Request information on the Communications program.
Interested in pursuing a career that allows you to flex a variety of skills, from writing and social media engagement to event planning and problem solving? Penn State Lehigh Valley’s Bachelor of Arts in Communication provides you with all those tools and more.
The Communications program prepares students for in-demand careers across a variety of industries, thanks to its strategic emphasis on brand identity and messaging. Students will acquire a sharp understanding of their target audience in order to successfully hone strategic messaging and brand storytelling skills.
Overview
Penn State Lehigh Valley's Communication program’s cross-disciplinary coursework gives students the broad foundation needed to successfully manage the considerable flow of information that dictates daily life at most major companies and organizations.
Thanks to a faculty with deep industry and research credentials who stay up on the latest trends, you’ll receive a well-rounded education in communication and business principles; ethics; verbal, written and visual communication skills; integrated marketing communications; internal and external communication strategies; and branding and stakeholder relationship management. Program courses include: the Mass Media and Society; Public Relations and Marketing; Social, Legal and Ethical Environment of Business; Internal and External Communication; Social Media Communication; and Risk and Crisis Communication.
And given the Lehigh Valley’s many Fortune 500 companies and non-profit organizations, as well as its close proximity to the New York City and Philadelphia markets, you’ll have prime opportunities for highly valuable networking and internship experiences.
Two Focus Areas:
Corporate Communications
In extending traditional organizational communication, strategic communication, and public relations to the digital age, this option prepares students to compete in a global society. The program is also effective as preparation for e-commerce.
Digital Journalism
In today's workplace, journalism graduates are required to regularly engage rapidly converging media in their work. This option offers graduates a competitive advantage by complementing traditional options (newspaper, magazine, radio, TV) with convergent course work designed to prepare students for professional journalism in the digital age.
After graduation, you will be prepared for careers in:
- Communication
- Brand Strategy
- Content Creation
- Social Media Management
- Marketing and Advertising
- Event Planning
- Community and Public Relations
- Fundraising
- Relationship Management
Testimonial
“My degree provided me with a number of hard and soft skills that are directly related to my career. I learned how to present my work with confidence, how to research, analyze and interpret data, and, most importantly, how to think critically about the ‘why’ behind strategic recommendations in marketing and communication. Penn State Lehigh Valley provided me the flexibility to explore a field that I love and secure a job opportunity with a company that values its employees and cares about its clients’ success.”
– Carissa Ackley ’20,
Client Engagement Manager at Altitude Marketing
Suggested Academic Plans
Suggested Academic Plans (SAP) provide the possible order of courses students might follow as they pursue a particular degree. SAPs are proposed schedules only. Individual student's schedules might look different if -- in consultation with an academic adviser -- the student has created a different plan. Care should be taken when changing the order of courses, as the SAP takes into account prerequisites and course controls. For the final work regarding the courses needed for graduation in a particular major, all students should consult the University Bulletin and their degree audit.
Program Contact
Liz Keptner
Program Coordinator, Communications
610-285-5000 | [email protected]
