From the director, Dr. Susan Huxman

Welcome to the Elliott School of Communication at Wichita State University—the only comprehensive, integrated school of communication in Kansas!

This distinction keeps us "ahead of the curve" in attracting students who want to develop multiple communication skill sets that say: "Hire me." It is important in recruiting and retaining faculty who want to examine communication convergence and discover interdisciplinary research opportunities. And it is critical in cultivating the support of area media and communication professionals who want to be a part of a center of academic excellence that is relevant and marketable in this digital age.

What's so distinctive about the Elliott School? For starters, we are proud of our cutting-edge communication curriculum that integrates journalism, mass communication and speech communication fields at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

All of our 400+ undergraduate students take half of their 40 hours in our major learning the most crucial communication skills that translate across communication industries: writing, speaking, thinking visually, problem-solving, researching, studying history, and applying theory, law and ethics. Students supplement their core training by choosing one of five concentrations:

• print journalism
• broadcast journalism
• integrated marketing communications (advertising/public relations)
• electronic media
• strategic communication (speech/business comm)

They also take advantage of the many student organizations in communication and paid cooperative education /internship opportunities in the largest media market in the state. Student feedback, strong placement records after graduation, and alumni support give us ample evidence that this distinctive integrated approach is a winning formula!

But an integrated curriculum can only be a program of distinction if it is fueled by quality teachers and scholars. Faculty in the Elliott School are highly productive and collegial. We work together to ensure the success of students and each other. We are strongly committed to the mission of the school, and work to promote communication integration in our classrooms, our research, and in our professional and community service.

We invite you to visit the various facets of our website that detail the many ways the Elliott School is a distinctive, vibrant community of communication in action.