Communication Studies

Faculty

Chairperson: Wenshu Lee

Professors: Wenshu Lee, Abhik Roy, Dean Scheibel, Philip C. Wander (President’s Professor)

Associate Professors: Barbara J. Busse, Jay B. Busse, Paige Pettyjohn Edley, Michele Hammers, Patricia Oliver, Kyra L. Pearson, Nina Maria Reich

Assistant Professors: Christopher J. Finlay, Craig O. Rich

Mission

The Communication Studies Department provides students from across the LMU community the communication competencies to pursue their personal, professional, and civic goals. Our department fosters the development of the whole person, promotes a commitment to social justice and cultural diversity, and confronts the most pressing contemporary political, social, and ethical issues of our time. To this end, we prepare students to communicate effectively in the service of human dignity and rights, civic engagement, and global equity.

Our department also is committed to the production of research that: furthers disciplinary knowledge, enhances the quality of public discourse, and helps bridge the gap between our curriculum and real world experience. To serve our overall goals, we create an environment in which students and faculty can pursue research, community outreach, and leadership in civic and corporate arenas.

We cultivate in students an increased professional competency that enables them to maximize their post-graduation opportunities for career development. Our curriculum focuses on core competencies in the human communication discipline, which concerns the production, delivery, reception, deployment and criticism of oral, written, visual and electronic messages. Students are expected to demonstrate the following skills:

Thinking critically and creatively;
Generating effective arguments;
Conducting rigorous research;
Using new mediated technologies, and
Relating communication concepts to everyday practices in culturally diverse and global settings.

These competencies prepare students to succeed in a variety of careers including: education, law, social advocacy, politics, public relations, advertising, and non-profit and corporate communication, with rich opportunities to obtain internships and network with professionals.

Programs

Communication Studies, B.A.