The Art of Persuasion

The Department of Communication and Journalism offers students six undergraduate concentrations and three graduate concentrations.

The Undergraduate Program

The department offers coursework leading to the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Science in Journalism degrees.  Students begin by taking courses establishing a firm general foundation in Communication and Journalism, including a strong focus on effective speaking, concise writing and critical thinking.  They also take courses in their chosen concentration, gaining specific knowledge and experience in their field.  Many students often take courses in other concentrations to round out their educational experience.

The department’s facilities include a Media Lab, Computer Lab, Dark Room, Television Studio, Editing Rooms, and “Smart Classrooms.”  Students in media courses learn to use sophisticated digital cameras, lighting, sound equipment, and non-linear editing computers.  Photography is taught from both traditional film and digital perspectives.  Advertising, Public Relations, and Journalism students work with state-of-the-art computer programs.  

Applied lessons

All Communication and Journalism concentrations blend theory and practice. Students develop an understanding of the theoretical frameworks upon which our “best practices” are built. Critical thinking and ethics are cultivated through classroom discussions and out-of-class experiences.  Theories are investigated and questioned.  Every concentration includes specific courses related to the field (e.g.: Newswriting or Digital Video Production) plus broader courses in speaking, writing, and theory.

We attract superb faculty, including Fulbright Scholars and award-winning “professionals-in-residence”.  Faculty members are published in both academic journals and the popular press, consult and advise major business and nonprofit organizations, produce films, and provide expert television and radio commentary on politics, popular culture, and other pertinent issues. These experiences are brought directly into the classroom where our professors challenge their students to express their opinions regarding current, dynamic communication situations.  Professional excellence is developed as new skills are gained. Theory quickly becomes practice.

Career-building opportunities

Undergraduate students are also offered the opportunity to earn credit for internships and other co-curricular activities.  Boston is the fifth largest communication market in the United States, providing our students with a multitude of potential professional experiences.  More than one hundred of our students annually receive internships at Public Relations firms, Advertising Agencies, Newspapers, Television and Radio stations, professional sports teams, non profit organizations and businesses throughout the region.  These students gain valuable practical experience in their chosen field, putting into practice what they have learned in the classroom.

In addition to internships, our students can choose take part in several co-curricular media opportunities on campus.  These activities can also be taken for credit.  They include writing for our weekly student newspaper, The Suffolk Journal, producing our television program, Temple Street, for Boston Neighborhood Network, participating in WSUB and WSFR, our campus television and radio organizations, and competing for our nationally recognized speech team, the Walter M. Burse Forensic Society.

Professional opportunities

While some of our students go on to graduate or law school, most students enter directly into professional life. Our Alumni have rich and varied careers, a sampling of which are listed below:

Newspaper reporter
News editor, Lifestyles editor
Managing editor
Sports reporter, Sports editor
Television news anchor
Television news reporter
Television sports reporter
Television and radio producers and writers
Advertising copywriters and account managers
Media buyers and planners
Public relations professionals
Marketing Communication professionals
Public relations account managers and executives
Vice President of Corporate Communication
Bank President
Training and Development Manager
Events and marketing managers
Lawyers, professors, teachers, media relations managers, web journalists

Career prospects for Communication and Journalism graduates are excellent.

The Graduate Program

The department’s graduate program offers coursework leading to the Master of Arts in Communication degree.  It offers a distinctive synthesis of the old and the new:  from time-tested communication principles thousands of years old, to the applications and uses of cutting-edge information technologies.

Our graduate program enables students to enhance their abilities by learning how communication topics can be translated into workplace concerns, providing unique opportunities for personal and career growth.  Graduates work in a variety of business and organizational fields, including government, medical, corporate, educational and small-business settings.  They have positions in public information, human resources, public relations, advertising, integrated marketing communication and other related areas.

Students in the M.A. in Communication program typically have between two and eight years of work experience, in positions that range from entry level to management.  Courses are offered in the evening, facilitating the ability to work while pursuing the degree.