Bachelor of Arts in Communication & Media Studies

Communication majors learn to think critically and better communicate personally and professionally, verbally, in writing, and across platforms, while building employable vocational skills for journalism, public relations, advertising, marketing, and other fields.

Every part of a person’s life benefits from learning how to communicate better – interpersonal relationships with friends, family and partners; professional relationships with current and future employers; and academic relationships with teachers and mentors. The Communication and Media Studies major teaches valuable skills for journalism, public relations, advertising, marketing and other careers. Plus, the major is foundational for a variety of degrees and professions in the humanities, science, technology, engineering and math.

Communication majors learn cross-platform vocational skills in writing, design, social media, audiovisual production, human communications and mass communications concepts and theories, and how to think critically, analytically and creatively.

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Career Landscape and Potential Outcomes:

St. Thomas University students have gone on to work in journalism, public relations, corporate communications, advertising, marketing, and social media for companies for news outlets and companies in a wide range of industries. From doing social media and marketing for sports teams to working for Telemundo, Communications and Media Studies majors are well-prepared to be professional communicators.

  • More than 14,612 advertising, public relations and media buying agencies, which employ 249,600 people up 35 percent from 184,500 since 2010, according to Census Data
  • Mean wages of $62,650 to $117,360 for public relations, advertising and marketing professionals
  • 308,820 people employed in the Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers industry and related media and communications industries

Communication and Media Studies students:

  • Shoot and edit high-quality photos and videos and tell compelling multimedia stories.
  • Cover and film sports games and other events like real TV reporters.
  • Master social media communications and marketing.
  • Write informative, accurate entertaining narratives based on strong interviews, data and research.
  • Learn how to speak on radio and TV and make podcasts and radio news stories.
  • Design advertisements and graphics and capitalize on opportunities to learn web design.
  • Create magazine feature articles and write for a campus magazine.
  • Gain real-world experience via internships and other experiential learning opportunities, working for TV and radio stations, newspapers and strategic communications firms (e.g. public relations firms)
  • Get jobs in journalism, advertising, public relations and marketing and learn to be better communicators for a variety of other degrees and for humanities and STEM fields.


In the Classroom:

Learn from decorated former journalists and strategic communications professionals with experience in marketing, advertising, public relations and the news business. Cover sports games and news events. Represent companies while working in an on-campus public relations agency-like experience and create podcasts in a state-of-the-art podcast studio.

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For more information about this program, contact:

Daniel Axelrod
Director, Communication & Media Studies Department, Assistant Professor of Communications, Director of Public Relations
daxelrod@stu.edu
(305) 474-2418