Students approach Media Studies topics by examining their histories and their practical goals. The development of communications media is considered in light of more general concerns about technology, culture, society, and politics. The program incorporates the study of contemporary mass communications and telecommunications with related theoretical considerations. It is designed for students whose interests in communications are focused on broad background issues involving the origins, structures, and implications of the media. The study of communications integrates key intellectual issues that are central to contemporary liberal education, and hence departs from the major emphasis of advertising and journalism.
Communications is a burgeoning field increasingly influencing all of our social institutions.
The Media Studies Program introduces students to an interdisciplinary perspective on this dynamic phenomenon. Students with Media Studies undergraduate degrees have a variety of career opportunities. They can work in public broadcasting, media research and production, the telecommunications industry, and such non-profit organizations as schools, hospitals, and foundations. They also may pursue graduate and professional degrees in political science, sociology, psychology, public policy studies, law, and other areas. Most students enroll in the general curriculum of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to fulfill their general education sequence before seeking admission to the College of Communications.