Technology changes. Platforms evolve. But great stories always matter. In our digital age, employers are seeking the storytellers who can connect with audiences, inspire action, and bring ideas to life. At FSC, you will learn to be one of them.
In a world overflowing with information, those who can craft and share stories strategically stand out and lead.
At Florida Southern College, the BA and BS in Communication prepare you to do just that. You’ll build the skills needed to thrive in today’s digital media landscape while specializing in advertising and public relations, media strategies and production, interpersonal and organizational communication, or multimedia journalism. Through a blend of theory and hands-on practice, you’ll work with cutting-edge technology, participate in live studio production, land guaranteed internships with industry leaders, and collaborate with real clients at FSC’s student-run digital advertising agency. Your degree can also be a launching pad for graduate study in law, healthcare, sports, or other fields.
FSC Communication alumni work at organizations including Disney, NBC, AdventHealth, The White House, and have won multiple Emmy Awards. Here is what makes that possible.
Ninety-nine percent of the Class of 2025 Communication graduates achieved their post-degree goals, working as PR specialists, digital marketers, media producers, and organizational leaders.
Corporate communications professionals earn an average of $92,000 at mid-career, according to national salary data, and every concentration here is built around internships and employer connections.
Four career tracks, one foundation.
The Chatlos Communications Building houses a professional broadcast studio, where students work alongside faculty who have professional experience in their field.
FSC’s four concentrations prepare you for a specific set of careers. Choose the path that matches your goals.
Master the art of crafting persuasive messages, creating advertising designs, managing brands, and communicating in a crisis. You will learn how consumers process messages, develop promotional campaigns, and manage relationships with internal and external audiences across traditional and digital media.
Learn to communicate creatively across digital platforms through video production, digital photography, social media strategy, and persuasive writing. Focus on conceptualizing, developing, and measuring the impact of content in today’s fast-paced, high-demand media environment.
Develop cutting-edge communication skills for leadership, relationship management, and organizational development. This versatile concentration equips you to communicate effectively across diverse populations while developing the skills employers value across every industry.
Learn the power of storytelling to inform, inspire, and make a difference in the world. Write, report, and produce stories across print, broadcast, and online platforms, while developing a critical eye toward today's complex media environment.
Graduates of FSC's Communication program are conscientious and critical consumers and producers of mediated and professional communication, prepared to excel across advertising, public relations, journalism, media production, organizational leadership, law, education, and business; or to continue their education in graduate programs across a range of disciplines.
All freshman applicants to Florida Southern Colleges full-time degree programs must submit the following information:
Applying to Florida Southern as a transfer student is easy. Submit:
If transferring fewer than 24 credits, also include your official high school transcript and SAT/ACT scores.
Learn More about transfer admissionsFSC’s Communication curriculum provides a challenging academic program that prepares students for the professional world or graduate school through a combination of core communication coursework and a focused concentration.
All Communication majors complete a shared core covering the foundations of communication, public speaking, mass media and society, communication research, communication law and ethics, and professional development. Students then select a concentration — Advertising and Public Relations, Media Strategies and Production, Interpersonal and Organizational Communication, or Multimedia Journalism — adding focused coursework in their area of interest.
BA vs. BS: The BS degree emphasizes additional science and mathematics coursework, making it the stronger foundation for students pursuing more technically oriented or research-focused careers. The BA offers broader elective flexibility for students who want to focus on a foreign language and combine communication with another discipline such as art, English, modern language, or theater.
All Communication majors complete either a semester-long internship or a senior project as their capstone experience. Internships are typically completed during the senior year and require completion of all 3000-level concentration courses, a 2.0 cumulative GPA, and permission of the internship coordinator.
The BA and BS in Communication is a 124-credit hour degree built across three areas:
All majors complete foundational coursework in introduction to communication, public speaking, mass media and society, communication research, communication law and ethics, and professional development, alongside either a communication internship or senior project.
Students personalize their academic journey by selecting one of four concentrations:
Principles of advertising and PR, visual communication, persuasion, advertising creative or social media strategies, advertising or public relations writing, and strategic communication campaigns.
Media writing, video production, visual communication, online media, photojournalism, advertising writing, and social media strategies.
Interpersonal communication, intercultural communication, organizational communication, small group communication or persuasion, and special topics in communication.
News media practicum I and II, media writing, news and feature writing, broadcast journalism, online media, news media projects, and four hours chosen from editing, publication design, photojournalism, or video production.
General Education and Electives Additional hours in FSC's WRIGHT Foundations, BA or BS degree requirements, and electives complete the full 124-credit degree.
The Communication Minor requires 20 hours: COM 1500 Speak for Success plus 16 additional hours of COM courses.
The minor is a natural complement for students in any major, because every career requires communication. Business students who want to sharpen their persuasion and presentation skills. Education majors need to understand how audiences process information. Political science students preparing for law school or public service. Psychology majors interested in interpersonal dynamics and organizational behavior. Graphic design and marketing students who want a strategic communication foundation to go with their creative skills. Pre-health students also benefit from coursework in intercultural and health communication, preparing them to provide effective, compassionate care for diverse patient populations.
If your goals involve leading people, telling stories, managing relationships, or building a public presence, a Communication Minor makes your primary degree significantly more competitive in the job market.
Communication students at FSC are connected to a vibrant community of media makers, storytellers, and strategists from day one. Get involved with:
Lux 12 is FSC’s student-run digital advertising agency, giving Communication students the opportunity to work on real-world communications and promotional projects for local brands. You will learn to balance multiple accounts and clients, manage campaigns from concept to execution, and build a professional portfolio — giving you the skills and experience to enter the agency world the moment you graduate. Past clients include Toys for Tots, Century Retail, and Florida Southern College.
In addition, students participate in a semester long capstone course where students work with local businesses to create a strategic communication campaign. Students have collaborated with the Lakeland Convention and Visitors Bureau, United Way, Papa John’s, UPS, Meals on Wheels Polk County, Lakeland Community Theatre, the Ledger Media Group, and Two Men & A Truck.
FSC's Communication program requires every student participate in an internship, guided by our nationally ranked Career Services office. Past placements have included:
Situated between the media hubs of Tampa and Orlando, our Florida location offers unique access to major media markets, regional agencies, and national organizations.
Through partnerships like those with The Washington Center, you can pursue opportunities across the country and internationally.
A Communication degree from FSC prepares graduates for careers across advertising, public relations, media production, journalism, organizational leadership, and beyond. Within six months of graduating, 99% of FSC’s Class of 2025 are employed or in graduate school, with an average starting salary for communications majors of $59,833.
FSC’s Advertising and PR concentration prepares graduates for careers at agencies, corporations, and nonprofits in roles including account executive, brand manager, media buyer, social media strategist, and PR specialist. Lux 12 and capstone courses such as Strategic Communication Campaigns give students real-world experience that prepares them for successful careers after graduation.
From video production and social media management to content strategy and digital marketing, the demand for media-savvy professionals continues to grow faster than average. FSC’s Media Strategies and Production concentration develops exactly the creative and technical skills these careers demand.
FSC alumni are telling stories that matter at outlets across the country. Kristin Goerl Sanchez '13 is the lifestyle and entertainment host of South Florida Live on NBC. Shannah Bober '12 is Assistant News Director at WJHG News Channel 7 and a five-time AP award winner. Reems Landreth '20 is a streaming producer at 11Alive, the NBC affiliate in Atlanta. The Multimedia Journalism concentration's fully integrated curriculum, spanning print, broadcast, and online, prepares graduates for this fast-changing field.
The Interpersonal and Organizational Communication concentration develops the leadership, relationship, and cross-cultural communication skills valued in every sector. Graduates pursue roles in HR, organizational development, and management. Students can also earn a bachelor's and a master's in five years through FSC's 4+1 programs.
FSC’s Communication curriculum — with its emphasis on research, theory, and the option of a senior thesis as a writing sample — prepares graduates for competitive graduate programs in communication, journalism, law, education, and business. Peter Edgar graduated with an MFA in Journalism and Creative Writing from the University of Alabama and is now pursuing a Ph.D. in Texts and Technology at the University of Central Florida. Anya Larson received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Spain.
“It’s hard to put into words the amount of gratitude I have for Florida Southern. The experiential learning opportunities, dynamic coursework, and passionate staff afforded me so many opportunities. I entered the working world incredibly prepared, and I owe that preparation to the lessons I learned at FSC.”
“Florida Southern is the reason I have my dream job. My classes and even the student organizations I was involved in prepared me for real life. What I did with my internship led to what I’m in charge of today. My résumé impressed my general manager — seeing the versatility of my experiences, she chose me from a crowd of other applicants. Without FSC, I would not have stood out.”
“I would make silly videos, edit them, and turn them into class projects. Professors not only allowed it, they encouraged it. Without having that kind of creative freedom, I wouldn’t have ended up in comedy.”
“My favorite part about this semester has been preparing my portfolio for the big job hunt to come. Lux 12 has been a good way to stay connected. We get to interact with different on-campus groups, and just interacting within the group keeps that feeling of connectivity to the campus.”
“The Communication Department’s community feel and closeness make me feel like it’s our own family. Especially as an out-of-state student, I felt right at home. They have encouraged me and pointed me towards what I want to do in life.”
“My favorite thing about my major is how hands-on and interactive it is. As a double major in Communication and Spanish, I am able to use the interpersonal skills that I have learned in both majors to communicate effectively in my professional internship with the City of Lakeland.”
From live television production in the Chatlos Communications Building and student reporting at The Southern and LkldNow, Lakeland's independent newsroom, to internships at ESPN and Walt Disney, Junior Journey trips to New York, London, and Madrid, and running real client campaigns through Lux 12, FSC Communication students are always in the work. Every experience builds the portfolio, the network, and the professional confidence that communication careers demand.
The William S. Chatlos Communications Building has been the heart of FSC's communication program since 1980, when Honorary Chancellor Walter Cronkite joined the groundbreaking for one of the most distinctive journalism facilities in Florida.
Designed in the Frank Lloyd Wright tradition of the campus, it is comprised of three connected buildings around a courtyard with a live oak tree.
The FSC broadcast studio features professional-grade cameras and a digital editing suite, giving students hands-on experience with the tools used in today's media industry.
Behind every broadcast is a control room, and at FSC, students have the opportunity to work in this dynamic production environment, developing the skills needed to bring stories to life.
The Doc Dockery Lab — named for FSC alumnus C.C. "Doc" Dockery, Class of 1961 — is stocked with the newest Apple computers loaded with Adobe Creative Cloud and Final Cut Pro, the same tools working communicators use every day.
The Southern has been the student voice of FSC for decades — and it is often the first to break a story on campus.
Meet the educators who will shape the communicator you become, each bringing a different combination of academic credentials and professional experience.
Department Chair, Associate Professor of Communication
Assistant Professor of Communication
Associate Professor of Communication
Associate Professor of Communication
Yes, and the data backs it up. The ability to communicate effectively is consistently ranked as the number one skill employers look for in new hires. A Communication degree from FSC prepares graduates to write persuasively, produce media, manage relationships, and lead organizations, skills that are in demand across every industry. FSC communication alumni work at organizations including Disney, NBC, AdventHealth, and The White House.
A great deal. FSC Communication alumni work as journalists and broadcast anchors, digital marketers and social media strategists, PR specialists and brand managers, advertising account executives, organizational leaders and HR professionals, media producers and video journalists, and graduate students in communication, law, education, and business. The four concentrations allow you to specialize from day one in the direction that matches your goals.
Advertising and Public Relations focuses on crafting persuasive messages, managing brands, and leading promotional campaigns: including hands-on work through Lux 12, FSC’s student-run digital marketing agency. Media Strategies and Production develops skills in video production, digital photography, social media strategy, and content creation for today’s digital platforms. Interpersonal and Organizational Communication prepares leaders who can communicate effectively across diverse populations in organizational settings. Multimedia Journalism focuses on writing, reporting, and producing stories across print, broadcast, and online media.
Yes. Multimedia Journalism is one of four concentrations within FSC’s BA and BS in Communication. The concentration is fully integrated across print, broadcast, and online journalism, and students have access to FSCTV, the Southern News Network, The Southern newspaper, and FSC Radio, inside the Chatlos Communications Building.
LKLDNow, a local independent newsroom, is a longtime partner with the department, giving students opportunities to put their education to the test to help keep the Lakeland community informed. Professionals journalists are available both for guest lectures and one-on-one mentoring of students through internships.
Lux 12 is FSC’s student-run marketing agency, giving Communication students the opportunity to work on real campaigns for actual clients, building a professional portfolio and agency experience before graduation. Past clients include the Lakeland Convention and Visitors Bureau, United Way, Papa John’s, UPS, and more. Lux 12 is particularly valuable for students in the Advertising and Public Relations concentration.
Every FSC Communication student is guaranteed an internship, guided by FSC’s nationally ranked Career Services office. Past placements include ESPN, The Walt Disney Company, the U.S. Senate, Atlantic Records, NASA, Publix Super Markets, The Ledger, the Detroit Tigers, and NBC News Channel 8. Through partnerships such as those with The Washington Center, students can also pursue opportunities both nationally and internationally.
Yes. Communication is a strong foundation for law school, graduate programs in communication and journalism, MBA programs, and doctoral studies in the social sciences. FSC’s curriculum emphasizes research, theory, critical thinking, and written argumentation. Students may complete a senior thesis in place of an internship, creating a writing sample suitable for graduate school applications.
Both degrees share the same Communication core and concentration options. The BS emphasizes additional science and mathematics coursework, making it stronger for students pursuing technically oriented or research-focused careers. The BA offers broader elective flexibility for students who want to focus on foreign language and combine communication with another discipline such as art, English, modern language, or theater.
The Communication Minor requires 20 hours: COM 1500 Speak for Success plus 16 additional hours of COM courses. It is open to students in any major and is a strong complement to degrees in business, English, political science, psychology, and marketing.
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Read the latest from FSC’s Communication department, from student media achievements and internship placements to faculty recognition and alumni in the field.
At FSC, you are the focus. Our team loves connecting with prospective students to answer questions about a degree in Communication and explore which concentration is the right fit for your goals.
Department Chair, Associate Professor of Communication
The world needs communicators who can cut through the noise, build trust, and move people to action. Take your next step toward a BA or BS in Communication at Florida Southern College.
