Communicating is something we all do on a daily basis. And the ability to communicate competently and understand communicative acts is an asset valuable to one’s success. By choosing from Stetson University’s Communication Studies course offerings, students can tailor a program that fits their needs and interests. Our Journalism minor takes a strong and dynamic interdisciplinary approach to the field and prepares students for a variety of careers, which ultimately makes for better journalists. Students interested in journalism will combine their minor with a major that connects with their professional interests.

Students drawn to the theatre can pursue undergraduate studies at Stetson that provide an artistic/intellectual foundation for success in a number of professions and the professional theatre. Theatre Arts students can also tailor a program to fit their needs and interests by choosing from our broad range of classes.

Faculty
Excellence in teaching and a focus on student development are hallmarks of Stetson University and this department. Highly professional and dedicated to their programs, faculty members take a personal interest in their students and their progress. Through research and/or performing, our faculty members keep current with the latest trends in their fields.

• Philip Dalton, Ph.D., University of Oklahoma; political communication, mass communication
• Cynthia Irizarry, Ph.D., University of Nebraska at Lincoln; organizational communication, public relations
• Michael McFarland, Ph.D., Northwestern University; rhetoric, social movements, public discourse

Theatre Arts faculty members and their research areas include:

• Kenneth McCoy, Ph.D., Bowling Green State University; Latin American theatre, theatre and the Internet
• Julie Schmitt, Ph.D., Bowling Green State University, theater theory/history, performance studies
• William Elliott, MFA, Virginia Tech University; designer/technical director
• James Wright, Ph.D., Professor Emeritis, The Ohio State University; theatre history, directing

Theatre students take courses that cover a broad spectrum of their respective fields of study. Course selections include acting, directing, voice and diction, stagecraft, scene design and painting, production management, and theatre theory.

In addition to course requirements, majors in both Communication Studies and Theatre Arts complete individualized research for the Senior Project.

Internship Opportunities
Former students have worked at internships in broadcasting, public relations, corporate communication, and journalism.

Career Opportunities
Graduates have gone into a variety of vocational fields including the ministry, law, professional theatre, secondary and higher education, sales, journalism, and public relations.

Alumni Highlights
Maryalice Phillips, ’02, drama and speech teacher, Epiphany Junior High School in Miami
Sabrina Woody, ’02, client account manager for Carlman Booker Reis Public Relations in Orlando
Carlos Herrera, ’02, communications specialist for Stetson University
Kendra Legendre, ’01, high school drama and biology teacher, New Smyrna Beach, Fla.
Joy Carney, ’00, currently attending law school at Florida State
Erin Jones, ’00, currently pursuing a MFA in Art from Clemson
Mark Kenneally, ’97, earned a MFA in Playwriting/Screenwriting from UNLV, now living in Los Angeles

Clubs and Organizations
Stetson has active national honorary fraternities in both Communication Studies and Theatre Arts. The Florida Alpha chapter of Theta Alpha Phi at Stetson is a charter member of Theta Alpha Phi, the national theatre honorary for students who excel in the theatre arts. Students with outstanding academic achievement in Communication may join the Iota Tau chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, the official honorary of the National Communication Association. For those interested in public relations, Stetson has a student chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association called IMPACT.

Department Awards
Outstanding Senior in Communication Arts and/or Theatre Arts
Josephine Field Davidson Award for Integrity in Journalism
Marjorie Forster Gilbert Award for Outstanding Student Performance