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Faculty: D. Dixon, M. Everett (Chair), A. Lawson, T. McKenzie, K. Paal, A. Rudd

We, the Communication Arts Department, are committed to the development of communicators rooted in communities, acting as agents of truth, reflection, transformation, and reconciliation in a way that celebrates God’s grace and faithfulness.

The department offers a major in Communication Arts  with concentrations in Communication Studies, Journalism, Media Communication, Public Relations, and Theatre. The department also offers a minor in Communication Arts .

Special Programs

Integrated Language Arts

Although there is not a program for secondary teaching licensure housed in the Department of Communication Arts, the Integrated Language Arts program includes courses offered by this department: COMM 220, 230; JOUR 220, 320; SPCH 220, 340, 342; and THEA 330. This program is available in the Department of Language and Literature and leads to teaching licensure which includes communication and speech.

American Studies Program

The American Studies Program is a semester-long internship/seminar program for upper-level students in most majors. Located in Washington, D.C., the program offers a non-traditional, interdisciplinary, issue-oriented learning experience. (See Educational Options and Enhancements  for more details.)

Los Angeles Film Studies Center

The Los Angeles Film Studies Center, located in Hollywood, is a semester-long internship/seminar program for upper-level students who are interested in an introduction to the work and workings of the mainstream Hollywood film industry. (See Educational Options and Enhancements  for more details.)

Washington Journalism Center (WJC)

The Washington Journalism Center is an advanced, semester-long program on Capitol Hill that will cultivate professional news skills and encourage students to think through the implications of being a Christian working in the news. (See Educational Options and Enhancements  for more details.)

Field Study Course (FS 250/350): Stratford/Shaw Festival

For a long weekend during the fall semester, students can join a tour to the Stratford and Shaw Festivals in Ontario, Canada. Six to seven plays from a variety of genres (e.g., tragedies, comedies, musicals, mysteries) and by a variety of playwrights as varied as Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Bernard Shaw, and Rodgers and Hammerstein are seen. Students can earn 3 upper-level English credits or earn Communication Arts credit. Most of the class takes place during the trip with some assignments to be done before and after. Students learn how a written text (the play) is transformed and interpreted on stage and how to understand a live performance of theatre and critique its success. The trip can also be taken for no credit. For more information, contact either the Office of the Department of Communication Arts or the Office of the Department of Language and Literature.

Field Study Course (FS 250/350): Humana Festival for New American Plays

For a long weekend during alternate Spring semesters, students may participate in the Humana Festival for New American Plays at the Actors Theatre in Louisville, Kentucky. The Humana Festival presents premiere performances of some of the most important new plays in American Theatre. Students can earn Communication Arts credit. Most of the class takes place during the trip with some assignments to be done before and after. Students learn how plays are transformed from written documents to fully staged productions. Special attention is directed toward helping students know how to understand a live performance of theatre and critique the success of the play and the production. The trip can also be taken for no credit. For more information, contact the Office of the Department of Communication Arts.

Field Study Course (FS 250/350): Broadway and Beyond

Students take a trip to New York City to watch plays on Broadway, on off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway. Broadway has long been considered the premiere location for theatre in America. Students can earn Communication Arts credit. Most of the class takes place during the trip with some assignments to be done before and after. Students learn how plays are transformed from written documents to fully staged productions. Special attention is directed toward helping students know how to understand a live performance of theatre and critique the success of the play and the production. The trip can also be taken for no credit. For more Information contact the Office of the Department of Communication Arts.

Field Study Course (FS 250/350): American College Theatre Festival

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide and includes a network of more than 600 academic institutions throughout the country, where theater departments and student artists showcase their work and receive outside assessment by KCACTF respondents. In January and February of each year, regional festivals showcase the finest productions and offer a variety of activities, including workshops, symposia, and regional-level award programs. Students attending the regional festivals will watch a number of plays and attend a number of seminars. Most of the class takes place during the trip with some assignments to be done before and after. Special attention is directed toward helping students know how to understand a live performance of theatre and critique the success of the play and the production. The trip can also be taken for no credit. For more Information contact the Office of the Department of Communication Arts.

Other Off-Campus Programs

Although not directly related to the Communications Arts focus, other programs deserve consideration by our students: Australia Studies Centre, China Studies, Latin American Studies, Middle East Studies, Russian Studies, Daystar University in Nairobi, Kenya, and The Scholars’ Semester in Oxford. (See Educational Options and Enhancements  for more details.)

Applied Credit Possibilities

Students may earn credit for participation in several campus-based activities including the student newspaper, the radio station, the television station, a theatre production, the literary magazine, the yearbook, a public relations campaign or project, or a communication studies project. Credit can be earned as early as the freshman year.

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