Communication

Communication is a fundamental social and cultural process, one that’s essential to human interaction and learning. The UMass Amherst Department of Communication emphasizes theories of communication and critical thinking. As a Communication major, you’ll develop analytical abilities that help you understand how communication works, whether in an argument between friends, a political speech, communication through social media or the web, cross-cultural interactions, or a film or television program.

Undergraduate program options include a Bachelor’s degree and a certificate in Media Literacy.

Featured Articles

Introduction to Academic Works from SBS

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Pre-Law Advising at UMass Amherst

News & Articles

Connect with the Pre-Law Advising Office

 

By Rebecca Bell
Rebecca Bell Director of High Impact Program Initiatives, Career and Professional Development for SBS
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Communication alum George Smith Jr.’02, Director of Digital Marketing, Remy Cointreau USA

News & Articles

George Smith Jr. is a social superstar.

Drawing on the diversity of his UMass Amherst education, George has used his social media expertise to help global brands engage with customers.  Here he is, in his own words.

https://profiles.umass.edu/video/george-smith-jr?_ga=2.46282151.1491725845.1601314529-1068933627.1509646283

By Carol Sharick
Carol Sharick Exec. Director of Career and Professional Development, SBS
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Explore Outcomes

The SBS Office of Career & Professional Development annually surveys graduating seniors in order to provide a snapshot of their post-graduation plans.  The survey begins just prior to graduation, and continues until six months after graduation.  Our data collection process is guided by the industry standard put forth by the National Association of Colleges & Employers, and includes information collected by the SBS Office of Career & Professional Development, the Office of Institutional Research at UMass Amherst, and by various academic departments, as well as from information that is made publicly available by students. The SBS undergraduate outcomes knowledge rate for 2025 was 71%, though knowledge rate varies among departments.

The SBS Office of Career & Professional Development annually surveys graduating seniors in order to provide a snapshot of their post-graduation plans.  The survey begins just prior to graduation, and continues until six months after graduation.  Our data collection process is guided by the industry standard put forth by the National Association of Colleges & Employers, and includes information collected by the SBS Office of Career & Professional Development, the Office of Institutional Research at UMass Amherst, and by various academic departments, as well as from information that is made publicly available by students. The SBS undergraduate outcomes knowledge rate for 2025 was 71%, though knowledge rate varies among departments.

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First Destination

SBS graduates pursue a range of plans after graduation, including employment, continuing education, and volunteering/service, among others.  This graph depicts what recent SBS graduates tell us they are doing within six months after graduation.

Featured Alumni

Casey Lyons’19 Communication

Alumni
  • Boston, MA
  • Marketing Coordinator The Boston Globe Companies
Meet Casey

Amaya Morris’24, Communication & Journalism

Alumni
  • Charlestown, MA
  • Account Coordinator, Public Relations The Castle Group
Meet Amaya

Bridget Thom’18, Communication

Alumni
  • Sales Capture Specialist Accenture

Dianna Bronchuk’16, Communication & Sociology

Alumni
  • Chief of Staff Boston Distirct 5 City Councilor Enrique Pepén
Meet Dianna

Vinayak Rao’15, Communication

Alumni
  • San Francisco, CA
  • Aptos Labs
Meet Vinayak

Ella Khorov’19, STPEC & Communication

Alumni
  • Washington, DC
  • Senior Policy Advisor Office of U.S. Congressman Tony Cardenas
Meet Ella

Lucia Castellana’13 Communication

Alumni
  • Boston, MA
  • Supervisor - Paid Social Mediahub Global
Meet Lucia

Emily Smith’02 Communication

Alumni
  • New York, NY
  • Head of Creative & Digital Strategy - Creators League Studios PepsiCo
Meet Emily
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Featured Resources

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Skill-Building With Linkedin Learning Classes

See below for skill-building classes – visit LinkedIn Learning for more.

Build a Successful Career in Project Management

Taught by Oliver Yarbrough
Do you want to get into project management? Maybe you’re already in project management, but you want to grow. Either…

Media Relations Foundations

Taught by Jessica Chen
View Jessica’s LinkedIn Newsletter If you want your business to succeed, you need as much brand recognition as you can…

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Essential Training (2021)

Taught by Corey Koberg
Google Analytics 4 provides the means to track, analyze, and report on the visitors to your site and app—who they…

Emerging Leader Foundations

Taught by Dan Schawbel
View Dan’s LinkedIn Newsletter Taking on a leadership role in the diverse, ever-changing modern workplace can feel both exhilarating and…

Social Media Marketing Strategy: TikTok and Instagram Reels

Taught by Ashley Kennedy
If you’re in marketing, the only thing worse than not having a social media marketing strategy is having a bad…

Nonprofit Management Foundations

Taught by Leslie Crutchfield
Thinking about leading a nonprofit organization? Internationally renowned author Leslie Crutchfield provides a primer on nonprofit management and leadership. She…

Customer Service: Managing Customer Expectations

Taught by Jeff Toister
Today’s customers expect a lot. Customer service expert Jeff Toister helps frontline employees identify where they can manage the expectations…

User Experience (UX) for Non-Designers

Taught by Tom Green
User experience (UX) design is more than just pushing pixels and adding interactivity. It’s a people-centric practice that involves many…

Social Media Marketing for Small Business (2016)

Taught by Martin Waxman
View Martin’s LinkedIn Newsletter Small businesses can’t afford not to be active on social media. Having a Facebook, Instagram, or…

Six Sigma Foundations

Taught by Richard Chua
Learn how to apply Six Sigma to drive improvements in the performance of your processes, products, and services. Dr. Richard…

Social Media Marketing Foundations (2020)

Taught by Brian Honigman
Social media dramatically altered marketing by allowing businesses to directly engage with customers and vice versa. Brands that stand the…

Photoshop 2020 Essential Training: The Basics

Taught by Julieanne Kost
Photoshop is the industry standard for creative visual expression. Whether you’re an experienced creative pro or just starting on your…

LinkedIn Quick Tips (2019)

Taught by Oliver Schinkten
This collection of LinkedIn quick tip videos is designed to demonstrate helpful tricks, explain useful features, and provide quick answers…

Marketing on LinkedIn: The Sophisticated Marketer’s Guide

Taught by Alex Rynne
It’s a great time to be on LinkedIn. Businesses are seeing better engagement and ROI on LinkedIn than ever. So…

Sales Foundations

Taught by Jeff Bloomfield
What makes someone effective at sales? A genuine desire to help others solve problems. In this course, former Genentech senior…

Learning Canva

Taught by Marley Jaxx
Canva is an easy way—without any graphic design experience—to create professional graphics for social media, presentations, newsletters, business cards, brochures,…

Cert Prep: PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)®

Taught by Kelley O'Connell
The agile approach to project management can help companies respond faster and more effectively to change. As a result, having…

Introduction to Graphic Design

Taught by Tony Harmer
Graphic design is a complex art. To become a graphic designer, you need to master many different skills and tools.…

Learning Design Thinking: Lead Change in Your Organization (2016)

Taught by Turi McKinley
Design thinking is a user-centered way of solving problems. It involves extensive collaboration, using strategies such as mapping customer journeys,…

Business Analysis Foundations: Business Process Modeling

Taught by Haydn Thomas
When you’re trying to grapple with user demands and market changes, it can be difficult to mentally zoom out and…
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Relevant Courses

SBS Pathways Careers Courses

SBS Pathways Careers Courses SOC BEHAV 250: College to CareersSOC BEHAV 490C: Pathways to Career Success SOC BEHAV 490C: Pathways…
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Research Opportunities

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