Majors & Minors

Communication Studies

You’ll journey through the history, theory, philosophy and ethics of communications acquiring along the way a deep understanding of its impact on our society. Our critical inquiry into the relational, rhetorical, social, cultural and ideological functions of language, performance and media, opens the door to a multitude of career options in our media-driven world.

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Lamiyah Bahrainwala

Lamiyah Bahrainwala

Associate Professor of Communication Studies & Chair

Lamiyah Bahrainwala

Lamiyah Bahrainwala

Associate Professor of Communication Studies & Chair

Communication Studies
Communication Studies

How do we send messages between one place and another, through some medium of communication? How does the use of different mediums—radio, television, the Internet—affect the way we communicate? How do institutions, maintain and disseminate information over time? These questions, and many others, lie at the heart of the Southwestern Communication Studies Department’s approach.

Through the Department’s multifaceted curriculum , our faculty  provides an intimate learning experience, focusing on the myriad ways that communication, culture and identity intersect and define each other. 

Through this rich combination of modes of thinking and analysis, the Communication Studies Department provides you with a strong critical and theoretical understanding of the ways in which our social reality is constructed and challenged through communication patterns and practices.



AFTER SOUTHWESTERN

Featured Alumni Stories

Terrenee Knight ’07

Pirate Confidential: Terrenee Knight ’07 Reflects on Her Southwestern Experience

Amazing opportunities and an expansive support network were hallmarks of Terrenee Knight’s experience at Southwestern from 2003-2007.

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The outreach project Wander Like Water was born: the Houstons would produce videos for YouTube and social media in which they would showcase not just their travels but also educate viewers about how each water source they’d visit “has a story, an issue, or a threat.”

Wander Like Water

Southwestern alumni adventurers raise awareness about water and educate the public about sustainability.

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Scott Rocher ’04 and Blithe Casterline Rocher ’05

For the Love of Tech

Scott Rocher ’04 and Blithe Casterline Rocher ’05 reflect on their Southwestern Experience.

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EXPLORE SOUTHWESTERN

Communication Studies News

Photo courtesy Bob Bednar

Organizational Communication Class Proves the Partnership Between Southwestern University and Houston Methodist Hospital Extends Far Beyond Medicine

Professor of Communication Studies Bob Bednar led five students deep into the Houston Methodist Hospital system to analyze organizational communication at one of the nation’s leading healthcare systems.

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Video: Learning Through Leadership at Southwestern

Recent graduate Madison Vela ’25 reflects on how the leadership experience that she gained at Southwestern shaped her as a person.

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Courtroom

From the Classroom to the Courtroom: Southwestern University Prepares Students for Successful Careers in Law

Southwestern’s unique approach to a liberal arts education, paired with passionate faculty and small class sizes, has put countless students on a path to success in law.

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