About Us

The Department of Communication Studies has created and sustained a high standard of teaching and scholarly excellence since its inception, evidenced by the outstanding reputation of Department members both within the College and the discipline, the contributions of faculty to communication education, the participation of faculty in professional development activities related to teaching, the consistently high departmental mean in student evaluations, the popularity of the major, and ultimately the successes of alumni.

The origins of the Department go back to 1982, when Dr. Larry Williamson was brought to USD to broaden and strengthen the existing "Speech Arts" emphasis in the Department of Fine Arts. His leadership and creative efforts resulted in a minor in Communication Studies.   Three years later, in 1985, Dr. Linda A.M. Perry joined Dr. Williamson to develop a Communication Studies major separate from the Department of Fine Arts. Dr. Roger Pace joined the faculty in 1988, and in 1989 Communication Studies became an official academic department.

Communication Studies has grown and developed over the years. The number of faculty in the department has increased and become more diverse, and they continue to increase in talent and scholarly achievement. These efforts have resulted in the number of students with a Major in Communication to be the largest in the College of Arts and Sciences.  

Our curriculum integrates two approaches to the study of communication: Human Communication and Media Studies. Our courses provide students with the kinds of skills and background necessary to work in a communication-related profession or pursue advanced study in the field of communication. Students who successfully complete our major will have knowledge of:

• foundational theories of communication
• prevailing communication research paradigms
• media industry structure and practices
• prevailing criticisms of media practice and performance
• media influence on individuals and groups
• the interplay of media systems in a global context
• roles and functions of communication in interpersonal, group, organizational, and public contexts
• conventions of public address and advocacy
• the impact and ethics of persuasion

Students will also have the ability to:

• think critically
• develop and present an argument
• conduct and evaluate social scientific, interpretive, and critical research
• communicate effectively in interpersonal, group, organizational, and public contexts
• invent, arrange, and deliver effective and ethical messages via oral, print, and electronic modes