Students are also given a strong foundation in communications theory, law, and media management. This student newspaper is the only paper from a historically Black college included in the Collegiate Newspaper Hall of Fame. Recently, the Herald has expanded its coverage to include community news and events in the area of the City surrounding the University. Mass Communications students produce professional style telecasts during the school year and air them over cable television. These activities increase their skills and interest in environmental and public interest communication.
Students can earn academic credit through paid and unpaid internships.
The majors take a variety of courses, including normal language development, articulation disorders, anatomy and physiology of the speech and hearing mechanism, and are provided with supervised training while working with children and adults with communication disorders. The work in the laboratory is supervised by faculty members who are licensed and certified members of these professions. Working with children and adults, the pathologist can determine whether communication problems exist and decide the best method of treating them. Communication disorders may be caused by head trauma, stroke, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, laryngeal cancer, cleft palate or birth defects. There is a great need of these professionals in public and private schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, health departments, research laboratories, colleges and universities, and in private practice.