The different ways in which people speak and communicate with each other via the spoken word is just one of the things that students study in Bachelor’s in Communications programs in Maryland. They also look at the other methods and techniques of communicating, including the way people respond to each other in physical ways and the ways in which they use the written word. Students can actually develop the skills needed to work in journalism careers as they write for the media. These programs prepare students for working in the business field and using their communications skills with employees and coworkers.
Read here first: Bachelor’s in Communications Programs in Maryland (A-M)
Notre Dame of Maryland University
Programs
Notre Dame of Maryland University is a private university in Baltimore. It is one of the only schools for women in the state. When originally founded, the university wanted to offer female students the same opportunities that male students had on other campuses. Though the university enrolls more students today than it did in its early years, it still keeps its class sizes low. Most communications majors take classes that feature fewer than 20 other students. Notre Dame of Maryland University also offers flexible programs that work around the schedules of adult learners and other nontraditional students enrolling each year.
Corporate Communication
Students looking at Bachelor’s in Communications programs in Maryland who have business experience or want to work in the business field will find the corporate communication program that Notre Dame of Maryland University offers appealing. This program trains students for working in public administration, customer service, sales, marketing and technology roles. Students can take classes in related disciplines, including business, media arts, digital media arts and computer information systems. The university encourages students to participate in clubs and organizations like the campus newspaper and radio station to practice the communication skills they developed before they graduate.
Accreditation
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
Contact
4701 North Charles Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21210
(410) 435-0100
Salisbury University
Academic Programs
Students studying communications at Salisbury University may find more opportunities than they would in other Bachelor’s in Communications programs in Maryland. The university is home to a branch of the national honors society for communications majors and branches of both the Public Relations Student Society of America and the National Broadcasting Society. Students can work for the newspaper and other publications on the campus and gain practical experience, which will count towards the practicums that they need to do. The university can also help students secure internships working for major companies and organizations like Disney, the Baltimore Orioles and local television stations.
Communication Arts
Salisbury University has its own Integrated Media Center, which is more than 18,000 square feet in size. Also called the IMC, this building serves as the focal point of its communication arts degree program. Considered one of the top Bachelor’s in Communications programs in Maryland, the program allows students to learn more about radio broadcasting and both audio and video productions. The university hosts a few forums every year that tell students more about the internships available to them. Salisbury University encourages students to attend these sessions and to work with their advisers to find internships in their later years.
Accreditation
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
Contact
1101 Camden Ave.
Salisbury, MD 21801
(410) 543-6000
Stevenson University
Undergraduate Programs
Stevenson University offers one of the only Bachelor’s in Communications programs in Maryland that allow students to work on a graduate degree while in the undergrad program. This option is open to all communications majors. They can apply for the program at the end of their junior years and start taking graduate classes in the fall. It allows students to take courses for both graduate and undergraduate course credit. Once they make the transition to the graduate program, they only need to complete one more year of study to finish a master’s degree in communications, business or a related field.
Business Communication
All incoming freshmen must take a seminar in their first semesters, which provides them with tips on healthy study habits and general health and safety tips. Stevenson offers a business communication major that requires students take 16 credits of business classes and 31 credits of communications courses. Communications courses in the program include Business and Professional Communication, New Media Communication, Organizational Communication and Conflict Resolution and Negotiation. Students will also take a course that goes over the internship opportunities available to them and what they need to do to get course credit for an internship. The university requires that students do an internship to graduate.
Accreditation
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
Contact
100 Campus Circle
Owings Mills, MD, 21117
(877) 468-6852
Towson University
Department of Mass Communication and Communication Studies
The communication studies program available through Towson University looks at three different areas of communications. Graduates will learn now to commission with others through the written world, how to communicate effectively through verbal methods and how to analyze communications methods. It also offers a combined degree program in both communication studies and political science. As one of the more unique Bachelor’s in Communications programs in Maryland, this combined program trains students for working in political positions. Graduates may find work as political analysts, campaign organizers, speechwriters or bloggers and non-fiction authors.
Communication Studies Major
Students majoring in communication studies at Towson take courses to help them understand the role of communication in the modern world. Other courses teach them how to analyze any information presented to them and allow them to develop strong critical thinking skills. Video labs and audio labs on the campus offer opportunities for students who want to develop more practical skills, and they can also gain journalism experience as part of the campus newspaper and other publications. Towson encourages students to learn through all the opportunities available to them, which includes study abroad programs that take students to cities around the world every year.
Accreditation
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
Contact
8000 York Road
Towson, MD 21252
(410) 704-2000
University of Baltimore
Undergraduate Majors
The University of Baltimore is one of the top public schools of higher education in the city. It is home to one of the only communications programs in the state that emphasizes the importance of digital communication, which refers to the methods that people use to communicate with each other in the modern world, including online and through electronic devices. Many students maintain an active presence on social media sites and connect with their peers through those sites. Some of the graduates of this program work in public relations and promotions and work with both individual clients as well as major corporations.
Digital Communication
One of the more modern Bachelor’s in Communications programs in Maryland is the digital communication major available from the University of Baltimore. It features core classes that include The Rhetoric of Digital Communication, Media Literacy and Research Methods in Communications. Students will also need to take a literature course, which helps them compare older literature to modern media and an advanced writing course that allows them to sharpen their writing skills. Some of the other classes that students can take include Technology in the Arts, Topics in Speech Communications, Baltimore in the Media and Arts and Society.
Accreditation
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
Contact
1415 Maryland Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 837-5358
University of Maryland Baltimore County
Media and Communication Studies
The University of Maryland Baltimore County, also known as UMBC, gained public attention in 2018 when its men’s basketball team pulled off a surprising upset in the NCAA tournament after beating the top seed in the tournament. Not only did that win bring attention to the school, but it led to an almost instant increase in the number of applications submitted by prospective students. Incoming students can earn a Media and Communication Studies Bachelor of Arts degree through the university. UMBC also offers an undergrad certificate for those who want to study communications but earn a degree in another subject.
MCS Bachelor of Arts
UMBC introduced a new curriculum in 2018 for all incoming communication majors. The program now features a core of communications classes that are worth 25 credits and six credits of electives. Students will also need to take general education classes. Many of the electives that are available in this program are more unique than those available through other Bachelor’s in Communications programs in Maryland. Some of the more popular electives include Contemporary Black Popular Culture, What is an American?, Ethnographic Film and Mixed Media Book Arts. Students will also take courses to learn about applied communications, critical media studies and intercultural communication.
Accreditation
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
Contact
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250
(410) 455-1000
University of Maryland
Department of Communication
The largest public university in Maryland is the University of Maryland, which has its headquarters in College Park. Though the university oversees other schools and campus in its system, its undergraduate program in communication is available through its flagship campus. The Department of Communication is responsible for this program. New students receive an adviser upon declaring a major in communications, and that adviser will guide them through the process of registering for classes and ensure that they meet all the requirements needed to graduate. Those requirements come from both the university itself and from the department.
Undergraduate Program in Communication
Communication majors can sign up for the university’s internship program after taking at least eight prerequisites and gain some experience working in a field or industry relating to communications. Advisers and others working for the program select students for the honors program each year too, which offer unique opportunities for students with strong skills and high grades. Courses in this program, which ranks among the top Bachelor’s in Communications programs in Maryland, are available at the 100, 200, 300 and 400 levels. Some of the classes that communication majors can take include Introduction to Interpersonal Communication, Small Group Discussion and Public Relations Theory.
Accreditation
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
Contact
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
(301) 405-1000
University of Maryland University College
Bachelor’s Degrees
The University of Maryland University College, better known as UMUC, offers programs designed for busy students like adult learners. Its top programs are available online and allow students to earn a degree while living anywhere in the world. Both of the communications programs available through the university are available as online or hybrid programs. Hybrid programs give local students the chance to take one or more classes on its campus in Largo. UMUC offers affordable tuition rates for Maryland residents and low rates for nonresidents. The university even offers a discounted rate for military students.
Communication Studies Bachelor’s Degree
One of the two Bachelor’s in Communications programs in Maryland available through UMUC is a bachelor’s degree in communication studies. Though it requires that students complete 120 credits, the program allows students to transfer up to 90 credits earned from any other accredited college or university. The program features required classes like Mass Communication and Media Studies, Communication and Gender, Writing for Managers and Public Relations Theory. It features a seminar on communication theories that students will take in their senior years. Students will also need to take general education courses and 46 credits of electives that can include classes taken in their minors.
Graphic Communication Bachelor’s Degree
UMUC also offers a degree program in graphic communication that allows students to focus on modern forms of technology and how technology allows people to communicate with each other. In addition to electives and general education classes, students will also need to take 11 classes that make up the graphic communication core. This core is worth 33 credits and includes courses such as Typography and Layout, Motion Graphics, Introduction to Graphic Communication and Intermediate Drawing. Students also take a course that teaches them how to create portfolios of their work and a second class that lets them work on those portfolios.
Accreditation
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
Contact
1616 McCormick Drive,
Largo, MD 20774
(855) 655-8682
Washington Adventist University
Department of Business & Communications
Washington Adventist University is a private and religiously affiliated university in Takoma Park, Maryland. Unlike other schools that offer Bachelor’s in Communications programs in Maryland with a focus solely on communications, WAU offers a program that combines business and communications. The university designed this program to meet the growing need for trained communicators in businesses around the world. Students have the chance to volunteer and help the Peace Corps and other nonprofit organizations, but students can also choose to do internships in and around Maryland. Practical experience is available through clubs and other activities on the campus too.
Public Communication BA
All Public Communication BA students will need to do an internship and keep track of some of the work they do. They will present that work in the form of a portfolio to share their experiences with their advisers and other faculty who will determine the number of credits they get for that work. This program is available with a focus on public communication or with a concentration in intercultural communication. Students can minor in a field such as public relations too. The department has its own lab that helps students gain experience in video production, doing research on the web and writing.
Accreditation
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
Contact
7600 Flower Ave.
Takoma Park, MD 20912
(800) 835-4212
Communications programs now include courses on interpersonal communications and media communications, which gives students the skills they need to work in almost any industry. Graduates of the top Bachelor’s in Communications programs in Maryland can find work in Baltimore, Washington DC and other major cities across the country.