We are a community engaged in teaching, researching and practicing communication as central to cultivating ethical, productive, and meaningful lives and relationships.<br><br>The JMU School of Communication Studies, one of the largest departments on campus with close to 800 majors and minors, features six unique thematic concentrations and a generalist option for students who want to take a wider range of classes. We also offer many engaged learning opportunities, ranging from service learning to undergraduate research, internships and several exciting study abroad options.<br>Communication studies provides students with modern academic programs for the purpose of understanding human communication. Courses examine multiple, cross disciplinary approaches for studying messages and outcomes resulting from human interactive processes that involve the content and relationship dimensions of sources, receivers, channels and contexts. Emphasis is upon person-to-person transactions involving face-to-face and social media venues at the interpersonal, small group, organizational, and public levels. Instruction employs ways of knowing and research methodologies of social science, historical/critical analysis, and art. Our graduates have successful careers in business, education, government, conflict analysis and intervention, health, public relations, entertainment, personnel management, politics, sales, conference and event planning, hospitality industries and more.<br><br>A major in communication studies also provides valuable pre-professional preparation for graduate and professional studies in the fields of communication, counseling, law, management, ministry and military. Through traditional classroom delivery and distance learning platforms, students acquire communication skill competencies in experiential classroom activities, research projects, studies abroad and internships. Communication Studies graduates leave JMU prepared to participate effectively as citizens in the communication age.