Students who pursue a communication minor must complete one of the following concentrations: 

COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE - Concentration Requirements

The Communication and Culture Concentration examines communication practices as modes of action, ways of accomplishing social ends, the craft of communicative activity and performance, and ordinary and spectacular cultural events. Courses in this concentration utilize multiple methods to develop an understanding of the cultural worlds humans occupy. This concentration features ethnographic theory and method as well as critical theory and application. It involves students in participant observation, cross-cultural contexts, and prompts self-reflexivity to produce knowledge about how culture is produced/reproduced by human action.

JOURNALISM - Concentration Requirements

The Journalism Concentration explores various skills, laws, ethics, power dynamics, and responsibilities of the news media in modern society. Courses in this concentration focus on the technical skills and theoretical understandings needed to successfully hear, interpret, and share the stories of people whose circumstances may be different but are vital to the changing and diverse world in which we live.

MEDIA STUDIES - Concentration Requirements

The Media Studies Concentration examines the social implications and responsibilities of the media and develops fundamental knowledge of media production theory and skills. Courses in this concentration challenge students to engage in media texts critically, rather than to accept them passively. Coursework in this concentration foregrounds accomplishment in the skill sets necessary for those entering careers in mediated communication. Students learn to be both mindful consumers and responsible creators of mediated texts, which are essential aspects of contemporary life.

PUBLIC RELATIONS - Concentration Requirements

The Public Relations Concentration explores how to help organizations build and maintain good reputations and communicate effectively with employees, the media, community groups, and other constituents important to their success. Courses in this concentration emphasize the use of strategic communication to place messages in the media through media releases, editorial content, and promotion. Students learn more comprehensive and nuanced understandings of organizations, various media, and the construction of effective campaigns.