Communication Major

Strengthen your unique voice to bring meaningful change to today’s world.

In a fast-paced, media-saturated society, communication is a daily part of life with the power to foster communities and solve real-world problems. At Houghton University, the Communication program equips you with the interpersonal, professional, and creative skills necessary to create and present meaningful, clear, and concise messages that can spark change in our society.

Effective communication is a skill highly sought out by many employers. Mastering this skill will open the door to many future employment opportunities, varying from analytical fields such as public relations to creative fields such as broadcasting and film.

Classes Careers Meet the Faculty

Professional Experience Before Graduation

Put the ideas you learn in your Communication courses into practice as you pursue professional-level internships and work directly alongside experienced faculty to serve the greater Houghton community.

Use Industry-standard Tools

Experience a creative, collaborative space in the Benn and Sally Forsyth Learning Commons that houses our Mac Media Arts Lab as well as individual media production workspaces for projects incorporating multiple digital technologies.

What will I learn?

Through Houghton’s major in Communication, you will master the use of language and images to create effective messages as you:

Find your unique voice as you experience a wide variety of communication theories, styles, and practices that will develop your interpersonal, intercultural, and organizational skills.
Put your skills into practice with courses that specialize in areas such as public speaking and digital video as well as internships that meet professional standards of work in a plethora of different areas.
Pair your passion for communication with another passion alongside faculty who support the pursuit of multiple majors and make the process as rewarding and realistic as possible.
Understand what it means to be a Christian communicator in today’s world and learn how to use your skills to create meaningful conversations that will bridge connections between yourself and those who are different from you.

124 Credits

35-36

Required Courses

88-89

Elective Courses and General Education

Degree Requirements

Specialize Your Degree with a Concentration

»Integrated Marketing Communication

Build on the core of communication to master components of marketing, including advertising, public relations, and more.

»Media Arts & Visual Communication Concentration

Make visual media that is effective, creative and ethical through a unique combination of media theory, critical analysis and cultural application.

»Rhetorical Communication Concentration

Construct effective and ethically responsible messages in the church, workplace and community.

Meet a Faculty Member

Communicate via Multiple Media

Students will have the opportunity to work in Houghton’s Mac Media Arts Lab, in which they will be able to pursue work in video, graphic design, 3D modeling, animation, photography, writing, sound recording, photoshop, and more. Students will learn how to master the Adobe Suite and equip themselves with the tools necessary to develop their communication in various media.

Interconnected, Expert Faculty

The Communication faculty at Houghton University are dedicated to helping students become as flexible and well-rounded as possible. Their courses allow students the opportunity to pair the Communication major with interests including but not limited to art, business, ministry, and education. The faculty care about encouraging students to collaborate amongst themselves as well as with other faculty in the department.

Explore Your Calling

The Communication program at Houghton has a strong record of success in helping students to discover their vocation. Students can discover and master their unique skills in communication courses that will lay the groundwork for a vocation best fit for their individual abilities.