Why get a degree in communication at UCSB?

We 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). Within the major we provide extraordinary opportunities for undergraduate communication to take courses in our three core research areas: Interpersonal and Intergroup Communication, Media and Digital Communication, and Organizational and Group Communication.

We encourage study in other cultures, languages, and places, and participation in the University of California's Education Abroad Program, we have an internship course which allows students to earn unit credit for internships, and we encourage participation in the University of California's Washington D.C. or Sacramento 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 three 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.

The department also sponsors the student-run organization Lambda Pi Eta, the national honor society of the National Communication Association that fosters, recognizes, and rewards outstanding achievement in undergraduate communication.