College graduates who want to work in any industry in the Tar Heel State often earn their degrees from the top Bachelor’s in Communications programs in North Carolina. North Carolina is home to tiny towns that sit right along the coast and major inland cities such as Charlotte. Students can work in the Research Triangle after they finish college too. Some students even work for NASCAR, which has its headquarters in the state. Communications programs give students the chance to improve their oral and written skills as they take classes and compete in extracurricular activities, including college newspapers and forensic clubs.
First, see: Bachelor’s in Communications Programs in North Carolina (A-G)
High Point University
Nido R. Qubein School of Communication
U.S. News and World Report ranked High Point University as one of the best regional colleges in the south for 2018 and also ranked it as one of the most innovative colleges in the nation that same year. It is one of the only schools in North Carolina with its own school of communication too. The Nido R. Qubein School of Communication offers eight different degree programs and sees more than 700 students take classes every year. Many students choose to take courses from some of the other majors, including sport communication, popular culture, and media production and journalism.
Strategic Communication Major
High Point University, sometimes called just High Point, offers several minors for communications majors. They can minor in journalism, documentary media, sport management or event management. As one of the top Bachelor’s in Communications programs in North Carolina, it helps students transition into a graduate program and find out about job opportunities if they don’t want to go to grad school. Students take 12 credits of required courses and 32 credits of required classes. High Point University offers classes such as Persuasion and Critical Analysis, Message Development in Health and Nonprofit, Message Development in Advertising and Foundations in Strategic Communications.
Accreditation
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCC)
Contact
One University Parkway
High Point, NC 27268
(800) 345-6993
Johnson C Smith University
Academics
Johnson C Smith University offers one of the only Bachelor’s in Communications programs in North Carolina that is available in Charlotte. Sometimes called the Motor Sports Capital of the World, Charlotte is home to some of the top racing teams in the world and is close to the shops owned and operated by other teams. Students in this program have the chance to do internships with any of those teams and to learn more about what NASCAR advertising and public relations crews do. The university encourages students to do internships with any local or national company that interests them too.
Communication Arts
The communication arts major available from Johnson C Smith University allows students to choose from five different concentrations that will supplement their learning. Those in the video production concentration focus on what happens behind the scenes and learn how to edit and produce video content, while those in the public relations concentration focus more on PR campaign basics. There are also concentrations in audio production, journalism and graphic design available for communication arts majors. The university expects majors in all concentrations to take some of the same courses, including Journalism and Graphic Design, Intercultural Communication and Integrated Marketing Communications.
Accreditation
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCC)
Contact
100 Beatties Ford Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28216
(704) 378-1000
Lees-McRae College
Communication Arts & Design
Every professor working for Lees-McRae College in its communication arts and design program and department have terminal degrees in their fields. Many of these professors worked on Hollywood films and television shows that shot in North Carolina and other southern states. More than 80% of students who graduated from the program within the last six years found work in a communications field within six months of earning their degrees. The college allows students to focus their studies on the communication arts and to pick a concentration based on where they hope to work in the future.
Communication Arts and Design
One of the best Bachelor’s in Communications programs in North Carolina for students who also want to study art is the Lees-McRae College program. One of the concentrations available is in studio arts. Students in this program have the chance to work with their hands and create artwork as they study communications. They can also learn more about the new and emerging media art forms. Those in the creative marketing program can develop strong business and marketing skills as they work with real clients. The college also offers a communication arts concentration for students who want to focus more on communications.
Accreditation
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCC)
Contact
191 Main St.
Banner Elk, NC 28604
(828) 898-241
Lenoir-Rhyne University
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Students can really get to know Lenoir-Rhyne University and learn more about its multimedia communication major and its School of Journalism and Mass Communication before they apply. The university has Facebook pages for this school. Prospective students can visit that page to learn more about some of the top upcoming events and to see what students do on a daily basis. They can also visit the Facebook page for the university’s debate team. This team is popular among communications majors because it helps them hone their public speaking skills as they compete in events both in and outside of North Carolina.
Multimedia Communication Major
The multimedia communication major offered by Lenoir-Rhyne University allows students to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. It includes 54 credits of core classes such as Editing and Design, Media Writing I and II, Media Law and Argumentation and Advocacy. The university also expects students to take a practicum course and do some real work on its campus. This is one of the only Bachelor’s in Communications programs in North Carolina with a practicum component. The university offers various electives in different areas of multimedia studies too, including Introduction to Public Relations, Newspaper Production and Audio and Studio Production.
Accreditation
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCC)
Contact
625 7th Ave. NE
Hickory, NC 28601
(828) 328-1741
Meredith College
Communication
U.S. News and World Report, Forbes and Princeton Review all rank Meredith College as one of the nation’s best colleges. It offers small class sizes and features professors who have terminal degrees in communications and similar fields. This is one of the only Bachelor’s in Communications programs in North Carolina that requires students to do an internship too. They will work for a company or an organization for a full semester and spend at least 120 hours doing fieldwork. Meredith College can place students in major nonprofits and private companies such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Time Warner Cable.
Communication
Communications majors attending Meredith College can pick from three concentrations: public relations, interpersonal communication or mass communication. The college expects students to take at least 18 credits of classes from that concentration in addition to taking general education and core courses. Some classes are only available in the fall, but other courses are available several times a year. All majors must take Introduction to Communication Studies and Public Speaking, which asks them to do several speeches in front of their peers. Other classes include Introduction to Mass Communication, Small Group Communication, PR Law and The Oral Interpretation of Literature.
Accreditation
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCC)
Contact
3800 Hillsborough St.
Raleigh, NC 27607-5298
(919) 760-8600
Methodist University
Academics
Located in Fayetteville, Methodist University has a convenient location near several other college campuses. Fayetteville is a college town that is home to many shops and businesses that cater to college students. Methodist University is a private university affiliated with the Methodist Church. It allows students to spend time with others who have the same interests and religious beliefs as they do. This university also has a strong reputation for its communication degree programs. It actually offers four of the top Bachelor’s in Communications programs in North Carolina. Students can choose the one they find the most appealing.
Applied Communication
Applied communication is a field of study that focuses on putting the principles and skills that students learn into actual practice. Not only does it help students learn more about the most effective ways of speaking with others, but it can also help them enhance their public speaking skills and learn the best ways to use the written word. Students will take 36 semester hours of classes, which will include some concentration courses. Methodist offers concentrations for applied communication majors in health communication, public affairs communication, and organizational communication and leadership. Students can also complete a minor in leadership communication.
Leadership Communication
The university designed a leadership communication program for students who want to study communications who also plan on working in leadership roles. Graduates will know how to run an entire department for a small business or a large corporation and how to both lead and inspire others in the field. This program is available for military students and allows them to earn credits for some of their past military experience. All other students will take 12 semester hours of required classes and 18 semester hours of communication electives. Speech Communication and Principles of Leadership are two of the program’s required classes.
Mass Communication
Methodist University offers a mass communication bachelor’s program designed for students who want to work with the public or with large groups of people. The professors working in this program encourage students to draw on their past experiences and to use their backgrounds in their classes. Students must do at least one internship, but they can do one in journalism, radio or television and multimedia. Each of those fields corresponds to the concentrations available in this program. Methodist allows students to take some unique communication courses in fields such as digital and web production as well as animation.
Organizational Communication
One of the other communications degree programs in North Carolina that is available from Methodist University is a BA program in Organizational Communication. Many students join the university’s debate team, which allows them to use their argumentation skills in practice sessions and competitions against other schools. A large number of students also take public affairs and policy classes. This program asks students to do an internship and also gives them the chance to do a separate project for course credit. Organizational communication majors will also take courses such as Interpersonal Conflict Management, Interpersonal Communication and Introduction to Argumentation and Debate.
Accreditation
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCC)
Contact
5400 Ramsey Street
Fayetteville, NC 28311
(910) 630-7000
Montreat College
Academics
One of the only Bachelor’s in Communications programs in North Carolina that allows students to study the theater is the Montreat College program. Theatre is just one of the concentrations available for students. It allows them to gain some actual experience on the stage as they perform in front of others. Students can also select concentrations in public relations, digital media production, journalism or general communications. The college also offers immersive programs for students who want to learn more without sitting in a classroom. These programs take place away from the Montreat campus, both in and outside of the US.
Communication Major
Montreat College offers one of the only communications programs in the state that encourages students to create their own art and pieces. They can take photography classes and learn how to shoot their subjects, but they can also take acting and writing classes. Students can even take courses on digital art and learn how to use multimedia tools in the modern era. Many students work for either the college newspaper or its literary journal. Communication majors must take at least 43 credits of communication and concentration courses, which can include Communication Research Methods, Media Studies, and Rhetoric and Public Speaking.
Accreditation
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCC)
Contact
310 Gaither Circle
P.O. Box 1267
Montreat, NC 28757
(828) 669-8012
North Carolina A & T State University
Academics
Both the College of Education and the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at North Carolina A & T State University offer communications programs today. When initially founded, the university served as a school that offered both agricultural and technical programs that helped students fill some of the open jobs in North Carolina and other parts of the south. The university now offers dozens of possible majors and some organizations designed for communications majors. Students can join a national public relations agency or work for the different forms of university media.
Speech Studies and Speech Pathology
The College of Education at North Carolina A & T State University offers a speech studies/speech pathology program designed for students who want to work with others who have language disorders or problems. Students can earn a BA in Communication Studies with a concentration in speech or a BA in Speech/Language Pathology and Audiology, which helps them learn more about speech patterns and human development. Both programs take four years to complete. North Carolina A & T offers internships that allow students to work with patients who need speech therapy and other help before they graduate.
Journalism and Mass Communication
North Carolina A & T also offers a BA program in Journalism and Mass Communication, which is available through its College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. This is one of the top Bachelor’s in Communications programs in North Carolina for students who want to hone their writing skills and learn more about sharing information with the general public. The university routinely changes the courses that are available to make sure that students learn about emerging subjects. Students will take a range of classes, including Interactive Communication in the Digital World, Current Issues in Mass Communication and Women and Media.
Accreditation
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCC)
Contact
1601 E. Market St.
Greensboro, NC 27411
(336) 334-7500
North Carolina Central University
College of Arts and Sciences
Students attending North Carolina Central University have access to a number of different opportunities that allow them to practice the skills they learned in their classes. Campus Echo is the university’s newspaper, which is available in a print edition and online. The newspaper won a variety of awards over the years. Students can also work for The Voice, which is a collaborative newspaper produced by several different schools in the area. Also called NCCU and North Carolina Central, the university offers one of the best Bachelor’s in Communications programs in North Carolina with a focus on mass communication.
Mass Communication
Though students at North Carolina Central can minor in mass communication, they can also major in the subject and choose from various concentrations. The broadcast media concentration is best for those who want to work in any area of the media such as television production or social media. There is also a communication studies concentration available for students who want to hone their oral and written skills and a journalism concentration for those who want to write. NCCU requires that students earn a “C” or higher in select required courses. If they score lower, they will need to retake that class.
Accreditation
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCC)
Contact
1801 Fayetteville St.
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 530-6100
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Department of Communication
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a branch of NCSU located in the large city of Raleigh. It has a great location inside the Research Triangle, which makes it easy for students to find jobs near the campus as well as internships. This is one of the only schools in the state that offers both a graduate and a doctoral program in communications. Its doctoral program is a joint effort that allows students to study different areas of the English language. The university’s undergraduate program in communications features several concentration options for students, including public relations and communication media.
Bachelor of Arts in Communication
One of the only Bachelor’s in Communications programs in North Carolina with a concentration in interpersonal, organizational and rhetorical communication is the North Carolina State University at Raleigh program. This concentration focuses more on how people work together and share their thoughts. Students only need to take four courses to complete any of the available concentrations. The university also offers a program designed for those who want to attend graduate school and continue studying communications. Those students can apply to this special program in their junior years. If accepted, they can begin taking graduate communications courses before finishing a bachelor’s degree.
Accreditation
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCC)
Contact
201 Winston Hall
Campus Box 8104
Raleigh, NC 27695
(919) 515-9736
Pfeiffer University
Undergraduate Programs
Pfeiffer University offers one of the top Bachelor’s in Communications programs in North Carolina because it provides students with so many different learning opportunities. In addition to the required classes, the program includes an internship and a concentration. Students must take classes that relate to one of those concentrations and do internships that provide them with more practical experience. The university can help students decide where they want to work and with who they want to work. Former students worked for popular nonprofits in the state and for different production houses that create film and television content.
Bachelor of Arts in Communication
Unlike other colleges that use credit hours, Pfeiffer University uses semester hours. Communications majors must take 24 semester hours of required classes, including Communication Technology, Media Writing, Theories of Communication and Communication Ethics. They will also take Research Methods, which is a class that teaches them how to conduct research at the college level. This prepares students for their Senior Capstone too. Pfeiffer also expects students to do an internship and take at least nine semester hours of concentration classes. The university awards students credit for the work they do on the campus newspaper as a writer or editor also.
Accreditation
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCC)
Contact
48380 US-52
Misenheimer, NC 28109
(800) 338-2060
The Tar Heel State is full of opportunities for students who majored in communications in college. Those students might work for a Fortune 500 company or for a local race team. They can form some professionals connections in any of those fields through the Bachelor’s in Communications programs in North Carolina.
Continue here: Bachelor’s in Communications Programs in North Carolina (Q-Z)