About the Department

Greetings from Department Head Teresa C. Sabourin

Welcome to the Department of Communication Website. We appreciate your interest in our programs, and hope that you will find all of the materials that you are looking for in its contents. As you will see, the Department of Communication offers programs of study leading to the B.A. and M.A. degrees. As you earn your B.A. degree, you will take courses in Advanced Communication Skills, Organizational Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Mediated Communication, and Rhetoric and Public Address. In addition, B.A. students can earn a Public Relations Certificate.

We also have a number of student organizations that you can participate in, including ETHOS, PRSSA, and the Forensics Team. Several scholarship opportunities are available for students, including the Jones Scholarship, the Lucille Pederson Scholarship, and the Verderber Scholarship.

Our M.A. program provides excellent classroom and research experience for those wishing to continue on to doctoral level study, as well as those who wish to advance their professional careers. Students can also opt to participate in guided internships to gain applied field experience in communication studies. We believe that our faculty members are among the finest teachers and scholars in the field of communication, and they are all eager to engage with you in the classroom as you embark upon your areas of interest.

If you have any further questions about any of our programs, or would like to contact me directly, I look forward to hearing from you at teresa.sabourin@uc.edu.

IDENTITY: Who are we?

The Department of Communication at the University of Cincinnati promotes knowledge of human communication through research, teaching, and service. We are located in an urban center within a large research university, which provides a dynamic context for connecting theory and practice.

Our award-winning faculty members share a distinctive focus on contemporary social problems. Research centers on understanding issues of voice, identity, public participation, and advocacy/leadership across communication domains including interpersonal, organizational, political, organizational, rhetorical, environmental, health, and mediated communication.

Our department promotes excellence in teaching and emphasizes experiential learning and community engagement for students through team-based projects, internships and residencies, service learning and collaboration with community organizations. We offer a nationally-certified public relations program and represent a model community engagement department. Our Master’s Degree in Communication provides small cohorts with the focused attention of excellent faculty in preparing for doctoral studies or professional careers.

MISSION: What is our purpose?

The mission of the Department of Communication is to advance understanding and improve the practice of human communication through research, teaching, and service. Communication is foundational to social life, as the co-construction and negotiation of meaning influences personal, interpersonal, organizational, community and national/international experience. Our research seeks to understand and address connections between communication and contemporary social problems. Faculty promote the open and equitable formation of ideas, as well as their effective expression through research and service. Our teaching prepares students for engaged citizenship and professional roles by cultivating the ability to think analytically, reason critically, communicate effectively, and lead responsibly. We seek to equip students to make a positive contribution to their local community, nation, and world by making connections between theory and practice.

Teresa C. Sabourin

Teresa C. Sabourin