Communications

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Blodgett Hall, Room 111C
Mark Grabowski, Chair
p – (516) 877-4915
f – (516) 877-4896
e – grabowski@adelphi.edu
w – communications.adelphi.edu

Faculty

The Communications program prepares students to thrive in today’s fast-changing media world. Students choose from four dynamic areas of study — Media Studies, Digital Production and Cinema Studies, Journalism and Public Relations, and New Media — while building both critical thinking and hands-on skills.

Courses are taught by scholars, industry experts, and professional practitioners, offering the perfect balance of classroom insight and real-world experience. The curriculum covers classic areas of communication while also exploring emerging and trending fields such as social media influencing, AI in communications, global Asian media, drone storytelling, cyber law, video journalism, and blockchain.

In Media Studies, students explore the history, theories, and cultural impact of communication. They consider how media shapes politics, childhood development, interpersonal relationships, and society as a whole, while sharpening their analytical and critical perspectives.

Digital Production and Cinema Studies allows students to step behind the camera and bring stories to life. From screenwriting to film and video production, they gain hands-on experience with professional-grade equipment and develop the art of visual storytelling — skills that rival those taught at much larger universities.

Journalism and Public Relations teaches students how to craft compelling stories that inform, engage, and persuade. Courses include news, sports, business and feature writing, PR campaigns, photojournalism, and video and audio reporting — grounded in the values of a free press and the history of journalism.

New Media prepares students for the cutting edge of communications. They study digital culture, online communities, and interactive storytelling, while building skills in emerging and trending areas such as AI in communications, social media strategy, and digital ethics.

Beyond the classroom, students don’t just learn about media — they create it. They publish a student newspaper and magazine, run an online radio station, produce blogs, podcasts, and websites, compete in film and journalism festivals, and present at research conferences. The department’s internship program connects students with leading companies and organizations, helping them launch their careers while still in school.

Whether producing a documentary, making viral videos for social media, reporting the news, shaping PR campaigns, or experimenting with the next big trend in digital media, graduates leave Adelphi ready to stand out in a world that depends on strong communicators and creative storytellers.

Professional Internships

The Department makes available to upper-level students a wide variety of intensive internship opportunities in leading professional organizations. In order to ensure the quality of students’ learning experiences, all internships are fully monitored by the department with the active support of the organization in which the intern has been placed.

Recent intern placements include the following: Cablevision, ABC, CNN, Newsday, Nickelodeon, Madison Square Garden, Tribeca Film Festival, New York Yankees, SportsChannel, USA Network, WABC-TV New York, WCBS-TV New York, WLIW Channel 21, WNBC-TV New York, The Howard Stern Show.

Talent Scholarships

The Department of Communications, in cooperation with the Office of Admissions, offers several Talent Scholarships each year to outstanding entering freshmen or transfers who show evidence of unusual ability and accomplishment in the media arts.

Department of Communications Awards and Honors

The Communications Department has a range of awards that it presents to distinguished graduating seniors, including the Department Honors Award, the Creativity in Film and Video Award, the Excellence in Journalism Award, and the Research and Writing Award. The exact awards given out each year vary, depending on the particular talents of the graduating class in a given academic year.

The department also hosts a chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, the National Communication Honor Society. Students are invited to apply for membership in their junior year and new members are inducted every spring.

The Timothy W. Costello Award

Timothy W. Costello was Adelphi University’s sixth president. He was deeply committed to the goals of social justice and to the values of engaged and humane politics. He worked for these goals with courage and discernment throughout his life and throughout his career in politics, government, and education. The faculty of the Department of Communications has established this award in his memory and to recognize individual students who have exemplified in their lives and work a commitment to improving the lives of others.

Programs

• Communications, B.A.

• Cinema Studies Minor
• Communications Minor

Return to: College of Arts and Sciences