Hanover Communication Department
At Hanover, I developed, edited and directed a magazine program for the campus TV station. A summer internship with WLWT in Cincinnati led to a job as a sports producer for the 11 o'clock news. The (communication) program gave me confidence and a solid education - communication classes, as well as the hands-on skills that I needed to start my career.
Megan Schiering, Class of 2005
Why Study Communication?
Deciding upon a major can be an intimidating task, and you may be wondering if communication would be a good fit for you. If any of the following is true for you, then the communication department at Hanover College may be just what you have been searching for.
You enjoy:
• Expressing yourself
• Debates and speeches
• Writing
• Language
• Working with emerging technologies
You want to:
• Understand how technology influences communication
• Work with or in the media
• Interact with different publics
• Understand how messages are communicated effectively
• Travel abroad
• Research your interest
• Have a meaningful and fun academic and social career
What Hanover Communication Offers
In a world of text messaging, cell phones, the Internet, MySpace and more, the way people communicate is undergoing rapid change. But whatever the form, it's the message - and the effectiveness of that message - that matters most.
Because messages occur through a variety of means, the communication studies program at Hanover rests on a combination of theory, mass media, and public speaking courses. This allows students to understand the significance of and techniques for generating meaning through messages across various contexts, cultures, channels, and media. Students may focus on mass media, public speaking, or organizational communication, culminating in a senior year Independent Study showcasing practical applications of knowledge gained in a chosen field of interest.
Potential careers include positions in government, journalism, business, public relations, sales and marketing, television production, and event planning.
Highlights
Hands-on Experience
The Student Broadcast Association uses state-of-the-art equipment to produce programs for the Campus Channel, an on-campus TV station, and HC Radio Network, an Internet radio station. This allows students to put into action the theory and techniques they have learning in class. Students work in all aspects of programming and running the stations - on camera and behind-the-scenes - providing them with practical experience valued by future employers.
Expert Faculty
The communication faculty offers impressive academic diversity and real-world experience. Students work one on one with experts in cross-cultural and global communications, presidential speechwriting, communication law and public policy, journalism, video production, and music.
Opportunities for Research
Many communication students research their interests further by working on real-world projects for local businesses and organizations. Recent student work has included:
• Developing a public relations and advertising campaign for historic Eleutherian College
• Working for the City Cable Television Channel.
• Creating marketing materials for various Hanover College departments, including Admissions, External Relations, Athletics, and the Career Center.
• Writing news stories and working as technical crew for local radio stations WIKI and WORX
• Providing business communication assessments for several local companies and nonprofit organizations.
In addition, recent student Independent Study projects have included:
• Lori Hedges wrote, directed, and edited an independent film.
• Christine Baaten developed an integrated marketing communication plan for a Cincinnati-based natural body care products company.
• Ashley McIntyre produced a promotional video for Hanover College's Career Center.
• Megan Detterline organized and promoted a new major campus event to raise money for breast cancer research.
• K.C. Reynolds developed, produced, and anchored a news magazine program for the Campus Channel.
Career Opportunities
Communication within the context of a liberal arts education gives our graduates the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary to continue on to a variety of careers and/or graduate school opportunities.
Previous graduates' career and professional placements have included:
• New Anchor, WGPH Fox 8 (Chapel Hill, NC)
• Promotions Director, WGLD 104.5 FM (Indianapolis)
• President, Hoosier On-Line Systems (Indianapolis)
• Public Relations Executive, USA Networks (Weston, CT)
• Event Planner, Minor League Baseball Team
• Deputy Press Secretaries for several U.S. Senators
• Sports Producer, TV Station
• Freelance Videographer
• Newscaster, C-SPAN
Graduate school placements have included:
• Valparaiso University
• University of Louisville
• University of California
• University of Nevada
• Indiana University
• Ball State University
• Carmel University
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Connecticut
• University of Notre Dame
• Purdue University
• Ohio State University