Here's an overview of what the major looks like. For the full sequence of core courses, see the communication program’s website.

Practical experience and internships are built into the program.

You’ll study the principles and practical applications of writing, market research, creative strategy, long-term relationship building, and management.

And you’ll put them straight into practice by preparing media plans and strategy, writing copy, and helping plan and execute complete campaigns for the University’s TV, radio, and multimedia authoring properties.

When you graduate, you’ll have true professional experience and plenty of real-world practice to build on.

Joining the communication program

After completing 30 credit hours of course work (usually in the sophomore year) you can apply to join the communication program.

Your 30 credits should include the three communication prerequisite courses:

Media and society
Communication in Global Contexts
Communication Overview

A writing test is part of the Communication Orientation course. Admission to the communication program is based on cumulative WSU GPA and performance on the writing test.

Core courses

All communication majors start with two courses that set the stage for everything else:

Multimedia Content Creation
Writing in Communication

Strategic communication core

The strategic communication major begins with these core courses:

Digital Content Promotion
Quantitative Research Methods
Marketing

After completing the core, you’ll be ready to dive deeper into the areas that interest you most.

Specialization

Focus your major by specializing in either public relations or advertising.

Public relations core

Reporting Across Platforms
Principles of Public Relations
Media Strategies & Techniques for PR
PR Management and Campaigns
Specialization Elective

Advertising core

Advertising Principles and Practices
Creative Media Strat & Tech for Adv
Media Planning
Advertising Agency Ops and Campaigns
Specialization Elective

Electives

Choose four communication courses that support your focus area. This is your opportunity to customize the major to your own strengths and goals.

Internships can count for elective credit too, so you have opportunities to get professional experience and course credit at the same time.

Graduation requirements

See the WSU Catalog for degree requirements and talk with your academic advisor about planning and scheduling your courses. All students must meet requirements as outlined in the catalog in order to graduate.

When you focus your major on public relations, you’ll study the principles, strategies, and tactics of public communication and relationship-building—and put them to work in hands-on practice.

Core courses

The public relations focus features five core courses:

Reporting Across Platforms
Principles of Public Relations
Media Strategies & Techniques for PR
PR Management and Campaigns
Specialization Elective

Electives and focus area

Choose at least four communication courses that support your focus area. You can choose from courses like these:

Environmental Communication
Crisis Communication
Principles of Persuasion
Intercultural Communication
Organizing for Social Change

And these are just a few examples. For more about specializations and elective courses, see the communication program’s website.

Professional experience

In addition to the hands-on practice built into your classes, you can get true professional experience before you graduate.

You can get professional-level experience in student orgs right here at WSU and in a wide variety of internship opportunities. For instance:

• Cougar Communications Group is a student-run PR agency that provides complete public relations and promotion services and strategy to its clients.
• Cable 8 TV and KUGR radio feature student-produced programming and advertising, and are managed by students.
• WSU places student interns with prominent companies and nonprofits across the Northwest.

Graduation requirements

See the WSU Catalog for degree requirements and talk with your academic advisor about planning and scheduling your courses. All students must meet requirements as outlined in the catalog in order to graduate.

In your classes, you'll study theories of advertising and behavior and put them into practice—so you'll know what works and why.

And you can put your knowledge and creativity to use in internships and student orgs that give you professional experience with real clients.

Advertising core

The advertising focus features these core courses:

Advertising Principles and Practices
Creative Media Strat & Tech for Adv
Media Planning
Advertising Agency Ops and Campaigns
Specialization Elective

Electives

Choose at least four communication courses that support your focus area. For instance:

Writing for Television
Crisis Communication
Foundations of Persuasion
Theory of Mass Communications

And these are just a few examples. For more about specializations and elective courses, see the communication program’s website.

Professional experience

In addition to the hands-on practice you get in your classes, you have plenty of opportunities to get true professional experience before you graduate.

You can get professional-level experience in student orgs right here at WSU. For instance:

• The WSU Advertising Club functions as a small professional ad agency serving businesses and university departments.
• Cougar Communications Group is a student-run PR agency that provides complete public relations and promotion services and strategy to its clients.
• Cable 8 TV and KUGR radio feature student-produced advertising and are entirely student-run.

Internships are available in Northwest media centers like Seattle and Portland, and in national markets like Chicago, San Francisco, and New York.

Graduation requirements

See the WSU Catalog for degree requirements and talk with your academic advisor about planning and scheduling your courses. All students must meet requirements as outlined in the catalog in order to graduate.

A variety of state, federal, and university-sponsored programs are available to help students with educational costs.

For all students at WSU

Washington State University awards millions of dollars in financial aid and scholarships to students every year based on financial need, academic merit, or a combination of the two.

To get all the financial help WSU can provide:

• Complete the University's general scholarship application so you can be eligible for scholarship consideration.
• Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) so WSU can consider you for aid (scholarships, grants, loans, etc.) based on financial need.

More about WSU scholarships and financial aid

For communication majors

In addition to general university scholarships, you could be eligible for awards that are reserved for students certified in communication. When you certify your major, talk to your academic advisor about scholarship opportunities.

• Gain valuable hands-on experience at KUGR (student radio station), Cable 8 (student-run television station), and the Daily Evergreen (student-produced newspaper).
• Join student clubs that function as professional ad and PR agencies.
• The Murrow College's state-of-the-art resources include a writing lab, an advanced graphics computer lab, TV production studios and editing suites, and audio labs.
• Our professors win awards for their teaching and professional contributions, are nationally ranked for their research, and emphasize high standards in the tradition of Edward R. Murrow.
• The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication is highly regarded nationwide by professionals and wins national and regional Emmys for student productions.
• WSU offers the Northwest’s only communication program with all six communication sequences: advertising, broadcasting, communication, journalism, public relations, and intercultural communication.
• The communication program's internship program sends students to national major media centers, including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle.

Public relations

Careers in public relations could include media relations manager, corporate communication, public relations representative/specialist, lobbyist, investor relations, account executive, development officer, university relations, public affairs/information officer, and hospital relations.

Advertising

Advertising students often go on to career positions like these: advertising or marketing specialist, copywriter, account executive, sales manager, media planner, media buyer, creative director, media sales representative, and public opinion researcher.

A flexible, highly valued degree

Because they build skills in critical and creative thinking, writing, research, teamwork (and communication, of course!), communication majors are highly valued by employers in a wide variety of fields.

A communication major can have high crossover value in areas like business, education, government and politics, international relations, social and human services, health-related careers, and law.