, aesthetics and organization.
Evaluate how the corporatization, consolidation, conglomeratization, commoditization, financialization and transnationalization of mass media industries affect people, politics and societies and how those effects are measured.

Media Writing

Media Writing students work for magazines, newspapers, public relations, marketing and advertising firms, businesses, governments and a host of other companies. They learn to:

identify topics to write nonfiction and journalistic narratives across platforms.
create accurate, entertaining, ethical, and informative nonfiction narratives across platforms for journalism and film.
apply information-gathering techniques, from reporting to interviewing to researching, while following industry conventions for accurate, entertaining, ethical content production.

Public Relations

Public Relations specialization students work in industries such as corporate communications, marketing, and advertising for nonprofits, governments, businesses and NGOs. They learn to:

develop multimedia strategic communications messaging in accurate, entertaining, informative, and ethical ways to communicate with a diverse public.
create persuasive strategic communications messaging capable of compelling stakeholders to understand and act on the messages.
identify against reputational risks and communications crises for various key stakeholders, from businesses to nonprofit organizations and individuals.

Career Landscape

St. Thomas University students have gone on to work in journalism, public relations, corporate communications, advertising, marketing, and social media for companies, news outlets, and a wide range of industries. From managing social media and marketing for sports teams to working for national and international broadcast channels, Communications and Media Studies majors are well-prepared to be professional communicators.

In the Classroom

Learn from decorated former journalists and strategic communications professionals with experience in marketing, advertising, public relations, and the news business. Cover on-campus sports, news, and special events. Represent companies while working in an on-campus public relations agency-like experience and create podcasts in a state-of-the-art podcast studio.

Looking to excel in media, public relations, or marketing?

Apply now to our Communication & Media Studies program and gain the expertise to stand out in a variety of dynamic career paths.

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Communication and Media Studies Fast Facts

Career Versatility
Pursue careers in journalism, advertising, public relations, and marketing as well as enhance communication skills for various fields including humanities and STEM.
Experiential Learning
Film sports games and events like a professional TV reporter, create magazine feature articles for campus publications, and gain real-world experience through internships with TV and radio stations, newspapers, and strategic communications firms.
Practical Skills Development
Master a broad set of versatile skills including social media communications, marketing, and graphic design. Gain skills in speaking on radio and TV, creating podcasts, and producing radio news stories.
Evidence-Based Storytelling
Craft engaging multimedia stories with accurate and entertaining narratives based on in-depth interviews, data, and research.

Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies

Program Overview

Specializations

Career Landscape

In the Classroom

Looking to excel in media, public relations, or marketing?

Communication and Media Studies Fast Facts

Career Versatility

Experiential Learning

Practical Skills Development

Evidence-Based Storytelling

Program Director

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Information

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