Why Study Communication & Film Studies at Le Moyne?

What do great filmmakers, journalists, TV and radio broadcasters, public relations professionals, advertisers, and other successful media producers all know deep in their bones?

How to tell stories. That’s what we know, too, and the art of storytelling is what we teach students in Le Moyne’s Department of Communication & Film Studies. Stories that play on movie screens and smart-phone screens. Stories that pop off pages of magazines. Stories that sing through a listener’s earbuds, or that take audiences into elaborate worlds of digital multimedia.

Our students, of course, learn how to use the tools of storytelling: state-of-the-art HD cameras, production and editing software like InDesign and Premiere, even pens and pencils.

But the tools are always secondary, in service to the hard work of storytelling: discovering important things to say, and then saying those things vividly, gracefully, even poetically. And always powerfully.

Why do we place so much value on storytelling? Because that skill will remain essential, no matter what new technologies come along, no matter how different the media landscape might look in five years or fifty years.

Stories. Essential. We know how difficult it is to tell them really well. We know how much practice it takes, how much guidance. And we know—because our students show us all the time—how infinitely informative, entertaining, and vital stories can be.

Stop by, send us an email, or call us. We'll tell you our story.


Program Highlights

Through courses, internships, and extra-curricular activities, the Department of Communication & Film Studies will give you a four-pronged education:

  • You'll learn how to READ stories of all sorts, to understand how great storytellers have crafted words, photos, videos, graphics, and other media to create meaning.
  • You'll get the technical KNOW-HOW that allows you to tell your own stories in any media you choose.
  • You'll study the HISTORY and current issues of mass media, so you’ll understand the complex cultures of the professional world you’ll be entering.
  • And you'll practice responding intelligently and empathetically to the kinds of ETHICAL dilemmas that all media professionals face.

In addition, you’ll get:

  • The freedom to focus on one area of communications while getting a solid foundation in all areas
  • Hands-on work with state-of-the-art cameras and editing tools
  • Lots of collaborative work with students and faculty

Careers

A degree in Communication & Film Studies is an ideal preparation for jobs throughout the media profession and beyond. It will make you multi-skilled, adaptable, and ready to navigate the ever-changing world of communications. Our recent graduates are employed as:

  • Advertising executive
  • Public relations specialist
  • Filmmaker
  • Radio host
  • Political journalist
  • Sports reporter
  • Newscaster
  • Editor
  • Digital Media Strategist
  • Event Planner
  • Video Producer
  • Graphic Designer
  • Marketing Manager
  • Scriptwriter
  • Audio Producer
  • Political Communications Director

Degrees

Majors
B.A. in Communications
Dual Major in English/Creative Writing and Communications
Dual Major in English/Literature and Communications
Dual Major in Spanish and Communications
Dual Major in French and Communications
Dual Major in Environmental Science Systems and Communications
Dual Major in Environmental Studies and Communications
Double Major in Political Science and Communications
Double Major in Theatre Arts and Communications


Minor
Minor in Communications

As a major in Communications & Film Studies, you’ll take a “nucleus” of courses that give you foundational skills in writing, video, and audio, and that familiarize you with the complicated and fascinating ways in which the media works. Beyond that nucleus, you’ll be able to choose from nearly 50 courses in all kinds of media study and production, from advertising to digital videography, from music journalism to the history of film, from science writing to public relations. You can sample widely or zero in on your area of greatest interest.

Learn More in our Academic Catalog

Meet Michael Streissguth

Video

Most people know the late musician Johnny Cash as an artist and cultural icon – and he was. But Professor of Communication and Film Studies Michael Streissguth, who has written three books and a documentary on Cash, also knows him as a fierce advocate for social justice. That is a side of Cash that Streissguth is uniquely qualified to share with the world – and his students at Le Moyne.

Student Media

You can practice what you learn in the classroom by joining any of the student-run media clubs. This is a great way to get real-world experience and build a portfolio that will help you get a job. Click on the following links to learn more about the campus newspaper (The Dolphin), TV station (LCTV), and radio station (WLMU).