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SCHOOL OF
COMMUNICATION

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Why study communication
at Illinois State University?
The School of Communication offers a
variety of majors and sequences to help
students focus on their specific passion.
With about 1,000 undergraduate and
graduate students, the school
is the largest unit in the
College of Arts and
Sciences. It offers
students small classes
with plenty of
individual attention
from highly qualified
instructors and unique
hands-on experiences outside the
classroom through student organizations.
The School of Communication has built a legacy of
excellence in teaching, research, and service:
• In 2013, the public relations program was the first and
only one in Illinois to earn a Certification in Education
for Public Relations (CEPR) from the Public Relations
Society of America (PRSA).
• The school’s Chicago Alumni Pipeline connects current
students to working alumni, showing a multitude of
career paths they can pursue.
• Student organizations such as the Forensics Union,
WZND, TV-10, and The Vidette have won numerous
awards and scholarships from prestigious organizations
such as the Student in the Illinois News Broadcasters
Association (SINBA) and the Broadcast Educators
Association.
• Award-winning and distinguished faculty members have
real-world experience, boasting numerous accolades
such as Emmys, Edward R. Murrow national awards,
and Associated Press awards.
In 2014, the School of Communication was named
the top undergraduate program by the Central States
Communication Association, recognizing curriculum
development, program quality, and course design.
OUR GRADS: THE FILMMAKER
MASS MEDIA | Griffin Hammond ’07, M.S. ’09
Freelance filmmaker and video producer
Griffin discovered his passion for documentary
filmmaking at Illinois State thanks to one of his
professors. He cut his teeth shooting news stories
for TV-10 and through the ISU Documentary
Project student organization. “Without those
things, I wouldn’t have realized this was a possible career path for me,”
Griffin says. Griffin produced PR videos for State Farm Insurance, and
then created tutorials for aspiring filmmakers for YouTube Next Lab.
Last year, Griffin crowdfunded and then directed his most ambitious
project, Sriracha, a documentary about the trendy hot sauce.

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SchoolofCommunicationprograms
COMMUNICATION STUDIES
Students discover the many strategies that demonstrate how
to effectively communicate with different groups of people
in varying situations. Communication studies offers three
sequences:
• Interpersonal communication
• Organizational and leadership communication
• Political communication
Each sequence allows students to focus on a particular field of
practice within the broader spectrum of communication studies.
JOURNALISM
Journalism is changing rapidly, with stories moving across a
range of platforms—from newspapers and magazines to Web
and social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook. Students
considering the journalism program should have a talent for
writing and an insatiable curiosity about the world around them.
Students will be encouraged to achieve a wide range of skills
across media. The journalism major will prepare students to work
in newspapers, magazines, and on the Web; train students for TV
and radio news; and teach skills in photo journalism, design, and
layout, both for print and online.
MASS MEDIA
The mass media program offers students the opportunity to
study the developing communication of the 21st century. This
program is designed for students who are interested in studying
the theory and practice of media, especially radio, television, and
the Internet. The major offers four sequences:
• Interactive media
• Media management, promotion, and sales
• Radio
• Television production
PUBLIC RELATIONS
The public relations program prepares students to research, plan,
execute, and evaluate communication between an organization
and its most important audiences, monitor the organization’s
environment, and counsel management on policies and
programs. Students will see how public relations complements
advertising and marketing, and will understand the importance of
managing organizations’ images and reputations.
COMMUNICATION EDUCATION
The communication education program provides students with
the opportunity to pursue a professional career in teaching oral
communication, journalism, and media. This undergraduate
program leads to licensure to teach high school English language
arts with a focus on oral communication and speech.
The program is the only one of its kind offered at a state
institution in Illinois, and our graduates have nearly
a 100 percent career placement rate.
GRADUATE PROGRAM
The School of Communication master’s degree program
provides rigorous critical, theoretical and practical breadth
and depth across the convergent fields of communication
education, communication studies, journalism, mass media,
and public relations. Through a culture of collaboration and
collegiality, the program strikes a dynamic balance linking the
scholarship and practice of communication.
The community of students and faculty develops relevant
professional and scholarly skills, empowering students to
be leaders in industry and academia, thriving in globally
competitive and culturally diverse environments. In fact,
in recent years, master’s level students in this program have
produced more research than many Ph.D. programs!
In addition, the graduate program was recognized in 2013
by the National Communication Association with the
Outstanding Master’s Degree Program Award. This prestigious
award follows a recent report by the Communication Institute
for Online Scholarship (CIOS) indicating that graduate faculty
in the School of Communication are amongst the most
productive communication scholars in the nation.
This graduate program is also recognized as a leader
in civic engagement, creative productivity, scholarship,
and teacher training. The program develops professionals,
scholars, and teachers, while promoting a passion for
intellectual and theoretical discovery that transcends and
heightens career objectives and program expectations.
OUR GRADS: THE TEACHER
TEACHER EDUCATION | Lazaro Lopez ’98
Associate superintendent for teaching and
learning, Township High School District 214
Lazaro is recognized as a national leader on
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM) education. He has testified before Congress
and was selected as the 2013 Illinois Principal
of the Year. During his time at Illinois State, Lazaro completed his
Illinois secondary education teaching certification requirements and
served as an assistant residence hall coordinator. As a secondary
career educator, he began his career as an English teacher at
Hersey High School, was associate principal at Jacobs High School,
and principal at Wheeling High School.
The graduate program was recognized by the National
Communication Association with the 2013 Outstanding
Master’s Program Award.

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Supporting your passion
ACADEMIC ADVISING
The School of Communication’s Academic Advising Center is
a resource available to all communication students who have
earned 24 credit hours or more. Advisors guide students in
all communication majors and are able to assist students by
answering frequently asked questions, recommending plans of
study, encouraging student involvement, and more.
Academic advisors provide one-on-one attention to
students and are available year-round to meet with
undergraduates.
HONORS PROGRAM
The mission of the Honors Program at Illinois State is to recruit,
challenge, and stimulate academically talented, culturally
and ethnically diverse, and highly motivated students from
all academic disciplines. The program provides
opportunities for scholarships, unique academic
experiences, and research mentorships. Students
interested in earning departmental and
university honors should contact the Honors
Program at Honors@IllinoisState.edu and
contact a School of Communication
advisor at com_advisement@
IllinoisState.edu.
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Civic engagement at Illinois State
prepares students to be informed
and engaged global citizens who will
promote and further the goals of society.
The School of Communication promotes
active learning experiences through
which students will gain an awareness and
understanding of civic engagement as a lifelong
responsibility.
SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYTICS AND COMMAND CENTER
(SMACC)
The School of Communication recently completed construction
on a Social Media Analytics Command Center (SMACC). The
first of its kind in the Midwest, the SMACC is a specialized lab
designed to analyze public conversations from social media
outlets, popular discussion forums, and major blogs. Students
use customized software to identify social media conversations
and display them as dynamic charts, graphs, word clouds, and
other visualizations. These visualizations help students analyze
social media trends, sentiment, share of voice, and geo-location.
The School of Communication’s SMACC prepares students
to strategically utilize social media and better understand its
significance in the 21st century.
Student involvement
The School of Communication provides students with the
necessary resources, opportunities, and experiences to develop
and advance their communication skills. Students generally
possess the following qualities:
• Ability to effectively collaborate with others
• Exceptional oral, interpersonal, and written communication
skills
• Hardworking and organized; motivated and dedicated to
learning
• Avid consumer of news and media trends as well as current
events
The School of Communication is home to a variety of registered
student organizations and co-curricular experiences that will help
you build the skills necessary for success in the workplace and
beyond.
COMM CLUB
Communication Opportunities for Majors and Minors (COMM)
provides professional and interactive experiences for students.
COMM offers opportunities for learning through hands-on
experiences and guest speakers. Members understand the
importance of communication in the world and strive to develop
skills through knowledge and practice.
FORENSICS UNION
As the oldest student organization on campus, the
Forensics Union offers Lincoln-Douglas debate as
well as individual speaking events, competition
in interpretation, public speaking, and limited
preparation genres. The team is nationally
recognized and has won multiple national
titles. The Forensics Union will give
students the opportunity to travel to
other universities to compete and
provides scholarship opportunities.
THE ASSOCIATION FOR WOMEN
IN COMMUNICATION STUDENT
CHAPTER
The Association for Women in
Communication Student Chapter (AWC)
is a subset of the national organization
that champions the advancement of women
across communication disciplines and provides
professional development opportunities. AWC
recognizes excellence, promotes leadership and positions its
members at the forefront of the evolving communication era.
Student members benefit from a local professional network,
involvement in the community, access to professional mentors,
civic engagement, and job shadowing opportunities. The AWC
student chapter is open to all students at Illinois State University.
OUR GRADS: THE PHOTOGRAPHER
JOURNALISM | Alex Reside ’10
Photo editor of InStyle.com at Time Inc.
When Alex first came to Illinois State, he wanted
to be a traditional journalism major, but he quickly
learned that he was more visually creative than he
was a writer. So he applied for a job at The
Vidette, Illinois State’s student-run newspaper,
and then dedicated his four years to becoming the best photographer
he could be. It led to a Rolling Stone internship and a career out of
college as a photographer and photo editor in New York City. “I have
worked my way up to the top of my field in less than three years and
cannot wait to see what else is in store for me,” he says.

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COM WEEK
COM Week is a tradition in
the School of Communication
that provides networking
opportunities and educational
growth. COM Week boasts
a week-long experience that
enables students to engage in
professional presentations and
hear from inspirational speakers.
The School of Communication
welcomes panelists to Fell Hall to
share their experience, knowledge and
advice.
INTERNSHIPS (FIELD EXPERIENCES)
The School of Communication has a tradition of helping
students begin their professional careers before they complete
their degrees through professional practice opportunities. The
internship staff helps students find and develop internship
opportunities in locations throughout the state. Internships
provide students with the opportunity to enhance their
communication skills, build a stronger portfolio and develop
valuable networking connections. Internships are offered during
the fall, spring and summer terms on and off campus. Since 2011,
more than 75 percent of SoC graduating seniors have completed
at least one internship for credit; 39 percent have completed at
least two.
ISU DOCUMENTARY PROJECT
The ISU Documentary Project empowers students through
video production and cross-disciplinary instruction on social,
educational, medical, and political issues that affect citizens of
Illinois and the U.S. The ISU Documentary Project also sponsors
the Documentary Project Socio-Political Film Festival and a film
festival that screens documentaries addressing political and
social issues.
LAMBDA PI ETA
Lambda Pi Eta (LPH) is a national honor society affiliated with
the National Communication Association. Members have the
opportunity to participate in academically focused and civic
engagement activities with other motivated students in the
School of Communication. LPH encourages members to be
prepared to take on challenges that involve leadership and
professionalism.
PUBLIC RELATIONS STUDENT SOCIETY OF AMERICA
Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) is an
organization expressly created in 1968 and devoted to cultivating
favorable and mutually advantageous relationships between
students and professional public relations practitioners. PRSSA
plans special events and operates as a student-led PR firm.
STUDENT TELEVISION WORKSHOP
Student Television Workshop (STW) produces many entertaining
programs that air on campus cable. Students participate in
various areas of pre- and post-production, including writing,
editing, acting, and photography. STW productions include
comedy shows, talk shows, game shows, and sports programs.
STUDY ABROAD
Study Abroad provides students
opportunities that they cannot
find at home, including firsthand
exposure to international business
practices, foreign languages and
cultures. Studying abroad allows
students to take courses for Illinois
State credit and can cost less
than studying on campus, allowing
students to travel the world without
delaying their graduation or increasing
their costs. The School of Communication
boasts three study abroad opportunities
specific to communication majors in Paris,
France, the Netherlands, and Seoul, South Korea:
• Studying abroad in Paris offers each student an opportunity
to attend Novancia, a state-of-the-art business and
communication school, which prepares students from all
over the world for today’s global market. Students complete
senior level coursework in both intercultural communication
and global marketing during the summer semester. This
opportunity is targeted toward public relations and
communication studies majors.
• In addition, the School also offers a summer study abroad
program in the Netherlands and is hosted at Hanze
University of Applied Sciences in Groningen. The program
explores intercultural competence and communication; the
legal, financial, and political aspects of the Eurozone; and
the diverse European cultures from a business perspective,
including visits to large, multinational companies in the
Netherlands and Germany.
• Lastly, the school also offers an opportunity specific to
mass media students at the Dong-Ah Institute of Media
and Arts (DIMA) in South Korea. DIMA offers state-of-the-
art broadcasting equipment that rivals major broadcasting
stations. Students learn from distinguished instructors
and experience hands-on opportunities to further their
knowledge in mass media.
THE VIDETTE
The Vidette provides Illinois State students with professional
journalism experience and serves as the university community’s
newspaper. The Vidette highlights news, sports, features,
opinions, events, and provides advertisements for local
organizations.
TV-10
TV-10 provides students with outstanding opportunities to
practice television production and journalism. TV-10 produces
a live and local daily newscast, which airs on campus cable and
Comcast in Bloomington-Normal.
WZND (103.3 FM)
WZND provides practical experience and training for all students
interested in radio broadcasting. WZND operates as a complete
on-air student radio station. In addition to music, WZND
features promotions, news, and provides live Illinois State sports
coverage. Students can gain experience in public relations, sales,
Web design, reporting, promotions, script writing, production,
and management.

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Points of pride
2014 TOP UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM BY THE CENTRAL
STATES COMMUNICATION ASSOCIATION
The School of Communication was awarded the Top
Undergraduate Program Award by the Central States
Communication Association (CSCA).
The CSCA is one of the top regional
organizations promoting all levels of
scholarship in the discipline. The School
of Communication was recognized
for its excellence in undergraduate
programming with an emphasis on
curriculum development, program quality
and course design.
2013 OUTSTANDING MASTER’S PROGRAM AWARD BY
THE NATIONAL COMMUNICATION ASSOCIATION
The School of Communication’s graduate program was awarded
the Outstanding Master’s Program Award by the National
Communication Association (NCA). NCA is a highly recognized
organization that acts to advance communication as a discipline.
The School of Communication was recognized as the top
program that demonstrated excellent quality in developing
research and teaching and mentoring students in their personal
and professional growth.
Your career
A communication degree is versatile because you learn the
skills and theories that help you create and express messages to
generate meaning within and across various contexts, cultures,
channels, and media. Following are some of the doors that can
open for you with a degree in communication.
COMMUNICATION EDUCATION
Graduates of the communication education program have
pursued careers in the following:
• High school English language arts teacher, allowing you to
teach speech, journalism, media, literature, or composition
• School administration
• Training and development
COMMUNICATION STUDIES
Graduates of the communication studies program have pursued
professional careers in training, development, fundraising, and
similar fields including:
• Communication consultant
• Corporate communication analyst
• Corporate executive
• Political activist
• Speech and debate director
• Training specialist
JOURNALISM
Graduates of the journalism
program gained skills that
allowed them to pursue a
multitude of professional
careers in the industry
including:
• News producer
• Photojournalist
• Sports writer
• TV/radio news director
• TV/radio news reporter
• Web and graphic design
MASS MEDIA
Graduates of the mass media program have pursued professional
careers in entertainment, promotion, technology, and a variety of
media outlets, including:
• Media director
• Media event planner
• News and/or sports reporter
• On-air personality
• Producer
• Website creator
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Graduates of the public relations program have found
professional careers in agencies, corporate communication,
public service, development, fundraising, and human resource
management, including:
• Advertising/marketing integration
• Community relations director
• Executive speech writer
• Media relations
• Publicist
• Social media coordinator
OUR GRADS: THE PR PRO
PUBLIC RELATIONS | Beth Esler ’10
Manager of corporate communications, Chicago Bulls
Beth made the most of her time at Illinois
State, serving as the student sports information
director for the Redbird women’s tennis team.
Beth joined United Way of Metropolitan Chicago
after graduation, where she was responsible for
media efforts in six counties. In 2014, Esler joined the Bulls, where
she works on internal and external communications strategy to
support and amplify the Bulls’ business and community efforts. “At
ISU I was encouraged from day one to get involved in the program.
I worked hard, built a solid network, and took advantage of every
opportunity that came my way.”

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How to apply
Students can apply to Illinois State University at
IllinoisState.edu/Welcome2ISU.
Your Welcome2ISU account will be used to submit forms, check
the application status, and provide further information regarding
financial aid and housing. When applying, students need to know
basic information, including their social security number, courses
taken before attending Illinois State, and their intended major or
program.
For more information, visit Admissions.IllinoisState.edu.
Scholarships
Illinois State University offers numerous scholarship
opportunities, all of which can be found at
ScholarshipFinder.IllinoisState.edu. Here are some
specific scholarships for communication students:
COMMUNICATION EDUCATION
• Communication Education Scholarship
COMMUNICATION STUDIES
• Lloyd and Mary Watkins Endowed Communication Studies
Scholarship
• Dr. John R. Baldwin Endowed Leadership Award
FORENSICS: SPEECH AND DEBATE
• Marvin D. Kleinau Endowment in Forensics
• Edwards Medal Speech Contest
• Speech Scholarship
• Debate Scholarship
JOURNALISM
• Doris Dungey Endowed Scholarship
• Iola Stoops Juarez Endowed Journalism Scholarship
• Martin F. Duffy Scholarship in Communication
• The Pantagraph Endowed Scholarship
MASS MEDIA
• Illinois Broadcasters Association Endowed Scholarship
• Randy Salerno Endowed Memorial Scholarship
• Vicki Lynn Kelley Broadcast Journalism
Scholarship
PUBLIC RELATIONS
• Caterpillar Scholarship
• Scott Harrison Scholarship
About Illinois State
Illinois State University was founded
in 1857 as the first public institution of
higher education in the state. Illinois State
offers degree programs at the bachelor’s,
master’s, and doctoral levels.
The University enrolls students from throughout
Illinois, across the country, and around the world.
Students are mentored by a faculty that includes
numerous teacher-scholars recognized at national and
international levels, and all are dedicated to superior teaching.
Conveniently located in Central Illinois, the University is situated
at the intersection of three major interstate highways, as well as
along the Chicago-St. Louis Amtrak line.
YOUR NEW HOME
Fell Hall is home base for the School of Communication and
remains one of the original buildings on campus. It is home to
University College advisement, School
of Communication advisement, the
Study Abroad Office, and the school’s
student organization broadcast stations:
WZND and TV-10. The small classroom
atmosphere gives students and professors
the opportunity to collaborate closely.
Milner Library is an active partner in the
teaching, learning, research, and service
activities of Illinois State. Milner librarians
provide research assistance and library
instruction customized to meet the needs
of the students and faculty.
The Bone Student Center serves as the hub of student life at
Illinois State and as a landmark resource to the Bloomington-
Normal community. With outstanding
shows, great service, and reasonable rental
rates, the campus and local community
turn to the Bone Student Center for social,
recreational, cultural, educational, and
professional activities.
The Student Fitness Center is a state-of-the-art, 170,000-square-
foot facility that provides recreational opportunities for the
campus community with over 22,000
square feet of cardio and weight training
space, four fitness studios, multiple sport
courts, an indoor track, swimming pool,
climbing wall, and much more.
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Rockford
131 miles
2 1/2 hours
Chicago
137 miles
2 1/2 hours
St. Louis
164 miles
3 hours
Quad Cities
137 miles
2 1/2 hours
Bloomington-Normal
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55
39
74
Rockford
131 miles
2 1/2 hours
Chicago
137 miles
2 1/2 hours
St. Louis
164 miles
3 hours
Quad Cities
137 miles
2 1/2 hours
Bloomington-Normal
OUR GRADS: THE EVENT EXPERT
COMMUNICATION STUDIES | Abe Lopez ’12
Events assistant, Project Angel Heart
At Illinois State, Abe was involved in various
leadership organizations including University
Program Board and Students Today Leaders
Forever. He received various awards for his
involvement on campus, including Outstanding
Student Leader of the Year and Homecoming king. After college,
Abe has led various teams at Target Corp. as an executive team
leader. He is working in nonprofit development, producing large-
scale fundraising events for an organization in Denver, Project
Angel Heart, whose mission is to deliver nutritious meals, at no cost,
to Coloradans coping with life-threatening illnesses.