121 Shanks Hall (MC 0311)
181 Turner Street NW
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Academic Year Represented
2023
Mission Statement
The School of Communication offers five undergraduate majors: Advertising, Communication, Multimedia Journalism, Public Relations, and Sports Media and Analytics. These majors lead to a B.A. in Communication. The five majors, each grounded in a strong liberal arts curriculum, prepare students for careers in journalism, broadcasting, digital media production, public relations, advertising, sports media, business, public service, government, and professional specializations, such as law. Coursework in the school focuses on strategic, theoretical, and practical application of message creation, delivery, and analysis. Graduates from each major are prepared to apply their skills immediately in various professional settings or continue their studies in graduate school.
Technology/Equipment/Facilities
The School of Communication's Digital Media Center includes a TV studio, control room, sound booth, and adjacent newsroom. These rooms are outfitted with state-of-the-art computers, monitors, switchers, cameras, audio equipment, LED lighting, touchscreens, and sets that can be configured for news, sports, or entertainment programming. Two classrooms have computer terminals networked to a server in the Digital Media Center for editing via Avid Media Composer.
Undergraduate Degrees Offered
Bachelor of Arts in Communication
Graduate Degrees Offered
Master of Arts in Communication
Majors
Advertising Communication Multimedia Journalism Public Relations Sports Media and Analytics
Tracks within Majors
Internships Accepted for Credit
The School encourages students to gain internship experience but does not require internships for graduation. Students may earn 1-to-6 academic credits for internship experience through COMM 4204: Communication Internship. Both paid and unpaid internships at for-profit, nonprofit, and government organizations are accepted for academic credit. Students can arrange their own internships and may find internship opportunities through web searches, student organizations, networking, or career fairs.
Internships Facilitated
Some Virginia Tech administrative offices, colleges, centers, and institutes offer on-campus internship opportunities each term.
Experiential and/or Immersion Programs for Credit
Students have a “bridge experience” as part of their undergraduate major programs. This experience connects communication knowledge from the classroom to professional work aligned with each student’s post-graduation goals. These experiences come through internships and experiential learning courses such as Digital Newsroom, Sportscenter, and Public Relations Campaigns.
Online Options
Summer- and Winter-term courses are generally offered online. The Fall and Spring semester schedules include limited online undergraduate courses. At least 95% of Fall or Spring courses are usually taught face-to-face.
Study-Abroad Options
A summer travel-abroad program allows students to experience Western Europe. Students study for two weeks in June at Virginia Tech’s Steger Center in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland, and complete the rest of their summer work online. This arrangement allows students to travel beyond Switzerland and practice their cross-cultural communication skills before they return home.
Graduate Programs
Communication major Reputation Management major Organizational Communication Management certificate
Department Budget
$3,571,980
Amount Spent per Student
$3,360
Undergrad Student Fees
$15,162
Undergraduate Student Fees Exclusive of Housing and Meal Plan
$2,562
Undergraduate Student Fees for Housing and Meal Plan
$12,680
Undergrad In-State Tuition
$12,104
Undergrad Out-of-State Tuition
$31,754
Average Undergraduate Financial Aid
$10,314
Average Undergraduate Student Debt
$7,295
Graduate Student Fees
$2,562
Graduate In-State Tuition
$7,261
Graduate Out-of-State Tuition
$14,634
Average Graduate Financial Aid
$22,276
Average Graduate Student Debt
$2,806
Total Accredited Unit Enrollment
1061
Undergraduate Enrollment
1038
Graduate Enrollment
23
Number of In-State Students
775
Percentage of In-State Students
73
Number of International Students
15
Percentage of International Students
1
Male
437
Female
622
Not Specified
2
White
749
Black
86
Asian
36
Hispanic/Latino
102
Pacific Islands or Native Hawaiian
0
Native American or Native Alaskan
3
Other
85
Average Size of Skill Based Classes
17
Average Size of Non-Skill Based Classes
64
First Year Student (Freshman) Retention Rate at University
91
Four Year Completion Rate
69
Six Year Completion Rate
87
Full-Time Employment within Six Months of Graduation
40
Full-Time Employment Within Field of Study
25
Part-Time Employment Within Field of Study
Full-Time Employment Not In Field of Study
5
Part-Time Employment Not In Field of Study
Attending a Graduate Program
15
Unemployed
21
Unknown Status
79
Full-Time Faculty
34
Part-Time Faculty
10
Faculty with Tenure
11
Faculty on Tenure Track
3
Untenured Part-Time Faculty
10
Untenured Full-Time Faculty
20
Percentage of Faculty within Scholarship or Research Field
56
Male
14
Female
20
Unspecified
0
White
28
Black
5
Asian
0
Hispanic/Latino
1
Pacific Island or Native Hawaiian
0
Native American or Native Alaskan
0
Other
0
Faculty-to-Student Ratio for All Classes
38
Faculty-to-Student Ratio for Skill Classes
17
Comments on Quantitative Numbers
Tuition and fees for undergraduate and graduate students reflect amounts for the fall and spring semesters of Academic Year 2022-2023. For tuition and fees calculations, full-time enrollment for undergraduate students is at least 12 credit hours during both the fall and spring semesters. Full-time enrollment for graduate students is a minimum of 9 credit hours during both the fall and spring semesters. Financial aid and student debt amounts are only for students in the School of Communication during the 2022-2023 academic year and were calculated by using the federal method for summarizing financial aid. The undergraduate and graduate values for financial aid show the average gift aid (non-loan) amounts for only those students who received a form of financial aid. The values of loans show the average amounts (excluding parent loans) accumulated by undergraduate and graduate students during the 2022-2023 academic year.