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Department of Media and Communication

The department of media and communication offers three undergraduate majors and one graduate program.

Our classes are small, ranging in size from 10-30 students. Students benefit from our proximity to Rochester, with the opportunity to pursue internships and other experiential opportunities with local companies. Students develop public relations strategies by analyzing social media data from non-profits organizations, exhibit videos at national film festivals, design websites for clients, and publish content on Rochester’s public television news site. We also offer a class on advertising strategy taught at Jay Advertising, a national firm located less than three miles from campus.

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Documentary and Journalism

Documentary and Journalism

Majors

Minors

Overview

Gain valuable production experience and graduate with a reel to show prospective employers by studying journalism and documentary filmmaking at Fisher.

You will become familiar with all aspects of production, including scriptwriting, cinematography, editing, directing, and producing. Practicing your journalism skills will provide you with the ability to write for both the web and print.

Coursework includes video storytelling, documentary research and writing, interviewing, and multimedia content creation. You will also analyze and critique classic documentaries and gain exposure to a range of video storytelling in the context of news, features, sports, and education.

Selected Alumni Titles and Positions

  • Producer
  • Social Media Editor
  • Senior Editor
  • Community Manager
  • Reporter
  • News Producer
  • Director and Cinematographer
  • Assistant Managing Editor for Design
Advertising

Advertising

Majors

Minors

Overview

Studying advertising at Fisher will give you knowledge of industry standards as well as experience practicing both copywriting and graphic design.

Coursework includes creative ad writing, ad strategy and production, and media research and analytics. Design courses will emphasize industry-standard tools including Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.

Selected Alumni Titles and Positions

  • Digital Coordinator
  • Creative Manager
  • Copywriter
  • Digital Media Specialist
  • Digital Marketing Specialist
  • Engagement Manager
Media Studies

Media Studies

Majors

Minors

Overview

As a media and communications major at Fisher, you will gain experience and knowledge about a broad range of media topics while analyzing trends driving the industry today. You will gain valuable experience in writing, design, video editing, and coding to graduate with in-demand skills and a solid portfolio.

Coursework includes the exploration of mass media, communication theory and research, media law, and ethics. You will also view media through the lens of economics, management, and politics. Courses will discuss the role of media in shaping human behavior and culture throughout history and examine the impacts of emerging media technology.

Select Alumni Titles and Positions

  • Head of Global Acquisition Campaigns
  • Manager of Recruiting
Public Relations

Public Relations

Majors

Minors

Overview

By studying public relations at Fisher, you’ll gain experience with creating, executing and measuring public relations campaigns for businesses and nonprofits. You will develop skills to create and assess media strategies that include writing, outreach, design, video, social media, and analytics.

Sample coursework includes message development and research, as well as best practices for media relations and business communications. You will gain experience in multimedia campaign creation and learn how to assess the effectiveness of media and messages in print, broadcast, online, and social media.. As a PR major, you’ll also get to explore a range of PR issues and focus areas including crisis communication, sports media, and more.

Select Alumni Titles and Positions

  • Public Relations Manager
  • Digital Coordinator
  • Marketing & Communications Associate
  • Digital Marketing Creative
  • Social Media and PR Manager
  • Creative Supervisor
  • Research Project Manager
  • Marketing Coordinator
Graphic and Web/Mobile Design

Graphic and Web/Mobile Design

Majors

Minors

Overview

By studying graphic, web, and mobile design at Fisher, you’ll gain experience with programming languages, graphic, and interface design, which will prepare you for a variety of technical and creative careers. Using industry-standard software, you’ll develop a print, web, and mobile design portfolio to show prospective employers.

Coursework includes web design, app development, coding, data visualization, and visual effects. You will also learn in-demand skills like usability testing, technical writing, and creative problem solving.

Selected Alumni Titles

  • UX Program Manager
  • Web Developer
  • Content Creator
  • Data Analyst
  • Engineering Team Lead
  • Digital Marketing Leader
  • Microsoft CRM Administrator
  • Systems Technician
  • Lead Support Engineer, Cornell University
  • Business Intelligence Developer

“ I value this department and my major because it's all about the future. Media management takes what we know about talking to each other, and looks towards the future with the new technologies that surround us. I think that my favorite part of the program are the professors. The educators not just at Fisher, but especially in this program are always willing to help, extremely intelligent in their field, and are open to talking about your ideas instead of shutting you down. ”

Kyle Cataldo
  • Kyle Cataldo
  • Digital Cultures and Media Management Double Major

“ Our students learn to design and strategize messages to persuade audiences. Combining public relations, advertising, marketing, and media economics, our students learn to write and design visual messages, while also receiving a foundation in analytic techniques invaluable for success in the media industry. ”

Jeremy Sarachan
  • Jeremy Sarachan
  • Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Media and Communication

“ What I value most about the Department of Media and Communication are the professors and the staff. The professors are able to mentor their students on a regular basis. The faculty have raised my confidence in my skills to where I now feel confident that I will be able to find employment after graduation. ”

Doug Szczensy