Communication Program

Program Overview/Mission

What can you do with a degree in communication? What can't you do? The communication degree is one of the most flexible degrees because its emphasis on written and graphic communication is transferable to almost any professional setting. In particular, here is how the Communication Program at University of Houston-Clear Lake will provide you with the theory, knowledge, and skills to make you successful.

Treats you as individuals - With class sizes that average 20 students, professors get to know their students' different backgrounds, skills and goals, and work with them individually to maximize their personal and professional potential.

Prepares you for today's job market - In the current job market, new graduates are expected to have more than one skill or knowledge area. Our curriculum includes classes in integrated marketing communication, media writing, public relations and advertising, as well as graphic and Web design.

Provides you with professional portfolios - You have the opportunity to develop professional quality work for a portfolio and assemble that portfolio together for maximum impact.

• Work on The Signal, our nationally recognized campus newspaper, which has received multiple national awards from the Columbia Scholarship Press Association and state awards from the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association.
• Prepare complete campaigns In our advertising and public relations classes.
• Create newsletters, advertisements, package designs, videos and websites, produced with the latest software programs in state-of-the-art computer labs.

Gives you real-world experience in the field – Internships are available at leading Houston-area businesses like NASA /Johnson Space Center, Boeing, Houston Chronicle, Southwest Airlines and the United Way.

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Program Degrees

• Communication B.A.

Admission Requirements

• How to Apply as a Freshman Student
• How to Apply as a Transfer Student
• How to Apply as an International Student

Program Faculty

Curriculum and Instruction

Undergraduate Degree

The undergraduate program in communication will train you for careers in corporate or public communication. Communication majors are carefully instructed in both written and visual communication. This curriculum also includes courses in the humanities, since an ingredient in a successful communication career is a broad exposure to liberal arts.

You are expected to take a communication internship in your last or next-to-last semester, typically in either the spring or fall semesters (but not in the summer). Students seeking exemption from an internship must present their reasons in a written petition to the communication faculty. The student's final semester will include a 1-credit hour portfolio review. The portfolio review, conducted by the entire communication faculty, entails a presentation of the student's best written and graphic work.

The communication degree also provides excellent preparation for graduate programs in the humanities and professional programs in law or business. Check out UHCL's graduate program in Digital Media Studies.

Career Opportunities

The Department of Labor/Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projections between now and 2018 show most jobs in the field of communication will increase between 9%–24%. Some related jobs are up even more. Examples include:

• Multi-media and animation - 14.9%
• Graphic Design - 12.9%
• Writers and Editors - 9.4%
• Photographers - 11.5%
• TV/Videographers - 10.5%
• Film/Video Editors - 11.9%
• Public Relations - 24.0%
• Market Researchers - 28.3%
• Marketing Managers - 12.9%
• Sales Managers - 12.9%
• Promotions Managers - 12.9%
• Research Analysts - 28.3%
• Survey Researchers - 30.0%
• Advertising Managers - 12.9%
• Network Systems & Data Communication Analysts - 53.0%

Student Resources

The Signal

UHCL's student newspaper, The Signal, is published seven times a semester by communication students enrolled in the Newspaper Publication class. It provides news to the campus community concerning university events and issues.

To view current, past issues and The Signal News Blog, visit The Signal web site. For more information, contact the faculty advisor, Taleen Washington, at 281-283-2572 or Washington@uhcl.edu.