Learn About Our Areas of Study

Why Communication? A Degree With Experience.

Employers agree. A communication degree is in high demand.

Skills Valued By Industry

In 2015, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) surveyed hiring managers about the skillsets they were looking for when recruiting graduates. Relevant skills include ability to

  • work in a team structure
  • make decisions and solve problems
  • communicate verbally inside and outside an organization
  • plan and prioritize work
  • obtain and process information
  • obtain proficiency with computer programs
  • create and edit written reports
  • influence others

Good news if you decide to pursue a Communication Degree at UTA.

LinkedIn Study

LinkedIn Learning recently published an article on the top "soft" and "hard" skills needed by companies in 2019. Again, fantastic news if you are are interested in a degree in Communication. All of the top 5 soft skills are covered when you get a degree in Communication at UTA. Creativity. Persuasion. Collaboration. Adaptability. Time Management. The are core values in a Liberal Arts education.

Out of the top 25 hard skills, 12 are skills that are either specific courses or an integral component of courses in the Department of Communication.

Analytical Reasoning refers to using data to make decisions. Students in Advertising and Public Relations conduct research as part of their campaigns classes. Communication Technology students collect data from surveys, analytics, user testing, and interviews and then analyze results to solve client needs.
People management refers the ability to lead, coach, and train others to be effective contributors in a variety of organizational settings. Several of our Communication Studies focus on this very skill, in particular Training and Development.
User Experience Design is a multi-disciplinary field. Our Communication Technology primarily focuses on principles of User Experience Design across several beginning courses (Web Design and Development 1, Multimodal Communication), culminating in the User Experience Research and Design class. Our Communication Technology students gain experience researching, prototyping, coding, testing, and developing human-centric solutions for real clients.
Since 2014, more than 50% of traffic comes through mobile phones. Since 2012, our Communication Technology faculty have been teaching a "mobile first" workflow, anticipating the future needs of users. Our Communication Technology major are well-versed in designing for mobile contexts. From the very beginning, we teach a mobile-first, responsive design workflow. This includes smart, optimized workflows for creating digital assets for a variety of form factors.
We have multiple opportunities for you to learn video production as a Communication major or minor. In our Broadcast sequence, you can take 2 courses in TV reporting and production. Additionally, the Broadcast sequence offers courses in Multimedia Production and Corporate Communication. Multimedia Production is one of the core courses for the Digital Media Certificate. You can gain additional experience with audio-visual production techniques in Communication Technology's Multimodal Communication course.
We have multiple opportunities for you to learn audio production as a Communication major or minor. In our Broadcast sequence, you can take the Radio Production course. Audio production techniques are covered in other courses as well, including Multimedia Production and Corporate Communication. Multimedia Production is one of the core courses for the Digital Media Certificate. You can gain additional experience with audio-visual production techniques in Communication Technology's Multimodal Communication course. Additionally, students can gain additional hands-on experience working for UTA Radio.
Understanding the scope and nature of social networks and social media is a central concern in our curriculum. From studying theories about online communication to developing social media strategies, students will gain a lot of experience executing strategic campaigns that implement social media. Several courses will help prepare you to hone your social media marketing skills. In Communication Graphics, you will learn how to create engaging visual content appropriate for your social media targets. In Digital Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) Management, you will learn about the analytics of social media marketing. In Public Relations, we offer an extremely popular course, Strategic Social Media Communication where you developing strategy and content for social media, engage in audience analysis, understand the unique attributes of various platforms, and work to communicate ethically and effectively across those platforms. Strategic Social Media Communication is also a core course for the Digital Media Certificate.
Journalism and trained journalists are more important than ever in today's society where it is hard to know where to turn to for factual information. We also crave a good story. A Journalism major isn't solely for people who want to work for traditional newspapers and news media. There is a significant demand for people who can write compelling narratives.
As the world has transitioned from analog to digital, from print to screen, employers expect graduates to have digital literacy skills. The Department of Communication recognizes this need and requires majors in Advertising, Communication Studies, Communication Technology, and Public Relations to take an introductory course in Communication Graphics. In Advertising, you have the opportunity to develop your communication graphics skills in the Digital Advertising Design course. In the Communication Technology sequence, students will gain extensive opportunities to develop a wide range of communication graphic skills, from compositing techniques, User Interface (UI) development, interactive prototyping, social media content creation, graphics for video, and digital design workflows.
Organizations rely on people who know how to get the word out to key publics, influence public opinion, establish goodwill, and manage crises that arise. Knowing how to develop and maintain a coherent brand identity creates long-term value for businesses and organizations. In the Public Relations sequence, students gain hands-on experience in developing these valuable skills through courses like Public Relations Methods, Strategic Social Media Strategy, Public Relations Case Studies, and Public Relations Campaigns. Brand Identity and Brand Management is a fundamental component across several Advertising courses, including Digital Ad Design and Advertising Campaigns.

Ways to Get Involved

current internships

In addition to gaining additional experience through involvement with student organizations, we have several internship opportunities available throughout the year. In Academic Year 2018-2019, there were 45 internships available for students to apply.

Browse our current internships

student organization

The Department of Communication has 8 student organizations that give you the chance to practice what you are learning in class and get a jump start on honing your skills. Many of our student organizations have won regional and national awards.

Learn more about our student organizations

How To Apply

After enrolling at UTA, your next step is to meet with an academic advisor who can help you plan your next steps. If you have specific questions about a major, you are encouraged to reach out to one of the sequence coordinators.

Dr. Tom Ingram

Advertising Sequence Coordinator

Associate Professor

Associate Chair

Tom Ingram Headshot

Dr. Mark Tremayne

Broadcast Communication Sequence Coordinator

Associate Professor, Broadcast Communication

Mark Tremayne Headshot

Dr. Karishma Chatterjee

Associate Professor of Instruction- Communication Studies

Karishma Chatterjee Headshot

Dr. Chyng-Yang Jang

Communication Technology Sequence Coordinator

Associate Professor, Communication Technology

Assistant Chair

Chyng-Yang Jang Headshot

Dr. Erika Pribanic-Smith

Journalism Sequence Coordinator

Graduate Studies Coordinator and Advisor

Professor, Journalism

Erika Pribanic-Smith Headshot

Dr. Carmin Harris

Assistant Professor of Practice, Philanthropy

Dr. Carmin Harris

Email: carmin.harris@uta.edu

Office: FAB 2119

Dr. Shelley Wigley

Public Relations Sequence Coordinator

Associate Professor, Public Relations

Shelley Wigley Headshot