Liberal arts schools usually have a shorter list of majors and minors than sprawling universities, this can make it hard if you know exactly what you want to study and know that you want to study it at a small school. While small schools have fewer options, their options can be perfect for students looking for small class sizes and personal connections in their college experience. Not every liberal arts school has a Communications Department, but many have programs that will scratch that Comm itch. To help, we have compiled the top 10 schools (really 15, we will get to that later) that you need to be looking into if you want to study communications at a small school.
Davidson College
offers a Communication Studies Major. It’s an interdisciplinary major that covers a wide range of topics including mass communication, intercultural communication, and rhetoric. Davidson Comm students can also do pre-professional training by working as peer tutors at the Speaking Center, an on-campus resource for public speaking prep. They have a slate of interesting Comm classes that explore gender, race, and more. They also offer capstone and thesis options.
The Claremont Colleges
Ok, we know these are. Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, Pitzer, Pomona, and Scripps Colleges to be more specific. We usually wouldn’t lump this many schools together on a list, but their Intercollegiate Media Studies (IMS) major is a shared major between all of the colleges. Pretty much, thanks to the agreement between the Claremont Colleges, they offer over 80 classes in Media Studies that can be taken across the consortium. So it doesn’t matter if you go to Pomona or if you go to Pitzer, this major will be open to you. Their program explores theory, history, and practice while integrating critical studies and media production. The program also offers opportunities outside of the classroom such as research, LA-based internships, and creative projects such as video art, documentary, photography and digital imaging, and community-based and activist media.
Pepperdine
is probably the biggest school on this list, but with under 4,000 undergrads, we think it should count. Trust us, it will feel small enough. They offer several majors through their communications department including Advertising, Communication Studies, Integrated Marketing Communication, Journalism, Screen Arts, Public Relations, and Sport Administration. They also offer minors in these topics. Communication Studies is probably the most conventional path, but it is great to see how many options and tracks they offer. They have a lot of clubs and opportunities for those looking for hands-on experiences as well.
Washington and Lee
The Journalism and Mass Communications major at is a good fit for those who are especially interested in Journalism. However, there are multiple tracks in this major, and the Mass Communications track is a lot more general. They offer classes in PR and advertising as well in this major. W&L also has a Film and Visual Culture minor which pares well for those looking for more media studies in the communications route. There is also an honors track and a TV station that interested students can get involved in.
Whitman
At students interested in Comm and Media Studies can build their own major or major in Film and Media Studies. The program examines how media has shaped innovation, understanding, and communication in society. The program delves into media theory, history, production, interpretation, and criticism. While it is called Film and Media studies students learn about film, television, video games, graphic novels, online video, social networks, and more.
Macalester College
offers the Media and Cultural Studies major. The major is designed to teach students how to analyze the poetics, politics, and production of media. The production side is especially interesting at Macalester given they house an Interdisciplinary Media Lab which allows students to produce multimedia projects on campus. They also offer a media studies minor which is closely tied to this ten-course major.
Bucknell
approaches communications a bit differently. They offer a major in Comparative & Digital Humanities. It is related to communications but is a pretty unique approach to the field. The major is also very flexible with only a few required courses and a lot of freedom to make your own path and schedule. The program has students learn critical thinking, relations skills, and communications knowledge. The major is on the new side and is built to be on the cutting edge of new trends in the field.
Barnard
Barnard maybe shouldn’t be on this list for the simple fact that they do not have a communications-based major. However, Barnard students are allowed to take Columbia classes and majors. So if you want the small, all-girls school experience that Barnard offers but are interested in Media Studies, you will actually be studying it at Columbia University. TLDR: offers the Film and Media Studies BA and as a Barnard student, you can major in that. The major does lean towards film more than other communications degrees on this list but also allows students to look at new media communications.
Mount Holyoke
has the Journalism, Media, and Public Discourse nexus. This program aims to produce students who are creative, flexible thinkers with superior writing and analytical capabilities. The nexus draws from a lot of different departments including Anthropology, Art History, English, Critical Social Thought, Film, and more. They have some truly interesting electives such as Anthropology of Media, Colloquium: 'Reading the New York Times: Journalism, Power, History,’ Collective Behavior and Social Movements, and Advanced Courses in History and Theory: 'Media and Surveillance.’
Vassar
offers the Media Studies program. It’s an interdepartmental major and has students learn about media from multiple viewpoints. They look at everything from films to social media through a global and interdisciplinary lens. They offer classes like Chinese Popular Culture, Modern Art and the Mass Media: the New Public Sphere, After 1968: Sustainable Aesthetics, and Media Industries: Fox and Disney to name a few. They also offer independent study courses and a senior project class.
Small liberal arts schools offer a lot of community. Small classes, hands-on professors, there is a lot to love about going to a small school. They aren’t right for every student, but if they are right for you, they are right for you. While small schools typically mean fewer majors, many schools offer communications or communications-related majors. Many of these majors can be very flexible for students who want to make their own niche. If this sounds like you, you can’t go wrong with these top-tier liberal arts communications programs.
Need help finding the small school right for you? Reach out here.