Communication Studies Major
Program Overview
What is a communication studies degree?
Ideas have power, and today that power is amplified by the media. Leaders and innovators need to understand how an expanding world is communicating – and gain the insight to make a significant impact.
Why pursue communication studies at Furman?
We’re all about connections – not only connecting students to faculty in a supportive liberal arts and sciences environment, but also connecting them to technology and practical experience. Plan a visit to Furman’s beautiful campus or start your application today.
How will you learn?
Engaged learning takes our students beyond the classroom. See how international media covers politics and sports during a semester abroad. Explore internships in a growing media market ranked in the top 10 in the Southeast. Follow your interests with an independent research project in anything from broadcasting history to future software applications. And apply your new critical thinking and analytical skills to every facet of your life. Take your first steps by contacting admissions or reading more about how to apply.
Careers for communication studies majors
With a B.A. in communication studies, Furman graduates develop the tools to thrive in a variety of fields in mass media and beyond, such as advertising and marketing, politics and law, television and film, and theater arts.
A communications studies B.A. can prepare you for a career in:
- Public relations
- Meeting and event planning
- Brand strategy
- Media/social media management and strategy
- Human Resources
- Journalism
- Education
- Sales
Featured communication studies courses
The following are examples of course from the media studies track and rhetoric & advocacy track, respectively:
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200+communication studies majors at Furman
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24%of our alumni are now leaders and managers in business
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1stMaster of Arts in Strategic Design in the world
Our faculty
Alyson Farzad-Phillips
Cynthia King
Communication studies prepares graduates with the tools to thrive in a variety of fields in mass media and beyond, such as advertising and marketing, politics and law, television and film, and theatre arts. Furman graduates with a B.A. in communication studies have worked as marketers, public relations practitioners, customer service representatives, human resources professionals, lawyers and members of the media, according to an Emsi report.
Graduates with a communication studies B.A. earn an average of $45,800 a year, with potential wages of $86,8000, according to an Emsi report.
The communication studies B.A. program at Furman is a four-year program.
Build the skills to advocate for causes that matter. Practice performative strategies of persuasion, advocacy, and marketing. Evaluate speeches, advertisements, and social media posts. Create messages in traditional and emerging media. Study how international organizations, marketers, and leaders shape messages during a semester abroad. Explore internships in local agencies and firms with regional and national audiences. Follow your interests with an independent research project in anything from the rhetoric of minoritized peoples or Supreme Court arguments to event planning and persuasive message design. And apply your new critical thinking and analytical skills to every facet of your life.
You’ll work on a newscast in the Media Lab, shoot and edit documentary footage, and start adapting to the next generation of digital storytelling tools. Examine how international media cover politics and sports during a semester abroad. Explore internships in a growing media market ranked in the top 10 in the Southeast. Capture and edit visuals with drones, gimbals, and professional-grade studio equipment. Follow your interests with an independent research project in anything from broadcasting history to future software applications. And graduate from the program ready to apply your new critical thinking and analytical skills to every facet of your life.
