The George Washington University C o m m u n i c a t i o n P r o g r a m
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Program Overview

Alumni reflection: When I joined Fleishman-Hillard International Communications at the age of 25, I became the youngest employee in F-H's 50 year history to hold the title of vice president -- an achievement I am particularly proud of and worked very hard for since graduation. If it hadn't been for the academic training and guidance I received from the professors with GW's Communication Program, I would not be where I am today, nor would I be able to provide the kind of quality and thoughtful strategic communication counsel to my clients and colleagues at F-H.
--Aaron R. Kwittken, Class of 1992

The Communication Program at The George Washington University has a history as old as the university itself, with academic work in rhetoric dating back to the original charter in 1821.

Current curricular offerings explore communication phenomena such as how human beings constitute meaning in an abstract world, how this meaning creates alternatives, how to decide on a meaningful course of action among alternatives, how to live with the choices we make, and how we share these choices with others. This human symbolic activity is investigated in different contexts: Thus, students study communication events as they transpire intrapersonally, dyadically, in small groups, in organizations, across cultures, and in public settings.

Undergraduate Study

Students probe communication events as media-bound occurrences; that is, they study the verbal, nonverbal, oral or written, live or mass media nature of communication. In addition to academic study in the discipline, students of communication can learn more about themselves, become more socially adept, and increase their marketability to future employers. Because of their interest and expertise in communication, majors often play an active role in student government affairs and become leaders in extracurricular activities such as president of the University Honors Program Council, president of the Interfraternity Council, editor of The Hatchet, manager of the WRTV radio, and so on.

What do you mean we don't communicate?
Just yesterday I faxed you a reply to the recorded message
you left on my answering machine.
--Wall Street Journal

Graduate Study

There is no graduate program offered in Communication at this time. There are other related programs available with The George Washington University, such as political management and speech pathology. In addition, GW houses a one-of-a-kind graduate program in the Human Sciences. This program combines study within the disciplines of sociology, anthropology, philosophy, cultural studies, communication and rhetorical theory.

Alumni reflection: The Communication Program provided me with the skills and experience necessary to communicate and interact with others on a highly conscious and mindful level. Some of my classes, such as Small Group Communication and Organizational Communication, were heavily experiential ... these hands-on classes were the most difficult for me because they stressed a high degree of self-awareness and critical thinking in action, something I had not done before I came to GW. In a world that simultaneously stresses "individuality" as well as "teamwork," I think the experiential courses will probably be the most beneficial in the workplace... I think, ultimately, an undergraduate education is about nurturing the world's future caretakers, giving them positive models to emulate, and providing them with the skills and tools necessary to be active and engaged participants in the world of ideas and people. I don't think I can give the program a higher evaluation than this: I would not be the same person if I did not experience those within the program.

--Josh Gunn, Class of 1996

After College

The career outlook for students of communication is highly promising. The environment of tomorrow will continue to be communication-oriented, and communication graduates are increasingly in demand to apply their specialized knowledge of the human communication process. Majors have served as interns in leading business, entertainment, and political organizations. Many have matriculated to graduate, law or medical school, or have found employment on graduation with a variety of organizations such as the White House speech-writing staff, major advertising and public relations firms, and Fortune 500 companies.

Related Programs

Several GW departments and programs are disciplinarily related to the Communication Program. Students of the Communication Program may double major or minor in these, as well as other, fields. Examples include the Journalism Program, Political Communication Program, Speech and Hearing Science, and the graduate program in Human Sciences. The primary differences between the Communication Program and those listed above are:

the approach taken toward the subjects studied and
the degree of specialization.

These differences are best gauged by either contacting the program you are interested in or perhaps e-mailing current students and alumni about the Communication Program.

Communication Program
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Graphics courtesy of Jeff Bucchino

tp://www.wizardofdraws.com">Jeff Bucchino