Program Overview

As a Communication Studies major or minor, you'll gain the skills and hands-on experience you need to take your place among tomorrow's communication leaders.

Why Study Communication Studies at Wilkes?

From your first day, you'll get hands-on opportunities to operate state-of-the-art equipment used in television, radio, public relations and journalism. Faculty and staff mentors will work with you to tailor one of our four specializations to meet your interests. A strong theoretical foundation matched with practical courses and experiences will prepare you for a range of careers or graduate school.

You'll also have the opportunity to gain valuable experience outside of the classroom through involvement in our student-run newspaper, public relations agency, cable TV channel and radio station, or our speech and debate team.

Whether you aspire to tell inspiring stories or influence the next generation of audiences, Wilkes prepares future professional communicators to succeed in an ever-changing and dynamic industry.

Concentration Rhetorical Studies

The Rhetorical Studies concentration rests on the premise that, in order to be responsible citizens, we must be critical, ethically minded producers and consumers of a wide variety of publicly communicated messages. Contemporary rhetorical scholars inquire into the development and consumption of many of these kinds of messages, including presidential addresses, social movement discourse, radio, films and television shows, and digital communication. Keeping this context in mind, students arc challenged to improve their rhetorical skills by crafting, delivering, and critiquing public presentations, practicing the rhetorical arts of listening and silence, deliberating across differences, and analyzing public discourse. As they apply these skills, students engage in critical thinking, gain a deeper understanding of their roles and responsibilities as citizens in a deliberative democracy, and improve their understanding of the power of rhetoric when adapted and communicated effectively in diverse settings.