Contact Communication

Communication
Burrell Hall
7000 Adventist Blvd
Huntsville, AL  35896

Phone: (256) 726-7533
Fax: (256) 726-7531

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Oakwood University ► Academics ► Departments ► Communication

Department of Communication

Majors:

Minors:

Mission
The Department of Communication exists to prepare students for careers in the areas of broadcast journalism, commercial art, communication arts, photojournalism, print journalism, and public relations. The department provides high quality programs grounded in a Christian perspective. These programs equip students with skills that allow them to compete effectively in today’s marketplace.

Purpose
The Department of Communication serves a dual purpose. First, it provides general education courses for a large segment of the student population; second, it offers majors in two distinct programs.

Service Department
The department provides a segment of the liberal arts curriculum through its general education course offerings in speech and art, thus serving most students.

Majors
The department offers three majors: communication, communication media, and art.

  • The major in communication allows students to pursue one of two concentration tracks: communication arts or public relations.
  • The communication arts concentration is a general degree that provides students with people skills and the ability to organize and communicate ideas effectively in a variety of contexts such as law, medicine, politics, management, etc.
  • For those students who enjoy fast-paced excitement, the public relations concentration facilitates the development and use of skills in a variety of areas, including event planning, corporate communication, media relations, and crisis management.
  • The major in communication media allows students to pursue one of three concentration tracks: broadcast journalism, photojournalism, and print journalism.
  • The broadcast journalism concentration focuses on providing students with a high degree of competency and knowledge enabling them to obtain entry-level positions in a broad spectrum of radio and television information programming.
  • The photojournalism concentration provides the student with theories and practice in both photography and writing. The two arts combined become a powerful means of conveying concepts and ideas.
  • Graduates with emphasis in print journalism have built successful careers in newspaper and broadcast journalism, web design, technical writing, education, governmental public service, and law.
  • The major in art allows students to pursue one of two concentrations: commercial art and photography.
  • Commercial art prepares students to make rapid application of their skills in the world of visual communication.
  • Photography has very broad and practical uses such as photojournalism, portraiture, documentation, illustration, and fine art. Students are encouraged to continue their preparation by completing a four year degree after earning the A.S. degree at Oakwood University.

High School Preparation
Students wishing to major in communication or art should follow the college preparatory program in high school. Students should endeavor to read widely and learn to express themselves clearly and correctly in speech and in writing.

Admission Requirements
Admission to Oakwood University does not guarantee admission to the Department of Communication. Freshmen intending to major in the department receive provisional admission upon arrival or declaration of the major.

Any student may apply for admission to this department after meeting the following requirements:

  • Completion of 32 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher;
  • Completion of EN 111: Freshman Composition with minimum grade of C;
  • Completion of CO 201: Public Speaking with a minimum grade of C; and
  • Completion of the Departmental Diagnostic Exam

Exit Requirements
During their final year, all majors are required to:

  • pass an exit examination with a minimum passing grade of C.
  • complete a senior project specific to their area of concentration. Projects may include activities such as portfolio presentations, participation in art shows, and research papers.

Career Opportunities
Students in communication are prepared for professional careers in broadcasting, journalism, and public relations, or for media-related positions in education and industry. Other opportunities include graduate school, journalism, law, library science, public relations, and teaching. Artists find employment in a variety of professions in thousands of organizations around the world.