Department of Communication

Return to: Colleges

Location: Griffin Hall 400
Telephone: 859-572-5435
Fax: 859-572-6187
Email Address: communication@nku.edu
Web Address: http://inside.nku.edu/informatics/departments/communication.html
Department Chair: Zachary Hart
Program Coordinator(s):

Communication Studies Program Director: Stephen Yungbluth
Electronic Media & Broadcasting Program Director: Christopher Strobel
Journalism Program Director: Brad Scharlott
Media Informatics Program Director: Christopher Strobel
Public Relations Program Director: Gregory De Blasio
Graduate Studies Co-Directors: Mark Leeman, Stephanie Klatzke

Other Key Personnel:

General Education Director: Yasue Kuwahara
Student Media Adviser: Michele Day
Academic Coordinator: Randy Little
Academic Specialist: Christa Witt

Full-Time Faculty: Wesley Akers, Alyssa Appelman, Sookie Cho, Michele Day, Gregory De Blasio, Sara Drabik, Jeff Fox, Monica Gallegos, John Gibson, Zachary Hart, Renee Human, Stacie Jankowski, Stephen Johnson, Stephanie Klatzke, Jessica Kratzer, Yasue Kuwahara, Andrea Lambert-South, Austin Lee, Mark Leeman, Jacqueline McNally-Emerine, Lex Pulos, Gaut Ragsdale, Bradford Scharlott, J. Michael Skaggs, Karen Slawter, Tracy Songer, Christopher Strobel, David Thomson, Steven Weiss, Stephen Yungbluth, Nicholas Zeman

Thinking about the discipline: The Department of Communication fosters an integrated approach to the study and practice of communication and emphasizes the fundamental role communication plays in virtually all human endeavors.

Students majoring in communication studies, electronic media and broadcasting, journalism, media informatics, or public relations will take courses that teach basic and advanced skills in computer-mediated, digital, spoken, visual, and written communication. They also promote an understanding of communication principles and theories as well as an awareness of the personal, social, psychological, and cultural impacts of communication. The department’s courses also emphasize situational analysis, issue identification, problem solving, message construction, storytelling, and effective presentation.

Communication students aspire to become professional communicators in fields such as broadcast, online, and print journalism; digital, animated, audio, and video storytelling; organizational communication; public relations; and social informatics.

Special opportunities for our students: The communication department provides numerous opportunities for practical and applied experiences through an active internship program, projects and practicum courses, and student organizations. The department is home to NorseMedia, which creates media for NKU’s web presence and television station, as well as Norse PROvisions, a student-run public relations firm. In addition, the NKU student newspaper (The Northerner) and online radio station (Norse Code Radio) are housed in the department. Students also have the opportunity to join a variety of discipline-specific student organizations such as the Communication Club, MINjas, Norse Film Society, Public Relations Student Society of America, and Society for Professional Journalists.

Special graduation requirements: All majors and minors must earn a letter grade of C- and a 2.0 GPA in their major or minor courses.

Programs

• Communication Studies, B.A.
• Electronic Media and Broadcasting, B.A.
• Journalism, B.A.
• Media Informatics, B.A.
• Public Relations, B.A.

• Communication Studies Minor
• Electronic Media and Broadcasting Minor
• Journalism Minor
• Media Informatics Minor

Return to: Colleges