Department of Communication

KEVIN M. LERNER, Ph.D., Chairperson

MISSION:

The mission of the Marist College Communication program is to provide a high-quality professional education with a strong liberal arts foundation that will prepare students for careers in the ever-changing mass communication industry. The program is designed to encourage creativity, foster critical and analytical thinking and model practical, real-world experience in order to develop ethical communication innovators that courageously shape our world. The Communication Program features a comprehensive curriculum leading to a Bachelor of Arts Degree. Students may choose from 5 concentrations - Advertising, Communication Studies, Journalism, Public Relations and Sports Communication

OBJECTIVES:

Students graduating with a major in Communication should:

have an understanding of communication theory and the ability to translate this theory successfully into practice;
be able to speak and write effectively;
be able to function knowledgeably and critically as consumers and practitioners in the diverse fields of communication;
be media literate;
have competence in critical thinking and problem solving;
have an awareness of the moral and ethical issues involved in human communication.

The Communication program offers concentrations in Advertising, Communication Studies, Journalism, Public Relations, and Sports Communication. Communication is a discipline that involves the study of symbolic behavior in many contexts. Regardless of their specialties, communicators are involved in fundamentally similar activities. They gather and process information and create and disseminate messages. Advertisers, journalists, public-relations practitioners, public speakers, television, radio, film, or multimedia producers, and all who communicate with others, engage in these essential operations.

Academic Requirements:

Completion of 60 credits
2.5 G.P.A.
Meet in person with Internship Director prior to start of the semester of the internship

Minor and Certificate Programs:

The program also includes a Minor in Communication for those students who wish to combine the study of communication with a major in another discipline.