The Department of Communication Arts:
Communication Arts is in the College of the Arts along with the Departments of Music and Art.
The Department of Communication Arts is a multidisciplinary department with the academic disciplines of Speech Communication, Intercultural Communication, Organizational Communication, Public Relations, Theatre, Dance, Mass Media, and Broadcast Journalism.
The programs in the department are designed to give the student the basic knowledge, skills, and values that build on the foundation provided by the University Core Curriculum and are required for professional careers in theatre performance and management, radio and television, public relations, personnel management, public presentation, and dance. Moreover, the department’s programs stress the importance of critical thinking skills, an appreciation for diverse cultural perspectives, and the application of knowledge to the specific areas found in the department.
Valdosta State University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Theatre. The Public Relations program is certified by the Public Relations Society of America.
The Speech Communication Area and the Mass Media Area have a minimum GPA standard for transfer into those majors, and students in those areas must maintain the minimum GPA to continue as majors in the program. (See the program pages for more information.)
Physically we are located principally in Nevins Hall and in the Fine Arts Building. The departmental office is in Nevins Hall along with the faculty offices for faculty in speech communication and most of the mass media faculty. We also have several classrooms, a speaking lab, a debate squad room, and a computer lab in this building.
The theatre faculty and some mass media faculty have offices in the Fine Arts Building. This building is equipped with classrooms, laboratories, television studios, the Sawyer Theatre, the Lab Theatre, a speech lab, and faculty offices.
We also have classrooms, a dance studio, and faculty offices in the University Center.
The new BFA Degree in Dance will be effective Fall 2007. Students interested in being accepted into this program must must attend a dance majors audition. There is also a mandatory audition to become a musical theatre emphasis major under the BFA in Theatre.
The Department programs lead to three Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees:
- Bachelor of Fine Arts in Speech Communication with emphases in Public Relations, Organizational Communication, Intercultural Communication, and General Speech
- Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre with emphases in Traditional Theatre Performance, Technical Theatre Production, and Musical Theatre
- Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance with training in performance, dance education and choreography.
- Bachelor of Fine Arts in Mass Media with emphases in Audio, Video, International Documentary Production, and Broadcast Journalism
We also support minors in Dance, Mass Media, Speech Communication, and Theatre Arts.
The Department supports several organizations and activities:
- A seven-production Theatre Season on campus
- The Peach State Summer Theatre
- VSU Dance Club
- VSU TV, Cable Channel 11 in Valdosta
- WVVS 90.9 FM (the student station)
- Lambda Pi Eta, The honorary society in Communication
- Alpha Psi Omega, The honorary Fraternity in Theatre
- The VSU Debate Team
- The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA)
- The National Broadcasting Society and AERho
You can write to us at:
Dept. of Communication Arts
College of the Arts
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, GA 31698 E-mail: ccates@valdosta.edu
Phone: (229) 333-5820
FAX: (229) 293-6182