BA in Communication Studies

Majors & Requirements

Communication studies is a study of how we communicate differently to various audiences/users and communities. It understands that communication is social, political, and media-based, and occurs in different contexts. Students in this major typically pursue additional graduate study or teach speech or mass media.

Concentrations & Requirements

Digital Cinema

This is a concentration for digital storytellers who dream of becoming the next YouTube sensation, Nextflix producer, short film director or documentary filmmaker.

Multimedia Journalism

Today’s journalists must be well-rounded individuals who are practiced in the art of storytelling regardless of the medium. Writing, research, organization, ethics, and accuracy continue to be essential for journalists of the 21st century. The multimedia journalism program at Wartburg provides an active laboratory for students to apply cornerstone skills in a real-world setting. Students can enhance their educational experience with a variety of student-operated media outlets and organizations.

Organizational and Public Relations

Organizational and Public Relations professionals are responsible for developing and managing comprehensive integrated marketing communication strategies and campaigns. They manage all components of communications messaging, from creating and managing brands to implementation, to measurement. Successful practitioners must be able to make sure that all communications efforts – from PR to marketing, to multimedia, to social media – are all working together to produce the desired results. Students learn how to utilize public relations, advertising, brand management, and design together, to form cohesive communication strategies for others.

Sports Media

Sports media graduates are prepared for work in a variety of sports-related areas, including sports reporting, sports information, broadcasting, online media, advertising, video production, public relations, communications, digital media, and management. Numerous internship opportunities are available at local, regional, and national sports organizations including Burlington Bees Baseball, Cedar Rapids Kernels Baseball, Chicago Athlete Magazine, Des Moines I-Cubs Baseball, Des Moines Register, ESPN, Kansas City Chiefs, Kroenke Sports – Denver, KWWL, NCAA, North Iowa Outlaws Hockey, University of Denver Athletics, Wartburg College Athletics, and Waterloo Black Hawks Hockey.

Alumni Success Stories

Wartburg graduates find satisfying jobs and are admitted into top graduate and professional schools. Wartburg alumni can be found in all 50 U.S. states and over 70 foreign countries. Below is only a sample of the types of positions Wartburg graduates from the Journalism and Communication Department have had in the past.

Sample of Alumni Positions from the Past Five Years:

• Development Associate, The Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines

• Communications Manager, Grinnell Chamber of Commerce, Grinnell

• Sports Reporter/Editor, Worthington Globe, Worthington, Minnesota

• Director of Student Engagement, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota

• Advertising Associate, Sukup Manufacturing, Sheffield

• Associate Director for Marketing, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Chicago, Illinois

Sample of Alumni Positions from the Past 10 Years:

• Singer, Songwriter, JR Baxton Entertainment, Atlanta, Georgia

• Photojournalist, KCRG-TV, Cedar Rapids

• Journalism/English Teacher, Marion

• Film Editor, Whitehouse Post Productions, Chicago, Illinois

• Senior Video Editor, ME&V, Cedar Falls

• TV Anchor, WHEC, Rochester, N.Y.

Sample Stand-out Alumni Positions:

• Senior Vice President/Creative Director, Leo Burnett, Chicago, Illinois

• Feature Producer, ESPN, Bristol, Connecticut

• Press Secretary, Prime Minister of Namibia

• President/Equity Partner/Owner, Relationship Marketing, Inc., Des Moines

• Professor, Communication Studies, University of North Carolina-Charlotte