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Understand the courses you’ll take, the curriculum requirements to meet, and the concepts you’ll gain mastery of.
Communication BA
Our Communication bachelor's degree is one program with a world of career options.
With job opportunities in nearly every industry–pursue Communication at RIC.
Nearly every major company or industry employs communication professionals in some capacity. RIC's Communication Program provides practical, real-world education in some of the most important disciplines in the field.
High-Demand Communication Careers
- Advertising Executive
- Social Media Influencer
- Videographer
- Podcaster
- Broadcast Journalist
- Digital Marketing Specialist
Why Earn a Communication Bachelor's Degree at Rhode Island College?
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects strong 10-year growth for media and communication jobs, with median wages above the national average.
- We prepare students for careers in media (TV, video, podcasting/radio, streaming, social, journalism, sports, entertainment and digital) and advertising (marketing, public relations).
- Our students can gain hands-on experience in our multimedia production studio and our student-run media organizations like The Anchor (newspaper), ANCHOR-TV, and WXIN (radio).
- In our program you'll choose either the Media Communication and Advertising concentration or our Speech, Language, and Hearing Science concentration. We also offer two minor programs: Communication and Digital Media Production
- Topics covered include: advertising, media ethics, social media communication, audio production, digital video production and sports reporting.
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We're thrilled that you're interested in Rhode Island College and we want to make sure that nothing stands in your way of pursuing a RIC degree. Just let us know how we can help you with your next steps.
Media Communication and Advertising Concentration
Get prepared for a career in the media (TV, video, podcasting/radio, streaming, social, journalism, sports, entertainment and digital) and advertising (marketing communications) industries.
Speech, Language, and Hearing Science Concentration
Understand how humans create and interpret speech and language and how they hear sounds. Gain the necessary foundation to pursue speech-language pathology or audiology at the gradate level.
Communication students learn by doing, with project-based courses and real-world opportunities to build a portfolio of work to present to future employers and graduate schools.
Communication Faculty
Communication students benefit from expert-led classes and hands-on internship opportunities in a flexible program that supports students’ individual backgrounds, needs, and interests.
Dr. Giselle A. Auger
- Professor
Dr. Valerie A. Endress
- Associate Professor
Dr. R. Anthony Galvez
- Associate Professor
Dr. Theodore Allen Jenkins
- Assistant Professor
Dr. Jinsoo Kim
- Associate Professor
Dr. Brian M. Knoth
- Associate Professor
Dr. Kimberly A. Martin
- Assistant Professor
Dr. Eung-Jun Min
- Professor
Hear from a Student
Hillary Lima
“The real-world experience I had at RIC was huge, whether it was having my own political talk show [“Capitol Hill”] on RIC’s radio station or writing for the Anchor newspaper or working in student government.”
– Double Major in Communication and Political Science
From Passion, to Education, to Career
There are few students who have done more to realize their dreams than Baccari.
Jonathan Robinson is among the top 10 ticket salesmen in the NBA.
Program Details
You'll Choose a Concentration
The BA in communication has you choose a concentration in Media Communication and Advertising or Speech, Language, and Hearing Science.
Media Communication and Advertising Concentration Details
The Media Communication and Advertising concentration prepares students for careers in the media (TV, video, podcasting/radio, streaming, social, journalism, sports, entertainment and digital) and advertising (marketing communications) industries. With the help of an expert faculty advisor, students can focus their studies on media, advertising or some combination of these two growing and complementary fields. Students are encouraged to make use of the on-campus multimedia production studio and computer lab and join student-run organizations, such as The Anchor (the student newspaper), ANCHOR TV and WXIN (the RIC radio station). Internships with local media outlets/departments or marketing communications agencies are encouraged. For more information contact Brian Knoth, Ph.D.
You'll Choose a Concentration
The BA in communication has you choose a concentration in Media Communication and Advertising or Speech, Language, and Hearing Science.
Speech, Language, and Hearing Science Concentration Details
The Speech, Language, and Hearing Science concentration gives students a basic understanding of speech, language, and hearing. Our curriculum covers the core courses considered by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) to be prerequisites for graduate study. While an advanced degree in speech-language pathology or audiology is required by ASHA, our program offers students the necessary background for graduate study. Many of our students go on to pursue advanced degrees.
Speech, Language, and Hearing Science Careers
- Audiologist
- Children's Hearing Specialist
- Speech-Language Educator
- Speech-Language Pathologist
- Speech Therapist
Please Note: Some careers require advanced degrees.
Program/Learning Goals
Communication BA with Media Communication Concentration
Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:
- develop an understanding of critical theories in the discipline of Mass Media and demonstrate the ability to understand and apply those theories in the analysis of selected situations, artifacts, and/or current issues
- develop and demonstrate an understanding of the principles and issues related to ethics in the Mass Media
- develop an understanding of the three stages of production (pre-production, production, and post-production) and demonstrate the ability to produce a professional portfolio of digital media products
Communication BA with Speech and Hearing Science Concentration
Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:
- apply the skill of hearing speech sounds to the process of phonetic transcription
- apply theories of speech and language development to data collected from a normal child
- understand the science of speech and hearing, including acoustics, speech perception and anatomy and physiology
- understand the principles of audiology
- apply for and gain admission to graduate programs in speech and hearing science
Minors in Communication and Digital Media Production
Declaring a minor allows you to explore other areas of interest and make interdisciplinary connections. Minor areas at RIC complement and reinforce all major areas of study. By declaring a minor, you can set yourself apart as a candidate for job, internship and volunteer opportunities. Many major programs at RIC offer a corresponding minor program, intended for students from other majors. Some programs also offer specialized minors, which work well for all students
Communication Minor
Students interested in communication who do not wish to major in it should consider our minor program. Take a closer look!
Communication Minor Course Requirements
Digital Media Production Minor
The minor in digital media production is a specialized minor, meant for any student who wants to expand their digital media skills and learn to produce professional audio, video, music, podcasts, live streams and other multimedia projects. Courses in the minor provide students with foundations in concept development and scriptwriting for various forms of media and opportunities for advanced study in video and audio production and other forms of multimedia content creation. The digital media minor provides skills that complement a wide variety of majors, including education, psychology, music, theatre and dance.
Take the Next Step!
Department of Communication
Our mission is to prepare students to communicate effectively as professionals and citizens in our state, nation and the world.
- emailbknoth@ric.edu
- phone401-456-9652
- placeWhipple Hall
