Seattle University is dedicated to a focus on the empowerment of you. Your personal transformation. Your dedication to social justice. And your passion to lead your own future.
Take your next big step in a path of life-long learning with your education at Seattle University. Our Communication and Media programs directly serve you through offering a flexible, diverse and rigorous curriculum dedicated to the idea that every challenge can be addressed with solutions steeped in communication.
Our Communication and Media program promotes the study of the arts of persuasion, community-building and journalism as we envision a world where all communication is founded on respect for individual autonomy and equality, and where such communication contributes to both your self-realization and democracy for all.
Your Communication and Media degree prepares you to become an effective and ethical communicator in a variety of contexts. All students must choose a specialization, but with the flexibility built into the curriculum, they may also double- or triple-specialize, provided they have room in their educational plan to do so. This major will prepare you for a diverse range of careers, including journalism, corporate communication, nonprofit advocacy and public relations. Drawing on a combination of practical skills and theory, courses are designed to teach students about the role of communication in society and provide them with experience in developing their oral, written, visual and digital communication skills. A key part of our students’ education, internships offer the practical, hands-on experience students can take far beyond graduation. Students intern at PR agencies, news outlets, arts organizations, non-profits and other organizations across Seattle.
Communication is a super broad degree, and that’s the beauty of it. You study communication, but it’s expected that you do something else on the side. For me, that’s music. I’ve related a lot that I’ve learned from Rhetoric and Society and Interpersonal Communication back to music, developing strategies to grow my music, grow other people’s music, and manage and develop my record label.
Marc Gleckman | Class of 2019It helps to have professors who not only know your name, but also understand what and how other professors teach, creating a more unified and diverse department faculty. Dr. Philpott really opened my eyes to the career possibilities I had with a Communications degree. (Don’t tell him, but I aspire to be a communications consultant some time in my life as well.)
Jordan Chan | Class of 2019Think about double or triple specializing, and maybe even try a class that you’re nervous about. I originally specialized only in Communication Studies but took a Strategic Communication class just to see how I liked it. I ended up loving it, despite being nervous about it at first. Now I’m double-specializing, and I’m so thankful I decided to try that class. Don’t limit yourself to just what you think you may be good at – the great thing about this major is that you can really customize it.
Kendyl Puhan | Class of 2019After taking a variety of classes across a multitude of disciplines, I fell in love with communications. I felt inspired by the communication and media theories I was learning about in class because they helped me make meaning of contemporary issues movements developing across the nation. I quickly came to recognize the effects of media on society, and most importantly, I learned to view the art of communications and media as a tool for social change.
Marta Gamez | Class of 2019This specialization blends theoretical understanding and practical experience in a variety of contexts, including interpersonal, intercultural, organizational, global media and digital communication situations.
Potential careers: Consultancy, Human Resources, Corporate Communications
Develop your skills to gather and disseminate stories through the media, using reporting, writing, visual and digital skills. Special emphasis is placed on reporting for social change and developing an entrepreneurial approach to media content creation. Journalism graduates prepare for careers in all forms of media including digital, broadcast and print.
Potential careers: Entertainment, Broadcasting, News Reporting, Digital Media
This track introduces you to an integrated approach to managing all communications functions, including the underlying theoretical frameworks, innovative industry practices and influential role of communication in global and local organizations.
Potential careers: Public Relations, Social Media, Advertising, Nonprofit Management
On a trip to New York City during his junior year at Seattle U, Nick McCarvel walked into the office of Tennis Magazine and asked about an internship. Eight years after graduating with a degree in journalism, McCarvel was covering major sporting events of all types on every continent. “Journalism continues to change as the digital landscape expands, but the skills remain the same. Professor Sonora Jha was a guiding light. Thanks to her and the journalism faculty I got the foundation to get me where I am today.”
Professionally, Dr. Carlson comes to academia with a background in public relations. She has six years of agency and non-profit experience as an account executive, account manager and director of communications. Her primary research interests are in media law and policy as they pertain to new media, freedom of expression and social justice. Her current work focuses on hate speech in social media.
Prior to teaching, Dr. Evans was an entertainment journalist, working with many organizations in both New York and Los Angeles, including Entertainment Weekly, People, MTV, Guest Informant and BET. He also worked as an entertainment producer for Headline News at CNN in Atlanta. Dr. Evans is also a documentary filmmaker whose production company, CrossRoads Productions, creates media literacy videos to educate adolescents on various multicultural issues.
Communication and Media Studies Graduates
For Digital Communication
Our student-run radio station, broadcasting since 1994. Each individual DJ has near complete control of what they play on the air to give KXSU a rich diversity in musical taste.
Our award-winning, weekly student newspaper. The staff delivers campus news that is informed, engaging and reflective of the values of SU.
Our PRSSA chapter is dedicated to providing members the resources needed for a smooth transition from academic scholars to public relations professionals.
Hands-on experience that increases critical thinking and knowledge of the world and improves written and oral expression. Open to all majors.
