Communications

Are you looking for a dynamic career in media? Waldorf’s communication program will prepare you for many exciting positions within the communications industry by combining a liberal arts education with specific job skills and service to the greater community. Waldorf will help you improve your proficiency in written and verbal communication, visual literacy and multimedia skills.

The bachelor’s program began in 1993 when professors David Damm and Mark Newcom created a bachelor’s program in communications at Waldorf College. Using their professional media experience and research into successful programs from throughout the country, the professors built a strong program based on several key ingredients:

• Experienced faculty members: Waldorf’s communication professors have been real-world professionals in a variety of fields such as a print journalism, videography and graphic design, before joining the college faculty.

• Hands-on teaching: Waldorf requires completion of a client-based project during the program. Primarily service-oriented, these projects are typically for non-profit or religious organizations that cannot afford professional communications support, and include web sites, brochures, news releases, and videos. Past work includes videos for Iowa Lieutenant Governor’s Committee on Diversity, the state penitentiary system (Church of the Damascus Road), centennial and recruiting videos for Waldorf College, pastoral support for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and campaign videos for the United Way.

• State-of-the-art technology: Waldorf prides itself in making the latest technology available to you in the communications program. You will work in a well-equipped digital arts lab, an all-digital radio station and a professional television studio. Waldorf also has a regularly updated online campus newspaper, The Lobbyist, and a student magazine, The Torch, which is published twice a semester.

• Practical experience: The department sponsors social opportunities throughout the academic year, so that you can interact with those closer to graduation. In the past, activities have included cosmic bowling, department barbecue, a Christmas open house and mini-golf. Mentor relationships are also fostered through campus media (The Lobbyist, The Torch, KZOW, Wal-TV) where upper division students serve in leadership roles, fully managing each of these campus media. Leadership includes conducting meetings, encouraging or disciplining staff, and navigating budgetary decisions.

• Media internship: In order to enhance students’ real-world experience, the program requires completion of at least one professional internship, and highly recommends two. Students have had internships locally, regionally and nationally. Some of the companies students worked with in the past are: the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; Access Hollywood; Fox Sports Boston; the Ames Tribune (Iowa); KWWL-TV; WPLJ 95.5 in New York City; the Salvation Army and Voice of America.

Elective Concentrations

• Digital Media
• Graphic Design
• Journalism
• Public Relations
• Web Programming

Discover more at www.waldorfcommunications.com!