Communication Studies, B.A.

The Communication Studies major equips you with the creative, flexible and practical skills you need to thrive in today’s fast-changing media and communication landscape. Whether you’re interested in digital storytelling, social media strategy, broadcasting, journalism or public relations, you’ll build a strong foundation that prepares you for careers across industries.

You’ll develop timeless skills in writing, speaking, editing and media production while also gaining expertise in digital platforms, social media and entrepreneurial approaches to communication—including the growing fields of content creation and social influence.

Through a core set of courses, you’ll explore the history of communication, the ethical responsibilities of communicators in the age of AI and the cultural impact of media. From there, you can shape your path with specialized courses in sports communication, design and branding, multimedia storytelling, website and social media management and more.

The result is a degree that prepares you for careers in broadcasting, journalism, advertising and public relations, while also giving you the creative versatility to pursue emerging opportunities in digital communication, advocacy and leadership for the public good. Many graduates also build on this foundation to pursue advanced study in fields such as law, business, and public policy.

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Take the next step toward completing your B.A. in Communication Studies degree at Lenoir-Rhyne University.

Take the next step toward completing your Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies degree at Lenoir-Rhyne University.

Learning Outside the Classroom

Future employers and post-graduate schools will look at your entire undergraduate work both inside and outside the classroom. Take full advantage of all opportunities that are available to you at LR, including research, study abroad, internships, student activities and organizations.

Internships & Practicums

You’ll gain practical, professional experience through both on-campus practicums and off-campus internships. Students in the program have interned with Lenoir-Rhyne Athletics, Hickory FC and other local sports teams producing social media content and video broadcasts. Others have reported for television stations in Charlotte, written for the “Hickory Daily Record,” worked on radio shows in Alaska and contributed to communication departments across the United States.

Courses in the communication studies major are combined with on-campus practicums and off-campus internships to provide practical, professional experience invaluable to you as you transition into the workforce.

Communication Internship

The communication internship gives you the chance to apply your skills in a professional environment. Supervised by both an organizational mentor and a faculty advisor, you’ll complete a minimum of 150 hours throughout the semester. Internship sites include digital and social media departments with sports teams, broadcasting networks, production firms, public relations agencies, corporations, nonprofits, and government organizations. You’ll work closely with the internship coordinator to plan and secure a placement that fits your interests and goals.

Communication Practicum

The communication practicum is an on-campus field experience that directly relates to your career interest. Site locations are designed to offer hands-on practice using a variety of skill sets in writing, videography, editing, social media and public relations, among others. You are required to complete a minimum of 50 hours within your chosen area.
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Student Opportunities

From your first year, you’ll have opportunities to gain hands-on experience and strengthen your education.

Lenoir-Rhyne Media Lab

Through the student-led media lab, you can publish original work such as news stories, photo essays, podcasts and other creative projects. You’ll contribute through reporting, writing, editing, photography and social media content creation.
Student Activities & Organizations

Debate Team

Through LR’s award-winning Debate Team, you can develop strong skills in communications, public speaking and research while participating in competitive debate competitions throughout the region.

Communications Club

Students are encouraged to participate in the Communications Club, which offers workshops to enhance skills as well as field trips to explore career opportunities in the field.

Communication Honor Society

As students advance further into the major, academically qualified students are eligible for senior honor courses and membership in the Lambda Pi Eta (Upsilon Chi Chapter) National Communication Honor Society.
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While at Lenoir-Rhyne, I learned to accept and step up to challenges. As a student-athlete, I developed communication and leadership skills that prepared me for success in multiple arenas.

Aaron Cotteral '07, Communication

Career Opportunities

The communication studies program is designed to prepare you for a wide array of professional opportunities across contemporary media and corporate landscapes.

With a curriculum designed to furnish students with a “convergence’ of professional content and skills development, graduates will have opportunities in a wide range of careers where writing, communications, research, and creativity are valued. These options span across many mediums: print, radio, television and film—in any place where the skill of “telling the story” is needed or the production of the “story” is required.

Career opportunities span across the spectrum of news, sports, entertainment and culture. They include print, voice, photojournalism, social media, broadcasting technology and production; writing, editing and publishing; public relations and marketing; and research and consulting.

Major Requirements

At its core, Communication Studies is about storytelling-sharing ideas in ways that inform, inspire, and create meaningful change. In this program, students develop practical skills in speaking, writing, media strategy, digital design, and ethical communication, while also exploring the legal, cultural, and technological forces-including AI-that are shaping the future of the field. Students learn to think critically and creatively, developing the ability to create messages that shape not only their careers, but also society as a whole.

Communication Studies is an ideal complement to other majors or minors. Students drawn to sports, business, political science, the arts, and more will find that this degree equips them with the flexibility to broaden their career options while grounding them in a sense of purpose and impact. Students graduate ready for today's fast-moving media landscape, prepared for jobs that don't even exist yet and equipped with the tools for building their personal brand and advocating for the causes that matter. This is more than a career-it's a path to make a difference in the world. The Communication Studies major earns a B.A. degree.

Honors

Communication Studies majors may, upon invitation, elect to pursue honors work in Communication Studies. To graduate ''With Honors in Communication Studies,'' students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, a minimum major GPA of 3.2, and complete twelve credits of honors courses in the major area, including COM 499 .

General Education Requirements (37 hours)

Graduation Requirements (4 hours)

General Education Requirements
Major Requirements (42 Hours)
Majors must earn a grade of C/2.0 or better in all COM requirement courses below.
Discover (12 hours)
Explore (Choose 9 hours)
Create (Choose 9 hours)
Apply (11 hours)
General Elective Credits

General Electives (37 hours) as needed to reach 120 hours overall.
Total Credit Hours - Minimum 120 hours

On occasion, technical and/or program requirements may also meet specific General Education requirements. Please confer with your program advisor to determine which courses, if any, may be counted accordingly.

All bachelor's degree programs at Lenoir-Rhyne require at least 120 credit hours. If, in combination, General Education, technical, and program requirements do not generate at least 120 hours, additional credits must be completed to achieve 120 hours. These classes may be general electives, or a student may complete a minor or additional major.

Admission & Financial Aid

Program Contact

Rebecca Alt, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
625 7th Ave NE
Hickory, NC 28601

Model dorm room with bed and red LR blanket in close foreground, window and desk further back

Lenoir-Rhyne debuts model first-year dorm room

Prospective students can now step inside a new model room to see how LR’s first-year residence halls blend modern comfort, efficient design and school spirit.