About Us

Our Mission

Through our teaching, research and service, we develop responsible and collaborative communication practices for our students and communities near and far.

Communication is central to addressing the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century, and we are committed to enabling people, organizations and communities to thrive.

Key Commitments

• Learner-Centered Education: We embody education that sparks conversation, critical investigation, creative problem-solving and knowledge sharing and creation.
• Impactful, Socially Responsive Research and Scholarship: We pursue research that is grounded in a variety of communication perspectives, illuminates complexity and enriches everyday lives.
• Multifaceted Approaches to Communication Arts and Sciences: We actively engage in intellectual dialogue that honors the strength of individual contributions and is informed by multiple approaches to communication.
• Inclusive and Ethical Practices: We strive to promote inclusive and ethical dialogue to ensure that our communication processes and practices meaningfully contribute to creating the conditions for a society in which everyone feels they belong and can flourish.
• Community-Engaged Partnerships: We connect with university, alumni, business, nonprofit and government partners in North Carolina’s Research Triangle and across the globe to contribute to the public good.

Our Academic Offerings

We’re one of the largest departments on campus, with an annual average of 750 undergraduate majors and 70 full- or part-time graduate students.

Our students are wired to jump in with both feet. Whether they’re undergrads creating videos or doctoral students creating mobile apps, they’re curious, problem-solving, forward thinkers. They take on complex, nuanced topics and help the world make sense of it all.

Undergraduate Programs

• B.A. in Communication
• Minor in Science Communication

Graduate Programs

• M.S. in Communication
• Ph.D. in Communication, Rhetoric and Digital Media
• Graduate Certificate in Professional Communication and Managerial Skills

Outstanding Alumni

Our graduates work for top organizations across the globe. They manage public relations campaigns, work in front of and behind the camera, handle publicity and event planning for major corporations, and more.

Explore career paths

Faculty Expertise

Our award-winning faculty are phenomenal teachers. They’re also researchers who are changing how we approach the challenges that arise when two people — or many cultures or multiple nations — attempt to communicate.

We’re home to scholars who study social media misinformation, health communication, mobile gaming and how people talk about uncomfortable issues, among many other topics.

Our researchers lead groundbreaking digital humanities projects and partner with public and private groups to solve complex issues. All the while, faculty create opportunities for students to contribute to studies — and pursue projects of their own.