The mission of the Department of Communication is to prepare students for civic participation
in an increasingly complex world that requires sophisticated practical, critical,
and theoretical understandings of human communication.
The field of Communication traces back to rhetoricians from Ancient Greece and Rome
including Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero. The Communication department offers a Bachelor
of Arts degree and a Master of Arts degree.
The B.A. in Communication focuses on the history, theory, and critical evaluation of communication in contexts
of public speaking, interpersonal communication, small group communication, mass media
and social media. Students select one of the following concentrations: Broadcasting,
Media Studies, Public Communication and Advocacy, or Public Relations.
The M.A. in Communication focuses on the mastery of communication skills, concepts and practices to enable
graduates to advance in their professional careers, teach in the field, or pursue
a doctorate. Students are able to customize the curriculum to their particular needs.
Both the B.A. and the M.A. in Communication enable students to secure successful careers
in a variety of fields including management, human resources, education, advocacy,
journalism, sales, marketing, advertising, public relations, media development, and
broadcasting.
There are two officially recognized Department of Communication student organizations.
WESS 90.3 FM is a student-operated, non-commercial, FCC-licensed radio station located on the
campus of East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania. WESS radio is a 24/7 broadcaster,
webcaster and podcaster offering diversified content. WESS is an MTV "Woodie Award
Winner" for being the best college radio station in the country.
The Public Relations Student Society of America is a professional student organization that was established at East Stroudsburg University
in Fall 2010 and was recognized by ESU SAA by December 2011. PRSSA is a club for students
looking to excel in the field of public relations, and operates as a part of the national
PRSSA and its parent, Public Relations Society of America, the nation's largest professional organization serving the communications community.
PRSSA holds workshops, connects students with alumni now working in the field, arranges
networking opportunities with PR professionals and performs pro bono PR work for local
organizations via its student-run PR firm Warrior Relations.