Communications and Media BA
Stories that shape the world. Skills that make a difference.
At CMU, studying Communications and Media means learning how to tell meaningful stories that connect people, challenge ideas, and spark understanding. If you're passionate about journalism, graphic design, public relations, creative media, or strategic communication, this program helps you become a thoughtful, ethical, and impactful communicator.
You'll graduate as a communicator who understands people, context, belief, and impact — not just platforms.
By studying Communications and Media, you'll gain the tools to shape content with purpose, understand audiences with empathy, and produce work that matters. You'll learn at the intersection of theory and practice, working alongside professors and industry professionals who care deeply about your growth-personally, creatively, and professionally.
Why Study Communications and Media at CMU?
Learn by doing.
Hands-on experience from your very first classes, including audio production, pitching stories, design, and communication strategy. Every student completes at least one work placement.
Understand stories in context.
Explore how history, ethics, politics, psychology, culture, and religion shape communication, and why context matters.
Navigate beliefs in a diverse society.
Learn how to engage, honour, and represent religious and spiritual convictions with accuracy, nuance, and care.
Be mentored, not just taught.
CMU professors are collaborators and industry insiders who know your name, challenge you to grow, and support you along the way.
Develop your creative voice.
Through collaboration with peers, feedback from experts, and hands-on projects that make their way to media outlets, you'll learn to shape your own voice and help others shape theirs.
Be equipped for an ever-changing world.
In a media landscape that's always evolving, CMU prepares you to think critically, adapt quickly, and communicate with care online, in print, in public, and beyond—something that's regularly recognized by employers who have hired CMU grads.
“The Communications and Media program at CMU exceeded my expectations. The hands-on work helped me build real skills, explore different career paths, and prepare for the job market.”
– Manuela Mariño Calixto, Bachelor of Arts student, majoring in Communications and Media

What Makes Communications and Media at CMU Different?
Theory you can put to work.
Study communication through critical reflection and creative production. Learn to analyze media, understand audiences, and bring ideas to life through writing, design, audio, video, and strategy.
Ethics and impact matter.
You'll reflect on your responsibilities as a storyteller and how your work builds understanding, conveys meaning, and serves your audience with integrity.
A connected, creative community.
Collaborate with professors and peers, work with professional-grade tools, including a dedicated recording studio, and build meaningful connections with industry partners.
Collaboration is key.
Great ideas get better when you work with others. You'll brainstorm, test, revise, and refine your work with peers and mentors, learning how to give and receive feedback, share creative ownership, and grow through the process.
Rooted in liberal arts, connected to industry.
Study across disciplines like psychology, business, theology, and music, while working with professionals in journalism, public relations, and design.
“I love mentoring students as they find their voice—sometimes literally in the recording studio, and more deeply as creative communicators discovering who they are.”
– David Balzer, Assistant Professor of Communications and Media

English with Communications and Media
A combined degree that blends story, strategy and analysis.
If you're passionate about writing, storytelling, and culture, this major brings together the best of both programs. You'll study literature, media, and communications side by side—learning how to think critically about the stories we tell, and how to tell your own with creativity, clarity, and purpose.
This interdisciplinary degree prepares you for careers in writing, publishing, marketing, media, communications, equipping you to adapt, lead, and create in an ever-changing world.

Careers in Media, Storytelling, and Strategic Communication
What can you do with a degree in Communications and Media from CMU? A lot. CMU grads are shaping narratives, building brands, and leading conversations that demand creativity, clarity, and care.
Here are just some of the ways CMU Communications and Media grads put their learning to work:
Create stories that resonate.
Become a journalist, podcast producer, or broadcaster who informs and inspires.
Connect people and ideas.
Build trust and engage audiences through public relations, marketing, or internal communications.
Support causes that matter.
Join non-profits or advocacy organizations to amplify voices and mobilize collective action.
Shape how organizations communicate.
Serve as a communications officer, media coordinator, or content strategist in the public or private sector.
Lead with empathy and insight.
Apply your communication skills in business, education, ministry or politics.
Tell your story, and help others tell theirs.
Become an entrepreneur, consultant, or creative who builds a career around storytelling.
Design content with purpose.
Bring visual clarity to complex ideas through graphic or digital design, and visual communication.
Continue your studies.
Pursue graduate work in communications, media studies, journalism, or related fields.
Note: Some careers may require additional certifications or graduate studies.
“CMU prepared me to be comfortable in my own skin. I never felt like I had to be someone else.”
– Gindalee Ouskun, Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media ('17)

Where Communications and Media Grads Go
Work-Integrated Learning (WIL)
Every CMU student completes at least one work placement as part of their degree. In Communications and Media studies, placements might include:
Radio and podcast production with local stations or community media
Marketing or public relations placements with not-for-profits or businesses
Graphic design or social media management
Journalism, media, or content creation internships
Communications roles in churches, arts organizations, or advocacy groups
Whether you're refining a manuscript, copy editing for a publication, or helping someone craft a better sentence, you'll leave CMU with experience that matters.
Purpose
The Communications and Media program develops creative, thoughtful, and ethically grounded communicators who tell stories that matter. Students learn how media shapes the world, and how they can shape it for the better.
Commitments
To critical thinking and creativity.
CMU helps students think deeply about meeting and representation while equipping them with the practical skills to communicate ideas clearly.
To ethical storytelling.
CMU encourages communication that builds understanding, honours deignity, respects religious convictions, and contributes to the common good.
To collaboration and mentorship.
Students learn in community with peers, professors, and industry partners who care about their growth.
To adaptability and lifelong learning.
In a media landscape that's always changing, we prepare students to respond thoughtfully, lead with empathy, and communicate with confidence.
Explore More at CMU

Student Stories

Work-Integrated Learning at CMU

Residence Life

Related Programs

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- Programs
- Communications and Media
- Programs and Courses
- Meet the Professors
- Alumni Stories
- Purpose and Commitments
- Work-Integrated Learning


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