Whether you wish to pursue a career in broadcasting, journalism, public relations, advertising, government service, a Houghton College degree in communication will prepare you well.
Houghton’s communication major is one of the fastest growing programs at the college, and with good reason. In a fast-paced, media-saturated society awash with information, the ability to create and present clear and concise messages has never been more important.
Communication at Houghton is an interdisciplinary program that will help you become a competent communicator. The major is built around a core set of classes that will provide you with both the theoretical understanding and the applied skills you will need whatever your career—getting along with others in relationship, working in problem-solving groups, making effective presentations and understanding the role of media in our society.
Graduates leave Houghton with the ability to analyze messages in both personal and public contexts, recognize and choose from among the various communication strategies available, and use language and images to create messages that are sensitive to the audience and that help to solve real-world problems.
Why Major in Communication?
- Receive personal attention from faculty in small lab-media classes featuring Adobe Creative Cloud-based instruction.
- Gain real-world experience through our solid internship program and other off-campus opportunities.
- Develop your most compelling visual communication ideas with the best tools available in our state-of-the-art Macintosh Media Arts Lab.
- Explore your gifts in a wide range of areas by employing the strong connections we have with other academic departments.
- Dive deeper into your interests with opportunities for faculty/student collaboration on independent projects.
Major Requirements
Courses of Study
- Integrated Marketing Communication
- Media Arts & Visual Communication
- Rhetorical Communication
- Communication Minor
- Sound Design
Making Connections
The study of communication is all about bringing people together. Many communication majors at Houghton reflect this by connecting their communication majors to many other areas of interest with a double major. Houghton students have paired their communication studies with majors in art, business, international development, intercultural studies, ministry, biology, psychology, English, writing, political science, Spanish, equestrian studies, music, and education. The strong collaboration we have with numerous other departments (art, business, writing, English, intercultural studies, international development, music) gives you the opportunity to explore your gifts in a range of areas while being supported by nurturing and caring faculty.
The Benn and Sally Forsyth Learning Commons
The Benn and Sally Forsyth Learning Commons is a creative, collaborative space open to all majors that houses our Macintosh Media Arts Lab. In addition to the computer workspaces in the classroom area of the Learning Commons, students also have access to individual media production workspaces for projects incorporating multiple digital technologies.
Experiential Learning Opportunities
Houghton communication majors arrive at graduation with excellent preparation for the world of work. Through a combination of coursework and experience in theory and application, students will know not just how to do something but what to do to communicate effectively and why.