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Communication Studies

Available as a major or minor 

In the classroom and through hands-on work outside it, you'll study the communication process and how it contributes to the development of information, human relationships and culture. In addition to critical thinking courses, like research methodology and rhetorical theory, you'll be engaged in dynamic areas of study, such as interpersonal communication and journalism.

People sitting under the bell tower

Curriculum & Courses

Sample Course Offerings

COMM 220: Public Speaking 
COMM 301: Environmental Communication 
COMM 317: Professional Communication 

Communications studies shirt reading "the bomb.com"

Learn by Doing

Firsthand experiences on campus

  • On Concept's Edge

    Roanoke College's literary magazine is entirely student run. The staff selects submissions for print and handles layout and printer selection. On Concept's Edge is printed in the spring semester and is packed to the brim with good writing.

    On Concept's Edge

  • Brackety-Ack

    Roanoke College's much beloved weekly newspaper is known for its weird yet historic name and its insightful, hard-nosed approach to life on campus. Students handle everything at Brackety-Ack, including writing, photography, editing, opinion polling, layout and web design.

    Brackety-Ack

  • The Roanoke Review

    The Review is an annual national journal that publishes poetry, short fiction and non-fiction every spring. Established in 1967 by Henry Taylor, a past Roanoke College English professor and Pulitzer Prize winner, the Review is staffed by current students and Mary Crockett Hill '91, a Roanoke graduate and assistant professor of English.

    the Roanoke Review

  • WRKE-FM 100.3

    WRKE is the official radio station of Roanoke College. It is run by students out of studios in the Colket Center, and it airs approximately 20 shows each week.

    WRKE was named to The Princeton Review's list of Best College Radio Stations in the “The Best 388 Colleges: 2023 Edition.”

    WRKE-FM 100.3

  • Visiting Writers

    Students have had the opportunity to meet Pulitzer Prize winners, best-selling authors, eminent scholars and prominent journalists. Through direct exposure to these writers, students gain a greater understanding of the discipline and more confidence in their own writing.

    Photo of the book Factory Man

World War II Memorial Class

A May Term course, Symbolic Narrative: The National D-Day Memorial, looked at how monuments can tell the story of an event they memorialize. Students traveled to the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia, to examine how its design and construction created symbols that tell the story of the Normandy Invasion. Students even presented their final reports for the class at the memorial.

students learning about statues
students walking by statue
students walking up stairs at a monument
students learning at a ww II monument

Careers & Outcomes

Campus Experiences Lead Alumna to Top-100 PR Agency

Alumna Megan Semmelman Irvin '11, a sociology major who concentrated in communication during her time at Roanoke, is now an account director at The Hodges Partnership, a strategic communications firm in Richmond, Virginia, that has been recognized as one of the top 100 public relations agencies in the country. Irvin says her communications professors and her time working as a student writer in the Office of Marketing and Communications on campus inspired her to pursue a career in the communications field.

"I wouldn't have chosen this field without Roanoke," says Irvin. "I love that I get to spend my days writing, working with the media and being involved in community efforts that have a meaningful impact."

Megan Semmelman Irvin

Our grads work at great organizations

Logos for Fox, WVTF Public Radio, The Simpsons, allure and TIAA CREF

Joe Boucher ’87 | TV & Film Producer

Joe Boucher '87, producer of the hit shows "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill," returned to Roanoke College and is now putting his Hollywood experience and advice to work for students interested in working in entertainment. 

"You have to have a dream and go for it," he said. "When you're young is the time to do it." Boucher realized that he had a story to tell as a senior at Roanoke, and he pursued his dream for years until it became reality. He started working in the mailroom of Hollywood's 20th Century Fox, and through hard work and creativity, he worked his way up to producing two major animated television hits.

Joe Boucher in a Go Maroons shirt on campus

Faculty

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News

Interested in studying communications at Roanoke College?

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In the classroom and through hands-on work outside it, you'll study the communication process and how it contributes to the development of information, human relationships and culture. 
In addition to critical thinking courses, like research methodology and rhetorical theory, you'll be engaged in dynamic areas of study, such as interpersonal communication and journalism.

Many Communication Studies majors go on to highly regarded graduate programs at schools that include Boston College, Columbia University, Drexel University, Georgetown University and Virginia Tech. 

Communication Studies can open the door to careers in broadcasting, digital media, marketing, public relations, publishing and social media.

We offer both a major and minor in communication studies.