In a time when people are bombarded with messages, our world needs professional communicators who bring meaning and clarity to complex situations.

Major Roadmap

Explore your options — classes, internships, research, and study abroad. View the Communication Major Guide to find what interests you, discover what you love, and create a major experience that jumpstarts your future. 

Prepare for a creative career in one of the most popular majors in the country. Employers consistently rank communication skills at the top when making hiring decisions.

As a Communication major, you’ll begin by studying the principles of communication, but you’ll also become adept at applying them — so you can take your skills to a Fortune 500 company, fledgling nonprofit or buzzing startup.

And Austin is the perfect place to be a Communication major. Our students intern at places like Livestrong, Margin Walker Presents (a boutique concert promotions agency), and the Austin Film Society.

Earn Two Degrees in Five Years

Complete your BA in Communication and Master's Degree with our pathways to receive two degrees in five years down below.

Explore the BA in Communication and Master's Degree, PR and Advertising Concentration (MBA) pathway.

Explore the BA in Communication and Master's Degree, Relational Communication; Critical Media Studies; Communication Influence and Diversity (MBA) pathway.

Explore the BA in Communication and Master's Degree,Relational Communication; Critical Media Studies; Communication Influence and Diversity (MSDGMA) pathway.

Explore the BA in Communication and Master's Degree, Relational Communication; Critical Media Studies; Communication Influence and Diversity (MSOL) pathway.

Success Coaches and Academic Advisors guide students through undergraduate and graduate courses to maximize benefits. Learn More.

What do our graduates do?

Communication majors go on to a variety of careers and graduate schools from St. Edward’s. Here’s a sample.

  • Launched a growing nonprofit for hearing and vision screenings
  • Landed the prestigious Alfred Fleishman Diversity Fellowship at FleishmanHillard
  • Won an Emmy Award for coverage of a Pittsburgh water main break that grew into a water crisis
  • Become a technical writer at leading employment search engine (and Austin company) Indeed
  • Been named director of marketing and communications for a Bay Area nonprofit
  • Gone on to become a broker for a real estate investment firm
  • Created a cancer foundation to provide financial support to families impacted by cancer
  • Co-wrote and co-directed a film which earned a Grand Jury award at SXSW 
  • Became a movie propmaster in New York City
  • Graduated from law school 

For more information on the Communication major, please contact Stephen A. King, chair of the Department of Communication

Unfiltered: My Last Semester

Go behind the scenes with Communication major Patricia Medina ’19 as she graduates from St. Edward’s and begins her career as a creative specialist at GoDaddy.

The Classroom and Beyond

In addition to taking classes that include hands-on projects and interning at Austin organizations, you can get involved with a wide range of student media. 

Experiential Education

Your Communication classes will incorporate active learning so you can practice applying your major to real-life situations.

  • In Public Relations for Nonprofit Organizations, you’ll learn the public relations process by creating your own project for an Austin client.
  • In Communication and Popular Culture, you’ll analyze a pop-culture event occurring in the Austin community.
  • In Rhetoric and Public Memory, you’ll study monuments and memorials around campus and around Austin. You’ll analyze what they communicate about the population’s values and power structure.
  • The St. Edward’s University Magazine published a story about the course.

Student Organizations

Get involved with student productions in whatever medium interests you most.

  • Hilltop Views, the weekly student newspaper, is published both in print and online. Student journalists report news from the campus and greater Austin community. You can get involved as early as your freshman year as a writer, editor, photographer or designer.
  • Sorin Oak Review is a literary magazine that showcases the poetry, prose and artwork of St. Edward’s students. Working on the editorial staff is a great way to gain experience in project management and the practical details of putting together a publication.
  • Arete is a student-produced academic journal that publishes student-written research, nonfiction essays and commentary. Editors choose from among the dozens of submissions to create a cohesive journal that represents a variety of perspectives.
  • New Literati publishes both creative and academic work.
  • B. Hooved is the student humor journal, inspired by our Hilltopper goat mascot.
  • Topper Radio is the student-run radio station.
  • Topper Studios is the digital media club. Members are involved in creating podcasts, YouTube channels, short films, music videos and comedy sketches, and helping their fellow students produce digital content. Students in Topper Studios also frequently make promotional videos for other clubs at St. Edward’s.

The Digital Media Center in the Munday Library is a resource for creating your own content and learning new skills. Here, you can produce and edit videos, podcasts and visual design projects with the help of your fellow students. The lab is equipped with top-of-the-line computers running the latest software including the Adobe Creative Suite. It also has a group editing/podcasting room, a green screen room and a “whisper room” used for voiceovers. If you are skilled at software, hardware repair, graphic design or video editing, you can apply to work in the lab as a digital media specialist.