5 Reasons I Study Communications – and Why You Should, Too
My name is Irina Bucur. In my third year at Chatham University, I changed majors from psychology to Communications with a concentration in journalism. It spoke to the restless part of me that wanted to learn about multiple things (film, media criticism, current events) and didn’t want to choose between them.
As someone who would gladly dish about digital media and news writing for hours, I think I made the right choice.
To any Chatham student with an affinity for storytelling, media, and a curiosity for cross-cultural interactions, I would recommend taking the plunge and pursuing a communications degree. This is why:
1. Major Concentrations offer the perfect mix of theory & hands-on learning
You’ll graduate with a well-rounded background formed by general communications courses and those specific to your concentration. You’ll develop aptitudes in a wide, rapidly-evolving field and acquire specialized skills in your chosen concentration of human communication, graphic design, journalism, or public relations.
If you can juggle the course-load, you can even pursue more than one concentration! Whether you’re interested in applying your communications degree to a career in marketing, digital media, design, professional writing, media research - or something else entirely - the course requirements are structured to boost your experience in different areas within the field.
2. Great Faculty & Mentorship
Photo Credit: Chatham University Arts, Design, and Communication
The communications faculty are welcoming, enthusiastic about what they teach, and willing to connect students with each other and to local professionals. It’s inspiring to be guided by experts in smaller classes, where there are many opportunities for feedback and small-group discussions. When it comes to course selection or opportunities for internships and careers, I feel comfortable asking my professors for guidance.
As just one example, my journalism and social media professor Sara Bauknecht draws from her own experience as a journalist at the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette. She often sends out emails about internship openings, writing competitions, and conferences. She posts them on her course site and facilitates class meetings with local journalists.
3. Co-curricular Opportunities
Photo Credit: Chatham University Arts, Design, and Communication
It will open doors to fun and productive experiences outside of class. With the skills you’ll gain, contacts you’ll meet through your professors, and the talented, media-savvy friends you’ll make in your classes, you’ll bolster your resume, explore life off-campus, and expand your personal interests.
During my time as a communications student, I participated in a journalism competition, attended Pitch-Burgh (a regional networking and pitching consortium for film & media students), acted in student films, wrote for Chatham’s student newspaper The Communiqué, became involved in the undergraduate literary journal The Minor Bird, attended a media convention, and have begun developing my own social media project.
4. You’ll learn more about yourself
A degree in communications prepares you for graduate school and refines your academic interests, especially if you are thinking of picking up a minor, certificate, or double-majoring. My favorite thing about studying communications while pursuing a film & technology minor and an International Studies certificate has been making connections between the subjects I’m learning in different classes.
As a Romanian immigrant, my communications classes have also broadened my views about culture, history, and politics. I’ve developed new interests because of my major, can better articulate my values, and have started developing my own voice as a student journalist within my journalism concentration.
5. You’ll learn more about the world
Photo Credit: Fanghao Tian ’20
You learn about how media influences your relationship to your community, and how people connect with each other individually and across cultures. Chatham values, like sustainability, gender equity, and diversity inform the classes you’ll take.The evolution of sociopolitical issues and their portrayal in media are addressed in classes like Media & Society and Media Literacy. You’ll also learn about how different mediums address current events, and the ethical implications of addressing them yourself within your concentration.
Want to learn more about Communications and all that it offers? Chat with our Admissions team today, or register for an upcoming Academic Visit Day on February 20 or March 12 2024.
