The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication is the only program in the Northwest that offers sequences in six communication fields: advertising, broadcasting, communication, communication studies, journalism, and public relations.
ADVERTISING
Students have the opportunity to learn about advertising from a variety of viewpoints—both theoretical and applied. In addition to receiving a solid grounding in communication theory and the liberal arts, students can put their knowledge to use in preparing media plans, writing advertising strategy and copy, and planning and executing complete campaigns.
Qualified students can gain valuable experience in the advertising workplace through internships, or may participate in competitions and other pre-professional activities sponsored by the American Advertising Federation. A number of WSU students have interned at leading agencies in the West, and many students are working in advertising organizations. Regardless of whether the final outcome is a job in advertising, students have the opportunity to study communication through the lens of one of its major forms—advertising.
BROADCASTING
WSU's broadcasting sequence, which offers emphases in production, news, and management, has earned an outstanding reputation for its professional approach. Students who elect the production track receive studio and field training in both audio and video production and have opportunities to work with equipment in the College, at WSU’s Cable 8, and in Radio-TV Services.
In the broadcast news track students are exposed to both radio and television news reporting. Through the radio news class students are responsible for daily newscasts on KUGR, and may gain additional experience on Northwest Public Radio. In television news they generate nightly cablecasts seen in Pullman which they anchor, shoot, edit, and produce.
The quality of the broadcasting sequence has earned students wide recognition from broadcast professionals. WSU students have won awards in television spot news, non-deadline news, and television documentary categories from a regional competition sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists.
COMMUNICATION
The general communication track is designed for students who wish to focus on communication as an academic area but do not want to emphasize a particular professional emphasis. It is intended for students intending to pursue graduate study in Communication.
An undergraduate communication degree provides knowledge and skills valued in fields as varied as business, education, government and politics, international relations, social and human services, health-related careers, and law.
COMMUNICATIONS STUDIES
The communication specialist plays an important role in today’s society. Organizations of all kinds—businesses; national, state, and local government agencies; schools; and nonprofit organizations—can function well only if they communicate effectively. The communication specialist provides expert guidance in analyzing and organizing the flow of messages within the organizations and beyond.
Students who major in communication studies take courses in the theory and practice of person-to-person communication in all types of settings. These include analysis of language, small group problem-solving, interpersonal communication, public speaking, persuasion, and oral interpretation. Internships provide qualified students with an opportunity to apply their skills.
JOURNALISM
For years, WSU has trained many of the Pacific Northwest’s leading newspaper reporters and editors. The University will continue to provide tomorrow's journalists, as well as professionals for similar positions on the staffs of magazines and specialized publications.
Journalism majors focus on the reporting and editing processes, current mass media issues, and the legal and historical precedents that have shaped the field. In the lab, students are exposed to new computer-based technologies designed to help the journalist be more precise in reporting and editing.
Beyond the classroom, journalism majors write for and manage The Daily Evergreen, intern with newspapers and magazines, and compete nationally for internships and scholarships. Students also meet many news media professionals by participating in the WSU chapter of the Society for Professional Journalists.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
As the site of Washington's first public relations degree program, WSU's Edward R. Murrow College of Communication has launched the careers of many of the Northwest's most effective communication managers in business, government, and nonprofit organizations. This highly regarded program continues to gain strength through the strong support of professionals throughout the Northwest.
Public relations majors learn to communicate creatively and persuasively to build mutually beneficial long-term relationships between organizations and their publics. The program emphasizes writing, research, and management principles through a demanding series of required courses in communication, journalism, marketing, and public relations.
Public relations majors become involved with campus media, the Public Relations Student Society of America, the International Association of Business Communicators, and with ongoing campaigns for clients throughout Washington state. In addition, through the College's flourishing internship program, students apprentice with agencies, corporations, hospitals, nonprofit organizations, and government and congressional offices.
Learn more about The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
“To be persuasive, we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; to be credible, we must be truthful.”
