BA or BS in Communication

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Kentucky

Program Overview

The University of Kentucky’s Bachelor’s Degree in Communication prepares students to design, manage and evaluate communication across interpersonal, organizational, media and public settings, making it a strong choice for careers in business, health, sports, media and other industries. Students can choose between BA and BS pathways and customize their studies through five tracks: Sport Communication, Business and Organizational Communication, Health Communication, Digital and Mass Communication, and Human Communication.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1: Students establish their communication foundation through courses such as COM 101: Introduction to Communications and COM 252: Introduction Interpersonal Communication, while completing UK Core requirements. This stage develops fundamental skills in communication, interpersonal interaction, writing and critical thinking that support more specialized study later in the degree.

Year 2: Students begin connecting communication theory with media, culture and specialized contexts through courses such as COM 249: Mass Media/Mass Culture and COM 312: Intercultural Communication in the Media. Depending on their selected pathway, students can also begin courses such as COM 315: Understanding Workplace Communication or COM 311: Patient-Provider Communication, allowing the curriculum to align with their career interests.

Year 3: Students move into advanced and career-focused communication study. Digital and Mass Communication students can explore COM 352: Interpersonal Communication and Social Media, COM 453: Digital and Mass Media Literacy, and COM 449: Social Processes and Effects of Mass Communication, while Health Communication students can take COM 471: Introduction to Health Communication and COM 482: Studies in Persuasion.

Year 4: Senior-year coursework allows students to deepen their specialization through advanced communication and cognate courses. Digital and Mass Communication students, for example, study COM 553: Media Theory and Criticism, while Business and Organizational Communication students can progress into COM 400+ coursework and specialized organizational communication study.

Focus Areas:

Sport Communication, Business and Organizational Communication, Health Communication, Digital and Mass Communication, Human Communication, interpersonal communication, organizational communication, social media, media literacy, health campaigns, persuasion, leadership, negotiation, crisis communication and communication research.

Learning Outcomes:

Students develop the ability to communicate effectively in written, oral, interpersonal and digital formats, understand how communication influences individuals and organizations, evaluate communication processes, apply communication theories to real-world situations, analyze audiences and media, conduct research, and design communication strategies for professional environments.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

The Communication program is housed within the University of Kentucky’s College of Communication and Information. The university’s official program information does not identify a separate professional accreditation specifically for the Communication bachelor’s degree, so no program-specific accreditation is claimed here.

Reputation (Employability & Recognition):

The College of Communication and Information brings together the Department of Communication, School of Journalism and Media, Department of Integrated Strategic Communication and School of Information Science, with more than 2,300 undergraduate majors supported by nearly 100 full-time faculty across the college. The Communication program also offers an online option, giving students additional flexibility in how they pursue the degree.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students can turn communication theory into practical experience through internships, professional projects, career events and access to modern communication and media facilities. The Department of Communication offers COM 399: Internship in Communication, where students work with an organization under professional supervision and connect communication concepts to real workplace situations; the wider College of Communication and Information also provides access to production spaces and industry-facing experiences.

• COM 399: Internship in Communication: Eligible Communication majors can earn academic credit through supervised professional internships, with students applying communication theories to their workplace experience and completing reflective academic work.

• Communication Career & Internship Fair: College of Communication and Information career events connect students with organizations from Kentucky and across the United States seeking communication, information, journalism and media talent.

• Spectrum Studio: The 20,000-square-foot production and learning/research laboratory provides access to two broadcast studios, mirrored control rooms, a video podcast studio, newsroom/classroom spaces, a 24-foot LED wall, cyclorama wall and robotic cameras. The facility is a collaboration between UK’s College of Communication and Information, UK Athletics and JMI Sports.

• LEX Studios Industry Visit: Students can participate in College of Communication and Information site visits to professional production facilities such as LEX Studios, giving them direct exposure to the media and production industry.

• Professional Communication Internships: Internship opportunities include roles involving strategic communication, crisis communication, social media campaigns, event planning, content creation, marketing and public affairs, allowing students to apply communication skills in different professional settings.

• Digital Content Experience: Internship opportunities can involve social-media content, graphic design, video creation, marketing campaigns and digital communication, helping students build practical portfolios alongside their academic work.

• Resumania Career Workshop: The College provides resume-focused workshops designed to help students strengthen their professional materials before internship and career fairs.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Communication degree is intentionally broad, allowing graduates to move into careers across business, marketing, health, sports, media, human resources and organizational communication. The five-track structure lets students build a focused academic profile while retaining the flexibility of a communication degree, with the university specifically identifying careers such as communications specialist, campaign strategist, sports communication specialist, HR/recruitment professional, communication analyst and crisis communication specialist.

Typical career roles: Communications Specialist, Marketing & Sales Professional, Human Resources/Recruitment Specialist, Communication Consultant.

Students can strengthen their transition from university to employment through several UK opportunities:

• Career and Internship Support: The College of Communication and Information provides career coordination, internship opportunities, employer events and resume-development activities designed specifically for students preparing for communication-related careers.

• Real-World Internship Experience: COM 399 allows students to work under communication professionals and apply communication theories to actual organizational challenges, giving them experience they can discuss with future employers.

• Industry Connections: Students can encounter organizations across communication, media, government, nonprofit and commercial environments through the college’s internship listings and career events. Examples include opportunities involving Apple, Lexington Fire Department, American Cancer Society, Fayette County Public Schools and Lexington Children’s Museum.

• Career-Relevant Digital Skills: Communication graduates can build experience with social media, digital content, marketing, event communication and design-related tasks, skills reflected in current communication-focused internship and employment opportunities.

• Graduation Flexibility: Students can choose between BA and BS pathways and five specialized tracks, allowing them to shape their degree toward communication careers in areas such as health, business, sport, digital media or human communication.

• Online Study Option: The university officially lists an online option available for the Communication bachelor’s degree, giving students another format for completing the program.

• Employment and Salary Data: The current official Communication program page lists career destinations but does not publish a program-specific graduate employment rate or average starting salary. Therefore, a specific employment percentage or salary figure should not be presented as a University of Kentucky Communication outcome.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into advanced study in Communication, Strategic Communication, Integrated Strategic Communication, Media, Organizational Communication, Health Communication and related fields. The University of Kentucky also offers graduate-level Communication study, providing a natural pathway for students who want to deepen their expertise in communication research, theory or professional practice.