Undergrad Communication

What in the world have the graduates been up to? -->-->

Since graduating with a degree in Communication from UCSB . . .

“[I] Graduated from UCSB 5 years ago. I've been working in the NBA for the past 4 years about to enter my 5th season with the Golden State Warriors in Oakland.” -Jeff Barnett

“I have worked for Davies Public Affairs here in Santa Barbara for three years—started as an intern, have been promoted three times, and am now a Senior Project Coordinator working on Real Estate and Energy public affairs. . . . I was proud to have achieved High Honors, and was a part of the Honors Communication Department.” -Ashley Ruiz

“I head up marketing for a national magazine for tween girls, Discovery Girls. We provide a forum for girls to encourage and support each other during the transition from child to teen. - iParenting Award Winner - Parent's Choice Award Winner - #1 Tween Title in Canada - #4 Magazine at Barnes & Noble for Family and Children's titles - Top-selling magazine on Amazon.com. I've been in publishing for ten years now, transitioning from writing and editorial, to ad sales . . . to printing and now marketing for a magazine.” -Jennifer Clark

“I have been employed in the advertising/marketing industry my entire career. I’ve held positions as a Marketing Director, Marketing Communications Manager, Director of Internal Communications, Marketing Sales and had my own business as well.” -Annita Sharpe

“Immediately after graduation I started at J. Walter Thompson advertising agency in San Francisco. I moved up from administrative assistant, to media planner to media supervisor on accounts such as McDonald's, Chevron and Miller's Outpost. I also worked at Davis, Ball & Colombatto in Los Angeles as media supervisor.” - Karen McCrea

“I moved to Washington, D.C. shortly after graduation and have been working on Capitol Hill for 19 years and more recently running Governor Schwarzenegger's Washington, D.C. Office. In addition, I am the President of the California State Society.” -Linda Ulrich

“Have been employed at Google, Inc. for the past 6.5 years, a majority of which time I specialized in online advertising. Most recently I transitioned to our traditional media team and now specialize in TV advertising.” - Heather Wilburn

“I just entered into a position with Fox Sports doing advertising sales.” -Julien Sautot

“Until taking a faculty position at CSUN, I worked at the Los Angeles Daily News for 12 years, the last three as managing editor. My communication degree sharpened my critical thinking skills, which are essential in journalism. In addition, I attribute my success as a managing editor and now teaching student media to my understanding of group communication and dynamics.” -Melissa Lalum

“[I’m an] executive producer for a film and video production company in San Francisco. We have produced award-winning feature films as well as commercials, web videos, etc.” -Teri Heyman

“After graduation I spent two months touring Europe before joining the Peace Corps and heading to Zimbabwe, Africa. My service was cut short due to political unrest, and upon my return I began working for a start-up company in Reno, NV.” -Carrie Morrissey

“I graduated with Honors with a major in Communications and a minor in Black Studies. Despite economic hardships, I finished in 4 years while financially supporting myself and my mother.” -Marney Randle

In educating undergraduates we desire to provide baccalaureates with knowledge of social science scholarship in communication in an accessible, supportive, and respectful atmosphere while simultaneously aiding students to apply theory and research to pressing social problems. Admission to the undergraduate major requires completion of four pre-major classes (introduction to communication, theory, methods, and statistics) with a GPA requirement that is the highest in L&S. Within the major we provide extraordinary opportunities for undergraduate communication students to go beyond the ordinary. We encourage study in other cultures, languages and places and participation in the University of California's Education Abroad Program, we have an internship program which provides opportunities within the Santa Barbara area and encourage participation in the University of California's Washington D.C. internship program. The department has an active program for students who wish to participate in faculty research projects. These Undergraduate Research Students have an opportunity to participate in all phases of research from the design of experiments and field research to the analysis of data and interpretation of results to learn not only about research that has been done by others but also to be part of the discovery process itself. The department's Senior Honors Program offers a challenging learning experience that spans four quarters of the student's academic career. During that time, students conduct an independent research project under the supervision of a faculty advisor and write a Senior Honors Thesis.

Questions regarding the major in Communication at UCSB may be directed to Tania Dunson, the Undergraduate Advisor. The undergraduate advising office is located in Social Sciences and Media Studies, room 4009. Office hours during the regular academic year are Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM to 12 noon and 1:00-4:00 PM or by appointment. You may also contact the undergraduate advisor by telephone at (805) 893-2493 or email her at tdunson@comm.ucsb.edu

You may also email the undergraduate peer advisors at commpeers@comm.ucsb.edu, or visit them with any academic questions. The peer office is open on a drop-in basis. Hours vary by quarter and are tentative throughout summer. Hours are posted outside their door in Social Sciences and Media Studies, room 4007, or can be found here.

The College of Letters and Science is your key resource for information and advising on matters that are not directly related to the Communication department. You can make an appointment with an L&S advisor by calling 893-3201, or visit them on the first floor of Cheadle Hall. They also have an excellent website, with lots of useful information for students: http://advising.ltsc.ucsb.edu