Bethel University
B.A. in Communication Studies and Media Communication (College of Arts and Sciences)
The B.A. programs in Communication Studies and Media Communication are designed to prepare skilled communicators for professional careers and Christian service. Our graduates work in a variety of settings: for-profit, non-profit, education and ministry.
Students can participate in a variety of activities within the department, including our campus radio station, television studio, and forensics team. Bethel also has a chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, the national communication honorary, and Pi Kappa Delta, the national forensics honorary.
All students in the department take a core that includes Basic Communication, Perspectives on Human Communication, Media Communication, Methods of Communication Research, and Senior Seminar. From there, students take a variety of upper-level courses in particular specialties:
- Relational Studies emphasis, Communication Studies major: Students in this emphasis learn about communication theory as well as focus on areas such as interpersonal communication, relational communication, abusive relationships and family communication. Students in this emphasis are well prepared for ministry, non-profit programs, and graduate school.
- Rhetorical Studies emphasis, Communication Studies major: Students in this emphasis study the role of rhetorical communication in culture. Students gain a background in areas such as history and political science, as well as rhetorical theory, political communication, and media criticism.
- Organizational Communication emphasis, Communication Studies major: Students in this emphasis understand how communication works both in organizational settings as well as between organizations. Students then pick a track to work with their interests, such as design, marketing communication, employee communication or writing.
- Production emphasis, Media Communication major: Students gain a variety of experience in non-linear editing, as well as a better understanding of how media operates within culture. It's not just about pushing knobs or clicking a mouse, but also why people make the production decisions they do.
- Criticism emphasis, Media Communication major: We recognize that not everyone wants to be in front of a camera or behind a microphone, but wants a better understanding of the media's influence. Students in this emphasis take classes in film theory, screen writing, and media criticism.
You can find more information about the specific classes within each emphasis at the Office of Admissions website.
A list of Fall 2008 courses and Interim/Spring 2008 courses is available.
We'll be adding more content, such as stories some of the different jobs our graduates have and what they're doing with a communication studies major, in the coming months.