Students looking for Bachelor’s in Communications programs in Hawaii have several options from which to choose. Bachelor’s degrees in this field are offered through both private and public universities, and several are research-intensive. Students may also have access to specialized learning tools to help them practice their skills such as student communication groups, internships, and video production.
Chaminade University of Honolulu
School of Business and Communication
The School of Business and Communication provides a theoretical and practical education in business and communication. Students can take advantage of one-on-one discussions with faculties to develop career plans, and by the time they graduate, every undergraduate student already has major-related work experience under their belts. Nearly each year, at least one communication student is chosen among the most promising advertising students by the American Advertising Federation, and all students strive to help organizations throughout the community to develop strategic plans and methods to help them meet their goals.
Bachelor of Arts in Communication
The Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Chaminade University of Honolulu helps students develop the communication skill-set that is required by advertising firms, marketers, and media outlets. Students benefit from a foundation in multiple career areas while focusing on skills such as visual presentation, creative direction, and writing. Students can choose from two concentrations, including mass media or integrated marketing, and major course requirements include a minimum of 40 semester hours in graphic and publication design, public relations, news writing, studio video production, media law and ethics, photography for social change, and professional presentations.
Accreditation
- WASC Senior College and University Commission
Contact
3140 Waialae Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 440-4280
admissions@chaminade.edu
Hawaii Pacific University
Department of Communication
The Department of Communication is located within the school’s College of Liberal Arts. A degree from this school creates prepared professionals who are ready and willing to take the forefront in a number of positions within a global society. The college is focused on small class sizes, interdisciplinarity, and experiential learning, and students are equipped with the tools they need to have a lifetime of meaningful work. Alumni enter a broad range of fields, including teaching, high tech, law, public service, medicine, and app designing. The faculty prepare students to be competitive at some of the best graduate schools in the world.
Communication Studies
A degree in Communication Studies from Hawaii Pacific University empowers students to become mindful, successful global citizens by engaging in ethical and effective communication. As an “umbrella degree,” the Communications Studies program prepares students for a number of exciting careers in a global world, including healthcare, business, law, advertising, journalism, broadcasting, public relations, teaching, and graduate school. Students will also learn to demonstrate persuasive, effective and dynamic oral communication skills and further develop their ability to write correctly, concisely, and clearly. Hawaii Pacific University also offers an internship within the Department of Communication, where students can apply their classroom learning to actual problems faced by real businesses and organizations.
Accreditation
- WASC Senior College and University Commission
Contact
1 Aloha Tower Dr.
Honolulu, HI 96813
(866) CALL-HPU
admissions@hpu.edu
University of Hawaii at Hilo
Communication Department
The Department of Communication at University of Hawaii at Hilo offers a communication minor and major as well as courses in the areas of media, public, organizational, intercultural, and interpersonal communication. The department provides a strong foundation in human communication practices and theories, emphasizing multicultural community and team building in a focused learning environment. The program emphasizes enhanced self-awareness, personal and professional empowerment, valuing diversity, authentic communication, and multicultural perspectives. Students pursuing a degree in this department will also develop the skills necessary for leadership in a diverse global society.
B.A. in Communication
The 120-credit-hour Bachelor of Arts in Communication degree prepares students for a diverse range of careers in the field. Students are required to complete 33 credit hours in major coursework, including classes such as Public Speaking, an Introduction to Theories of Human Communication, and Interpersonal Communication. Students must also complete a capstone paper or project in an area such as mass media analysis, leadership and communication, a seminar in human dialogue, asian perspectives on communication, or communication and ethnography. Students will also develop a solid foundation of culture and diversity topics such as intercultural communication, media and culture, and sustainability, communication and culture.
Accreditation
- WASC Senior College and University Commission
Contact
200 W. Kawili St.
Hilo, HI 96720
(800) 897-4456
uhhadm@hawaii.edu
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Department of Communicology
The Department of Communicology is home to a nationally-ranked degree program that is focused on education and research in human communication functions and processes. The curriculum is organized around four points: intercultural communication, social influence, relational communication, and message processing. The department also includes biological, evolutionary, and socio-cultural approaches in its curriculum.
Bachelor of Arts in Communicology
The Bachelor of Arts in Communicology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa includes required topics that covered areas such as interpersonal relations, message processing, persuasion methods, an introduction to communicological theories, and principles of effective public speaking. In addition to the 18 credit hours of required coursework, majors must also complete 15 credit hours in electives such as family communication, leadership, professional presentations, culture and communication, deceptive communication, and conflict management.
Accreditation
- WASC Senior College and University Commission
Contact
2560 Campus Rd.
Honolulu, HI 96822
(808) 956-8202
comg@hawaii.edu
College of Social Sciences
The College of Social Sciences at University of Hawaii at Manoa offers disciplines that range from social action to basic science and nurtures students’ practical and intellectual skills. The college is dedicated to cultivating a social and personal responsibility among students, and its faculty boasts national and international reputations. Students may also take advantage of the college’s relationship with local and Pacific/Asian communities.
Bachelor of Arts in Communications
The Bachelor of Arts in Communications degree focuses on communication in organizational, social and professional communities that range from large organizations who communicate with the international public to online or small groups that work together face-to-face. The 33-credit-hour program includes required courses such as an introduction to communication, three foundation courses, and one capstone course. Graduates will be able to design media and communication projects to make meaningful contributions to diverse academic, professional, or social communities and be able to communicate effectively in writing, orally, and via digital media.
Accreditation
- WASC Senior College and University Commission
Contact
2550 Campus Rd.
Honolulu, HI 96822
(808) 956-8881
sc@hawaii.edu
Colleges of Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Business
The Ph.D. program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa is unique in that it spans three of the school’s colleges. Information and communication technologies are changing society, and leaders require expertise and insight that transcend the individual disciplines from which the basic technologies arise. These three colleges are home to four units that sponsor the degree program: the Department of Information Technology Management, the School of Communications, the Library and Information Science Program, and the Department of Information and Computer Sciences.
Communication & Information Sciences
The Communication and Information Sciences (CIS) Ph.D. program was first established in 1986 and is one of the first interdisciplinary programs of its kind. It crosses three colleges and participates in the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP). CIS Ph.D. students choose one main focus area and two secondary focus areas in which they will receive comprehensive exams. These areas may include management information systems, social informatics, information systems and services, human-computer interaction, communication policy and planning, biomedical informatics, and communication and information theories.
Accreditation
- WASC Senior College and University Commission
Contact
2500 Campus Rd.
Honolulu, HI 96822
(808) 956-5813
cis-chair@hawaii.edu
From undergraduate Bachelor of Science degrees to Bachelor of Arts degrees that focus more on the liberal arts aspect of the field, if you’re looking for Bachelor’s in Communications programs in Hawaii, rest assured that you have several affordable, high-quality options.