2025-2026 Academic Catalog
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
The School of Communication offers five undergraduate majors: Advertising, Communication, Multimedia Journalism, Public Relations, and Sports Media and Analytics. These majors lead to a B.A. in Communication. The five majors, each grounded in a strong liberal arts curriculum, prepare students for careers in journalism, broadcasting, digital media production, public relations, advertising, sports media, business, public service, government, and professional specializations, such as law. Coursework in the school focuses on strategic, theoretical, and practical application of message creation, delivery, and analysis. Graduates from each major are prepared to apply their skills immediately in various professional settings or continue their studies in graduate school.
The school is organized into three curriculum divisions: Communication Studies (CMST), Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC), and Public Relations and Advertising (PR/ADV). Each division is responsible for specific majors. The three divisions share responsibility for the school's core (COMM) curriculum. The Communication Studies division coordinates the school's Communication Skills and Public Speaking offerings. The Public Relations curriculum is certified by the Public Relations Society of America.
Advertising (ADV) - This major prepares students to craft and deliver persuasive messages through paid media. Coursework explores theories, practice, and ethics of advertising. Students learn about market research, consumer behavior, account planning, media buying, brand storytelling, copy design and production, and campaign evaluation. Major courses come from the School of Communication, Pamplin College of Business, and School of Visual Arts.
Communication (COMM) - This major develops human-interaction strategies and skills relating to decision making, influence, and information exchange in face-to-face, public, and organizational contexts. As a graduate, you might consider careers in business, health, civic engagement, law, education, and ministry.
Multimedia Journalism (MJ) - This major prepares students for careers at newspapers, magazines, broadcast and cable outlets, and online news operations. The lines that separate these specialties have blurred as delivery media have converged. Courses offer both practical skills and theory as they address history, law and ethics, current controversies, and opportunities in the changing news business.
Public Relations (PR) - This major emphasizes both skill and management functions of public relations through theoretical and practical applications. Public relations spans media, organizational, corporate, and political contexts. The discipline includes investigation and analysis of public relations situations (e.g., crises, successes), message production and campaign planning, writing and presentation, and evaluation of public relations strategies. Public relations permeates many areas of corporate, nonprofit, and political work, so this major provides students a foundation for many different career paths. The public relations curriculum is certified by the Public Relations Society of America.
Sports Media and Analytics (SMA) - This major prepares students to produce and deliver sports news, consider ways to promote the sports industry, and analyze data related to sports accomplishments, fan participation, and social media. Employment opportunities are varied and include sports reporting; public relations for sports venues, teams, or athletes; and promotional work for businesses that support the fans.
The curriculum for each major is designed to provide foundational and developmental courses along with major-specific study. Students are introduced to concepts early in the undergraduate career, and the curriculum allows them to build knowledge and skills as they work on increasingly complex tasks. Students develop skills in written, spoken, and visual communication. At the foundational level, students in every major are required to take the same introductory courses.
The School of Communication offers three undergraduate minors: Advertising, Health Communication, and Strategic Communication.
Advertising This 18-credit minor introduces students from outside mass communication disciplines to basic principles of paid persuasive communication. The minor requires students to earn 15 credits from divisions within the School of Communication and 3 credits from the Marketing Department in the Pamplin College of Business.
Health Communication This 21-credit multidisciplinary minor exposes students to core Pathways learning outcomes and builds knowledge about health communication. Four introductory requirements, two mid-level electives, and a capstone course consider theoretical and practical tools used to promote and affect health behavior change.
Strategic Communication This 18-credit multidisciplinary Pathways minor is open to majors from across the university and is especially appropriate for students in business or science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. Courseworkfour introductory requirements, one elective, and a capstone courseshows students how strategic communication works in a variety of industries. Few jobs have no communication components.
Specific course requirements for each minor are explained on checksheets. These three minors are not open to students in the Advertising, Communication, Multimedia Journalism, Public Relations, or Sports Media and Analytics majors.
University policy requires that students demonstrate their progress toward the degree by meeting minimum requirements. A student will be certified as making satisfactory progress toward a degree by meeting the following requirements:
Students who fall below the standard for either the overall GPA or the major GPA will have one semester to regain the required GPA standards. A student who fails to make satisfactory progress toward degree after that semester will be blocked from continuing in any School of Communication and Digital Media major.
Incoming freshmen and students enrolled at other institutions should follow directions for application as shown on the Admissions website.
Students enrolled in other Virginia Tech majors who wish to transfer into the School of Communication may use the online system for application.
Please see the school website for more information about majors and minors:
https://liberalarts.vt.edu/departments-and-schools/school-of-communication.html
Contact: comm@vt.edu
Director: John C. Tedesco
Associate Director: Hannah S. Deuyour
Director of Undergraduate Programs: Brandi A. Quesenberry
Director of Graduate Studies: M. Cayce Myers
Professors: C. Evia, J. A. Kuypers, N. J. Logan, M.C. Myers, and J. C. Tedesco
Professors of Practice: D. Jefferies, R. J. Reed, and W. B. Roth
Associate Professors: M. A. Duncan, R. L. Holloway, A. Holz, N. Mielczarek, S. A. Smith, and C. L. Woods
Associate Professor of Practice: J. Combs
Assistant Professors: M. Zimmerman
Assistant Collegiate Professor: H.S. Deuyour
Senior Instructors: D.M. Jenkins, B. A. Quesenberry and S. J. Robinson
Advanced Instructors: C. H. Boor, D. Conner, B. W. Howell, K. M. McAllister, L. S. Purcell, S. C. Stinson, and N. Sowder
Instructors: T. H. Bennett, M. Cassady, E. Johnson, C. Thomas, A. Widgeon and J. M. Woolly
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