Department of Communications
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Communications is the academic study of the means by which individuals or entities relay information to individuals or large audiences, sometimes with the help of mass media and sometimes through interpersonal communication.
The mission of the Department of Communications at the University of North Alabama is to prepare students for professional careers in the public, private or government communications positions, and to assume communications leadership roles in these organizations. The cornerstone of this mission is to train students to gather, interpret and convey information. The program values hands-on learning—written and oral communication, aural and visual aesthetics and production, and software proficiency—as well as theoretical learning, all grounded in ethical decision-making to reflect the importance of a free press and the free flow of information in a society.
Students in the Department of Communications may earn a degree in Communication Arts or Mass Communication. Students pursuing a BA/BS in Communication Arts may choose to emphasize Film and Digital Media Production, Public Communication, or Theatre. Students pursuing a BA/BS in Mass Communication may choose to emphasize Broadcast Journalism, Integrated Communications, Journalism, Media Studies, or Radio-Television and Integrated Media.
Both degrees begin with a common core of classes to introduce students to their career areas, improve their writing and research skills, and foster an appreciation for the creative and self-expression opportunities guaranteed by the First Amendment. All students must complete at least 80 hours from classes outside the Department of Communications; at least 65 hours of the 80 hours must be in approved arts and sciences courses.
Minors are available in Digital Media Production, Journalism, Public Communication, Screenwriting, and Theatre.
Emphasis Areas:
Broadcast Journalism combines training in reporting skills with electronic media techniques.
Film & Digital Media Production students engage in artistic growth with professional qualification development to enter a thriving field, connected exponentially with diverse disciplines.
Integrated Communication (Public Relations) provides preprofessional training for careers in information services and campaigns.
Journalism (Print and Online) provides theory and application in information gathering and preparation for diverse print and online news media.
Media Studies enables students to explore preprofessional media skill development while also studying the impact on society of media content, forms and formats.
Public Communication emphasizes the applied and theoretical aspects of human communication as a social science.
Radio-Television and Interactive Media provides applied and theoretical instruction for careers in the broadcasting and cable industries.
The Theatre emphasis provides preprofessional training for students in acting and theatre operations.
All study areas provide a mix of professional coursework and writing, theory and research skills, for students who may later pursue a graduate degree.
Student success goes beyond classroom interactions. All students in the Department of Communications will complete an internship, independent study or professional practicum.
