Communication - Hamilton College Clinton

Communication from Hamilton College Clinton is a Campus Bachelor Media Studies degree that prepares you for a Communications career. COMMUNICATION IS A FOUNDATIONAL PRACTICE OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE. Every day, we talk, send text messages, update our Facebook profiles, watch a movie or TV program, read the news on the Internet or play a video game. The communication environment seems so natural, we tend to not even notice it at all. But that very invisibility also makes communication a critical and fascinating area of study. Our various modes of communication may be normal and routine, but they are anything but unimportant. The study of communication is the study of signs and symbols ? how they are arranged to create meaning, how they are transmitted and manipulated, and how self and society are shaped by information in all its forms. Language is one such sign system, but it is hardly the only one. Think about the power of television images in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001, or the feelings evoked by music, color or architecture, and you've begun to glimpse the depth and importance of signs. Students who pursue communication at Hamilton develop an understanding of principles and strategies of communication across various contexts ? interpersonal, social, political, economic, cultural and beyond one's own place and time. Technologies of communication , and how they record, transmit and shape what we do and know, are also crucial to consider. Students investigate these technologies alongside the institutional arrangements and specific organizations of knowledge that participate in the production, transmission and reception of information. The communication program offers a rigorous, interdisciplinary look at human symbolic systems and the social relations and forms produced through those systems. Students acquire broad historical, theoretical and creative knowledge of contemporary communication challenges, and are encouraged to adopt ethical stances in a rapidly changing communication environment. In an era when digital and mass media technologies seem to be in a state of constant change, understanding communication is an important part of understanding ourselves. RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES The interdisciplinary nature of communication study means that research opportunities are plentiful and take many forms, from quantitative and statistical studies , to historical analyses, to interpretive and theoretical essays. Classes are small, and students engage in rigorous discussion. Many courses are writing-intensive, multiplying the occasions for in-depth, scholarly research. A number of students have presented their work at national and international conferences. Recent communication majors gave presentations at the International Workshop on Presence at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain; at the annual convention of the New York State Communication Association; and at the National Undergraduate Honors Conference, hosted by the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California. THE SENIOR PROGRAM Senior majors in communication participate in an intensive Senior Program, during which they work closely with a faculty member on a one-semester senior project. The project represents a culmination of each student's undergraduate experience; it synthesizes coursework, research and discussion into a focused statement of intellectual growth and insight. In communication , the project consists of both written and oral components, culminating in a final draft of original research and an oral presentation to students and faculty at the end of the course. More ... RESOURCES The Communication Department hosts several guest speakers each year who are distinguished in scholarly and professional fields. Among the recent speakers are David Gunkel, an award-winning educator and scholar in the field of information and communication technology, and author of Thinking Otherwise: Philosophy, Communication, Technology; and Jim Kennedy, vice president and director of strategic planning for the Associated Press. Students have a variety of opportunities to engage distinguished guests in conversation. The College hosts an annual public speaking competition. The six speaking awards are among the most prestigious student honors on campus and include $6,000 in prizes. Topics and formats vary ? persuasive speeches, informative speeches and essays may be considered. Additionally, Hamilton is a member of Lambda Pi Eta, a national honor society dedicated to encouraging and recognizing excellence in communication studies. Membership is based on scholastic performance and commitment to the field. There are also many resources available to help students across disciplines improve their communication skills and prepare for life ? academic or professional ? after Hamilton. Hamilton's Oral Communication Center offers support services, workshops and tutoring options designed to help students improve their public-speaking skills and classroom performance. The Nesbitt-Johnston Writing Center offers peer writing conferences to help students clarify, organize and strengthen their ideas. Many communication students earn working internships in such professional fields as media production, public relations, marketing and advertising. The College's Maurice Horowich Career Center helps find and arrange internships in New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., and other locales. View more details on Hamilton College . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Media Studies courses.