Pursue your Communications major with Simmons University
Students in our Communications degree at Simmons University are engaged and innovative designers, journalists, content creators, media analysts, and communications strategists.
Why pursue a degree in Communications?
Communication is key in all aspects of life; it is how we interact, connect, and make impressions on each other and the world around us. The Communications degree at Simmons University focuses on how we use messages to generate meaning within and across contexts, cultures, channels, and media.
Generating and conveying meaning is central to the work we do in our Communications major, as is an emphasis on media convergence—the intersection and interaction of the multiple media disciplines.
The skills attained and fine-tuned in the Communications degree are indispensable for students as they move through networks of the communications fields and professions.
Within the Communications Department, students tailor their degree program to match their personal and career aspirations, by choosing from a mix of courses in the Design, Journalism and Integrated Media concentrations. We also host two joint majors in Public Relations and Marketing Communications and Web Design and Development.
What will a BA in Communications teach you?
The Communications major consists of forty (42) credit hours. Three core courses are required for all Communications majors: Visual Communication, Media Writing and Editing, and Media, Messages, & Society.
With guidance from their faculty advisor, students in the Communications major have the flexibility to creatively design their own distribution of courses, drawing from the areas of Design, Journalism, and Integrated Media.
In addition to the three core courses, and the six courses drawn from the areas listed above, students complete two 1-credit technology or skills-based courses and a capstone including internships and/or Studio 5, our unique student-run communications agency. Please refer to the Program Requirements for Communications majors below for more detailed information or view all the Communications course descriptions.
Graduates of our Communications degree find positions across advertising, journalism, social media management, content creation, and design. The tools of the communications sphere are constantly evolving, but the knowledge, skills, and compass students develop in the BA in Communications enable them to stay flexible, resourceful, and ahead of the curve in any endeavor.
What can you do with a Communications degree?
In the Communications major, students master the creative as well as the technical skills necessary to negotiate a collaborative working environment. They think critically about media and apply that thinking to hands-on class projects and exciting internships with companies like the Boston Ballet and Harvard Medical School.
Jobs for communications majors range from working in media, the arts, marketing, public relations, journalism, and various other industries. Job titles for careers in communications include:
- Public Relations Manager
- Content Manager and Strategist
- Community Engagement Manager
- Marketing/Corporate Communications Specialist
- Social Media Manager
- Account Manager
- Video Journalist
- Audio Producer
- Reporter
- Digital Reporter & Producer
- Graphic Designer
- Art Director
- Web Designer
Find out more about our Communications major!
Simmons’ Bachelor of Arts in Communications explores the nuances of visual, written, and verbal communication to equip students to excel across their chosen professions. We encourage you to reach out to our faculty with any questions—their contact information can be found below. You can also request more information about our Communications major, schedule a campus tour, or find out how to apply today!
Our Faculty
Kat Lombard-Cook
Assistant Professor & the Design Track Director and the Integrated Media Track Director
Briana Martino
Associate Professor and Department Chair
Erica Moura
Associate Professor of Practice
Luke Romanak
Associate Director, Student Driven Media and Academic Technology
Bob White
Professor
Dannie Annecston
Assistant Professor of Practice
Ellen Grabiner
Professor Emerita
Judith Aronson
Professor Emerita
Spotlight on Communications Students and Alums
Celebrating Trans Awareness Week with Simmons Undergraduate, Journalist, and Comics Fan
First year student Tristie-Mattea Ortiz ’28 reflects on the benefits of a women’s-centered institution for trans, queer, and nonbinary students.
Alumna Shares Journey from “Miracle” Birth to Fertility Advocacy
For Elizabeth Carr ’04, the first IVF baby born in the United States, fertility education constitutes empowerment and advocacy. She spoke with us about her widely publicized birth, new historical memoir, and formative experience at Simmons.
Simmons Alums Create “Queer-Led Web Design” Team
We celebrate Pride Month with 2020 graduates KP and Jessie, who run Inkpot Creative, a unique website development company that offers cutting edge website design for photographers, with a focus on inclusivity.
Flourishing in the Community at Simmons and Completing Meaningful Internships
Bella Yee ’24 is a Public Relations and Marketing Communications major, with minors in Business and Public Policy. She is the Communications Director for the Student Government Association and Co-President of the Communications Liaison. Yee also interned for the Massachusetts legislature, most recently for the Office of Representative Adrianne Ramos.
Reflecting on Opportunities in Communications and the Decision to Chase a Career in Journalism
Rachel Andriacchi ’24 majored in Communications and is the Op-Ed Editor of The Simmons Voice, the student news site of Simmons University, and the Co-Editorial Lead of CommTracks, the annual magazine produced by seniors from the Communications Department. Now approaching graduation, Andriacchi reflects on their experience at Simmons.
Children’s Literature Editor Karen Boss ’95 ’13 Champions Diverse Authors in Successful Career Change
Karen Boss ’95 ’13MA earned a double Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Sociology and returned to Simmons twenty years later for her Master’s in Children’s Literature. She is a senior editor at Charlesbridge, where she works on fiction and nonfiction picture books, and middle-grade and young adult works.
How Lynne Kaplan ’73 Made a Career Out of Her Gift for Communicating
Lynne Kaplan ’73 has enjoyed a long career in business consulting. A common thread that links her work is the commitment to support individuals in personal and professional development.
Studio 5 Imparts Real-World Industry Experience to Communications Students
Essentially a student-run communications agency, Studio 5 gives Communications students at Simmons a taste of real work experience. We spoke with Communications professors and recent alumnae/i about what makes Studio 5 such a successful exercise in experiential learning.