BS in Communication Concentrations

Communication and Media

The Communication and Media (CAM) concentration offers a flexible curriculum that can be completed online, face-to-face, or in any combination to students seeking careers utilizing communication.  CAM coursework spans a wide range of communication domains, from interpersonal/organizational communication to media studies. Throughout the program, students will hone critical thinking, mediated and oral communication skills, while also developing a deeper understanding of how communication shapes both personal and professional relationships. 

Students develop professional communication skills necessary for success in today’s workforce, such as: professional presentation-making, teamwork, conflict management, cultural competence, and message creation across new and traditional media platforms. The program culminates in a capstone course that focuses on real-world engagement and job readiness, helping students transition smoothly into their careers.

Journalism

Do you love to write? Do your parents ask, “Why do you ask so many questions?” Do your friends roll their eyes at you and say, “Why do you want to know this?” Are you passionate to have your voice heard? To make a difference? Then a Journalism concentration might be for you.

We prepare students for a surprising variety of jobs and careers. Just ask Corinne Gretler, a consumer reporter for Bloomberg News in Switzerland. Or Alex Gajewski, an associate producer for ESPN. There’s Tamara Scott, who’s an anchor and multimedia journalist at WAVY 10 News in Norfolk, Virginia. Allie Moore, a longtime features and travel writer in Barcelona, Spain. Stephen Igoe, who founded the sports news website, Hoist the Colours. And many more, including a recipient of the Edward R. Murrow award and six journalist Emmys.

We have graduates producing segments at MSNBC, AccuWeather, HuffPost.com, National Geographic and TV stations all over. Our grads write for and edit newspapers, manage social media for professional sports teams, and are on-air radio personalities. We have specialty journalists at ProgressNC Action, The Golf Shop Radio, NC Stop Human Trafficking, and Bassmaster – the perfect place for a bass fishing buff to use the multimedia skills he learned as a student at ECU.

What if you later change your mind and no longer want to do journalism? You’ll have company. We have many such grads in administrative or promotional positions at the NFL, the National Archives, Aerotek, East Carolina University, and more. Several of our graduates went on to find success in law school or graduate programs. In all these examples, the skills they learned in a journalism concentration got them there.

Here’s the point: all kinds of employers want – no, are begging – for people who can write well, present themselves well, and understand and reach a constituency in a world where messages are otherwise lost or confusing. If you want to work hard, follow the news, think critically about the world around us, and make a difference, consider Journalism.

Public Relations

Designed for students interested in developing strategic messages, managing communication campaigns and practicing communication involving complex social organizations, the public relations concentration teaches applied and theoretical skills for the public relations practitioner. Students pursue a curriculum that includes the interpersonal, media and cultural courses necessary to broaden the perspective of today’s public relations professional.

Learn more about Public Relations