Bachelor of Arts in Communication

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Stony Brook University SUNY

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Arts in Communication at Stony Brook University combines social science theory, communication research, and practical application to help students understand how communication shapes identities, cultures, relationships, and society. It is well suited for students interested in strategic communication, public relations, media, marketing, advocacy, research, or careers where strong communication and critical-thinking skills are essential.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1:

Students begin by developing a strong foundation in communication, public speaking, and interpersonal interaction through courses such as COM 100: Introduction to Communication and COM 120: Fundamentals of Public Speaking. COM 202: Intercultural Communication introduces students to communication across different cultures and social contexts, building the skills needed to communicate effectively with diverse audiences.

Year 2:

Students progress into more analytical and research-focused study through COM 206: Interpersonal Communication, COM 314: Communication Research, and COM 315: Communication Theory. These courses help students understand communication theories, conduct theoretically grounded research, and examine how communication operates in interpersonal and broader social settings.

Year 3:

Students can begin shaping the degree around their interests through advanced electives such as COM 401: Organizational Communication, COM 403: Strategic Communication, COM 407: Social Media Analytics, or COM 415: Data Analysis and Storytelling. Options such as COM 365: Communicating Science, COM 402: Crisis Communication, and COM 404: Communication for Social Change and Public Advocacy allow students to connect communication skills with professional and societal challenges.

Year 4:

In the final stage, students can consolidate their academic and professional skills through COM 351: Team Collaboration and the COM 495: Communication Senior Project, while electives such as COM 400: Advanced Communication Research, COM 414: Studies in Visual Culture, or COM 496: Internship provide opportunities for deeper research, creative work, or professional experience. The senior project gives students an opportunity to demonstrate communication, research, critical-thinking, and project-development skills.

Focus Areas:

Intercultural Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Organizational Communication, Strategic Communication, Public Speaking, Communication Research, Communication Theory, Health Communication, Science Communication, Crisis Communication, Political Communication, Risk Communication, Social Media Analytics, Data Analysis and Storytelling, Environmental Communication, Communication for Social Change and Public Advocacy.

Learning Outcomes:

Students develop the ability to understand communication and cultural identities, collaborate effectively in teams, deliver audience-centered presentations, conduct communication research, synthesize communication theories and create professional communication projects supported by critical thinking and research.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

The BA in Communication does not list a separate program-specific professional accreditation on its official program page. Stony Brook's School of Communication and Journalism does, however, provide professional preparation through internships, career support, research opportunities, and communication-focused coursework.

Reputation (Employability & Outcomes):

Stony Brook University reports that nearly 95% of its graduates are employed or continue to professional or graduate school. The university also identifies employers of Communication graduates such as NBC Universal, Fox, Charter Communications, Mashable, and Major League Baseball, demonstrating the degree's applicability across media, business, marketing, communications, and related industries.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The BA in Communication connects classroom learning with practical communication experiences through team-based coursework, internships, professional projects, research, and access to the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science. Students can apply communication theory in professional environments while receiving support from faculty, the School of Communication and Journalism, and Stony Brook's Career Center.

• COM 351: Team Collaboration — Gives students structured experience in teamwork and collaboration, with experiential learning built directly into the course.

• COM 496: Internship — Students can earn academic credit through internships and gain professional experience in communication-related settings.

• Professional Internships — Opportunities extend across traditional media, public relations, book publishing, communications, and social-media roles. Students have interned with organizations including Fox News, CBS Sports, Cosmopolitan, ABC News, MSNBC, and Newsday.

• Faculty Mentorship — Students completing internships can work with a faculty mentor who supports them through the search, application, and internship experience.

• Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science — Communication students have direct access to coursework connected with the Alan Alda Center and its Alda Method®, giving students specialized preparation in authentic, audience-focused communication, particularly valuable for students combining Communication with STEM or health sciences.

• Communication Senior Project — COM 495 — The senior project allows students to bring together communication theory, research, critical thinking, and professional project development.

• Social Media & Data Skills — Courses such as COM 407: Social Media Analytics and COM 415: Data Analysis and Storytelling provide opportunities to work with communication data, social-media analysis, and evidence-based storytelling.

• Communication Research — COM 314: Communication Research and COM 400: Advanced Communication Research provide opportunities to develop research skills that can be applied to communication, media, organizational, health, and social issues.

• Career Center & Handshake — Students can use Stony Brook's Handshake platform to search for internships and jobs, connect with employers, attend recruitment events, and access career resources.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the BA in Communication leave with transferable skills in communication, research, critical thinking, teamwork, presentation, and strategic problem-solving that can be applied across business, media, marketing, public relations, policy, and other professional fields. Stony Brook specifically highlights career pathways including account management, event planning, marketing coordination, public relations, and research, while also positioning the degree as preparation for professional or graduate study.

Typical Job Roles: Account Manager, Event Planner, Marketing Coordinator, Public Relations Professional, Research Collaborator.

These opportunities are supported by Stony Brook's career-development infrastructure and employer connections:

• Stony Brook Career Center — Provides career-development guidance, experiential-learning preparation, employment support, and connections between students, alumni, and hiring organizations.

• Handshake — Students can search for on-campus and off-campus jobs and internships, connect directly with recruiters, research employers, and participate in career fairs and recruiting events.

• Business, Communication & Journalism Job and Internship Fair — Stony Brook hosts an industry-specific recruitment fair connecting students with employers in business, communication, and journalism.

• Industry Employers — Stony Brook lists recent employers associated with Communication graduates including NBC Universal, Fox, Charter Communications, Mashable, and Major League Baseball, showing the degree's reach across media, entertainment, communications, and business.

• Graduate Outcomes — For the 2025 graduating class, Stony Brook's institutional outcomes report shows the broader Communication & Journalism school at 61% employed, 34% continuing education, and 5% other among reported outcomes. The university notes that the 2025 bachelor's outcomes dataset had a 10% response rate, so these figures should be treated as an indicative school-level snapshot rather than a BA Communication-specific placement rate.

• Employment & Salary Data — Stony Brook publishes institutional bachelor's employment-outcome and salary information, but the official sources reviewed do not provide a current BA Communication-specific salary figure. This makes it more appropriate to use the university's verified employment outcomes rather than attach a non-program-specific salary figure to the degree.

• Long-Term Professional Value — Although the BA in Communication does not list a separate program-specific accreditation, its curriculum develops broadly transferable skills in communication, research, collaboration, presentation, data interpretation, and strategic communication that remain relevant across changing industries.

• Communication + STEM/Health Sciences — Stony Brook specifically positions Communication as an effective double major or minor for STEM and health-science students, supported by the department's partnership with the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into advanced study in areas such as Communication, Journalism, Mass Communication, Strategic Communication, Science Communication, Media Studies, Public Relations, Marketing, Organizational Communication, Health Communication, or related social-science fields. At Stony Brook, relevant graduate pathways include the MS in Journalism, MS in Science Communication, and Advanced Graduate Certificate in Science Communication, allowing students to build specialized expertise after completing the bachelor's degree.