by Dr. Andrea McDonnell & Dr. Rana Hassan on September 24, 2026
News
Providence College’s School of Arts & Sciences has officially launched its Communication Department and Communication major, expanding a program that began as a minor in 2021 into a growing academic department with new partnerships, more courses, and a dedicated media and learning space on campus.
The department now offers both a major and minor in Communication. The major provides an interdisciplinary structure for students, grounded in the liberal arts and sciences. For PC, the COM major represents an expansion of the humanities and social sciences into new areas of inquiry and a reaffirmation of the value of the liberal arts in our contemporary, media-driven information environment. This expansion gives students interested in media and communication-related fields a direct academic path at PC while responding to a rapidly changing media shaped by digital platforms, emerging technologies, and consumption and creation of media content.
According to Dr. Andrea McDonnell, Chair and Professor of Communication, students are the inspiration for the program’s growth. “The development of Communication from a minor to a department and major was truly driven by student interest,” McDonnell said. “Over the first five years when the program was a minor, we regularly had students express a desire for a major, and a significant number of students were developing creative, independent degrees in communication and media-related areas on their own.”
The department has grown considerably since Communication was first introduced at PC in 2021. More than 200 students have graduated with a degree in Communication to date, and more than 100 current Friars are pursuing the major.
The major combines the study of communication with practical experience. Students examine the history and development of the field, technological and cultural changes in media, and methods for analyzing how media creates and communicates meaning. Courses include Media Mirrors, Media Industries, Visual Communication, Feminist Studies, Media, Culture and Aesthetics, and Communication Research, along with opportunities for independent study and capstone work, which are part of the major study plan. This range of offerings reflects the department’s interdisciplinary approach and its emphasis on contemporary topics for both Communication majors and minors.
Dr. Zackariah Wheeler, Assistant Instructional Professor of Communication and Political Science, who teaches Video Games: Artform and Industry and Media and Society, described the growth of the Communication Program as “rewarding to watch,” since he joined PC in 2022, emphasizing the increasing importance of communication education in today’s rapidly evolving media environment.
“Given the rise of networked digital platforms, AI, interactive media, and the adaptation of legacy media forms to these new tools, media literacy is in greater demand than ever. What COM can do is offer broad, adaptable tools for interpreting media texts and trends, wherever the future takes us,” Dr. Wheeler said.
With these courses, students develop oral, written, and visual communication skills and gain hands-on experience designing and producing content for different audiences. Upper-level students can choose from a variety of electives and conduct research on topics in contemporary media culture.
One of the courses introduced for the first time this semester is Media and Crime, where students have the opportunity to examine and analyze media content and connect it to broader social issues.
“I mostly teach courses that concern questions of representation and how media images shape our reality and knowledge, consciously or unconsciously,” said Dacia Paje, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Communication.
For students beginning the program, introductory courses provide a broad look at the media industries and topics they may eventually pursue in greater depth.
“Teaching a gateway course such as Introduction to Mass Communication provides students with insight into various media practices, from journalism, broadcast, and strategic communication to new media and digital storytelling,” said Dr. Rana Hassan, Visiting Assistant Professor of Communication. “Students get a glimpse of different media careers and practices while engaging with current issues and interdisciplinary topics related to social, political, and emerging technologies.” On the other hand, Dr. Wheeler teaches the fundamentals of game design and the recent history of the industry, considering the impact of games on culture and society and applying principles of game design to students’ projects.
The department is also building opportunities for students to move beyond the classroom. One of its established partnerships is with Providence College Athletics through the Big East Sports Media Internship. Junior Communication students can apply for the program to gain experience in broadcast production. “Students who complete the internship go on to produce on-air content for ESPN during our Fall Men’s Basketball season each year,” Dr. McDonnell said.
Faculty members seize the opportunity for collaboration and engagement in their courses. Each course is designed to provide students with hands-on experience through partnership with programs and offices across campus. “Introduction to Mass Communication collaborates with The Cowl, Library Media Support, the Office of Media Relations and Engagement, and Athletics Communications to provide students with a range of opportunities and resources, from guest speakers and fieldwork to technical support,” Dr. Hassan said.
The department is also developing partnerships with Health Sciences, Art History, Political Science, and Public and Community Service, among other areas of the College. Those collaborations could become increasingly important as the department develops. The current major supports students interested in Media Studies, Political Communication, and Public Communication, while additional pathways are being considered.
“We look forward to developing additional pathways in Sports Communication, Media Production, and Digital Storytelling,” Dr. McDonnell said.
Additionally, the department has expanded its presence on campus with a dedicated media and learning space on campus by moving into a new space on the lower level of the library. The area now includes faculty offices alongside a student study space and, soon, editing studios and a recording and podcasting studio, giving students access to spaces where they can communicate, collaborate, and produce media.
The major is also designed to prepare students for a range of possibilities after graduation. Recent alumni have gone on to work with organizations including the Boston Celtics, TJX Companies, and Paragon Publishing, while others have pursued graduate education at George Washington University and Brown University. Preparing students for professional life is also a pillar of the department’s mission, with an emphasis on connecting classroom learning to real-world experience through internships and community engagement.
For students interested in understanding how media works and in becoming part of the rapidly changing media landscape, the launch of the Communication Department provides a new place to begin and various professional opportunities.