“Change is happening at an unprecedented pace, as technological progress (including digital transformation) and global political unrest make for a highly unpredictable world...[The skills needed to succeed] include collaboration, communication, creative thinking, work ethic, teamwork, networking, decision making, positivity, time management, motivation, versatility, problem-solving, critical thinking, and conflict resolution.”
--Marc Zao-Sanders, “Important Skills to Develop for Success in 2020 & Beyond,” Glassdoor
At Wittenberg, we take seriously this claim, committed now more than ever to helping our students develop skills that will serve them well in a world in which change is the only certainty.
In the Wittenberg Department of Communication & Digital Media, that means we focus not only on skills that students need for success in their lives after Wittenberg, but on understanding the processes of communication that vary according to situations. After all, in today’s environment of erupting communication technologies and increasing global interdependence, it is not enough to know the practice of good communication without also understanding the theories that cross complicated situations. At Wittenberg, students gain an understanding of the complex processes of human symbolic interaction—with special emphasis on how digital media shapes our interactions.
Communication & Digital Media Courses
- Intro courses that explain elements and theories of communication with a special emphasis on digital media.
- Intermediate courses that focus on particular contexts, including managing effective interpersonal communication, understanding our changing media, and making effective arguments while preserving relationships—all with attention to how digital media affects those areas.
- Methods courses that explain how to frame and explore questions of communication, such as “what makes an anti-drug campaign persuasive?” and “how do stories function to elicit empathy for others?” and “to what extent does bystander intervention impact cyberbullying?”
- Advanced Study seminars in a professor’s area of expertise such as: Social Media, Environmental Communication, Intercultural Communication, Relational Communication, and Gender and Communication.
- Senior Seminar in communication ethics in which students grapple with questions of what is “right” and “wrong” to do with their newly honed communication skills, not just what they can do.
Partnerships With Other Departments
Through individual advising, we help students develop concentrations across departments, including these featuring digital media applications:
- Digital Imaging, Video, and Animation (DIVA), a 4-course concentration offered in the Department of Art;
- Sport Marketing and Event and Facility Management in the Department of Health & Sport Studies;
- Electronic Music Production in the Department of Music;
- Social Media, Media Law, and Digital Marketing achieved with a double major in marketing and communication & digital media.
Out-of-the-Classroom Opportunities
Communication and Business Leadership Experience (CABLE): a year-long program in which students interact with professionals in business and nonprofit organizations such as Google, Coca-Cola, American Cancer Society. Summer internship required.
Integrated Media Experiences: paid on-campus internships in our University Communications and/or Sports Information offices for hands-on experience by media practitioners.
Lambda Pi Eta: national communication honorary for high-achieving communication students.
Oral Communication Center: opportunity to work as consultants for oral assignments of all types including experience in a virtual work environment through asynchronous, online sessions.
The Torch: chance to sharpen journalism skills through working on Wittenberg’s student digital newspaper.
Writing Center: opportunity to work as a certified peer writing tutor helping students with cross-disciplinary writing, including experience in a virtual work environment through asynchronous, online sessions.
Internships
Our students secure internships on campus within our department and for Wittenberg at large in the Office of University Communications and in Sports Information. With guidance from Wittenberg’s Career Services, students also have secured internships off campus in a variety of areas including: social media content development, news writing and editing, human resources, public relations, marketing and advertising for a variety of business, government and nonprofit organizations (e.g., Johnson & Johnson, Ethicon, Inc.; Nationwide’s Children’s Hospital; Cardinal Health; Cintas, Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Tennis Western & Southern Open)
Communication & Digital Media in the News:
- Sarah Gearhart '06: Alumna Leads Exciting Writing Career Through Sports Journalism (published May 19, 2020)
- Evoking Empathy: Wittenberg Communication Professors Team Up on Unique Research Project (published April 14, 2020)
- Elizabeth Arentz '16: Elizabeth Arentz Embraces Connections in the Field of Law (published February 21, 2020)
- Kathryn Nydegger '19: Power of Faculty-Student Relationships Shines As Recent Grad Tackled Research Project on Campus (published June 13, 2019)
- Megan Selby '20: Taking it all in while studying abroad in Denmark (published June 7, 2019)
- #LifeAtWitt Justin Luby '19: Senior Justin Luby found more than just a college at Wittenberg (published May 7, 2019)
- #LifeAtWitt Mallory Moss '20: Mallory Moss ’20 Experiences More than Expected During Fuller Center Spring Break Trip (published April 8, 2019)
- Earning Excellence in Communication: Wittenberg named among Top 10 Communication Programs for Salary Potential (published December 17, 2018)
- Relationships and Research: Katie Bunsold '18 Develops Independent Research Project with Professor Dr. Kelly Dillon (published February 21, 2018)
- Staying Connected: Mecca Abdul-Aziz '18 lands dream opportunity thanks to Wittenberg alumni network (published June 12, 2018)
- "Real" Southern Womanhood: New Book by Communication Professor Released (published August 8, 2018)
- Guns and Kids: Wittenberg University Communication Professor’s Research on Gun Visibility and Accessibility Makes International Headlines (published September 25, 2017)
- Making Connections: Megan Bobbitt ’17 Credits CABLE Program for Helping Her Land Job with Nestlé (published September 7, 2017)
- Disney Magic: Wittenberg Student Experiences Firsthand the Power of the "Mouse" (published April 20, 2017)
- Decade-Long Impact: Innovative, Integrated CABLE Program Celebrates Decade-Long Impact (published November 17, 2016)
- CABLE Conference: Innovative Communication/Business Program Celebrates 10 Years of Producing Industry Leaders (published October 6, 2016)