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Q: Why study Communication?

A: Communication is the fastes growing career field in the world. If you get a degree in accounting, you will probably become a CPA - there is not much flexibility. Communication is sometimes referred to as an "umbrella degree" meaning there are hundreds of different jobs for which the degree can prepare you including media sales at a television, or radio station, writing for magazine, or creating advertising messages either at a production studio ot a retail store. In addition to the spectrum of jobs specifically in communications field, communication studies will help you succeed in other careers from teaching to management. Communication is also excellent preparation for further study in law or medicine.

 

Q: Why HPU? What can HPU offer that I can't get somewhere else?

A: First, the teacher to student ratio is 16:1 - that means individualized attention and mentoring. Our faculty members know the names of students in their classes and they invest in your success. Second, all classes at HPU are taught by faculty members, not graduate students. We have no students teaching students. Third, the student body is incredibly diverse. About third of our 8000+ students come from Hawaii, another third from other 49 U.S. states, and third from more than 87 foreign countries. That means you will learn in a multicultural environment and you have the opportunity to develop a worldwide network of professional peers before you graduate. Fourth, the teachers at HPU come from all over the world and 77 percent have doctorates in their field. That's very high level of academic quality!

 

Q: What does the communication program at HPU have that other schools can't provide?

A: Currenttechnology in teaching resources, student laboratories, and learning resources make learning interesting and exciting. Classes are taught in Instructional Technology Enhanced Classrooms (ITEC) that feature a computer console linking video. a sound system, computer presentation software, acces to the Internet, or teleconferencing right in the classroom. For instance, video production classes have access to more than $195,000 worth of audio and video editing equipement in the Communication Video Laboratory including A/B roll editing, Adobe Premier, and an AVID system. In addition, faculty members have years of professional experience as well as academic qualifications. The video production teacher was producer at CBS in New York. Two of the journalism faculty work full-time in the field, and the other is a former editor and publisher of several newspapers. Finally, the communication prodram offers students a chance to get involved in production of the student newspaper, or theater production, immediately. At a larger school, position on the newspaper are competitive and there are many prerequisites. At HPU, you can write for the newspaper during your first semester. By the time you graduate, you should have a portfolio of published work.

 

Q: How big is the program

A: The program is small enough to allow students the flexibility to work on an advertising campaign, be in a play, publish story in the Kalamalama student newspaper, and produce a video, a brochure, and a newsletter. It's large enough to provide concentrated study in six fields in the liberal arts, one in business, and three student organizations. There are about 250 students majoring in communication at HPU at this time.

 

Q: With a choice of advertising, corporate communication, public relations, journalism, speech, theater, and visual communication, what should I choose as a major?

A: You don't have to chooce right away! Com 301 - Mass Media is required course for all of the areas of study and it provides an overview of each field. We suggest that you take it early in your sophomore year so yo will have plenty of time to take the other courses in sequence. Com 301 is also a prequisite for other courses so you will want to be sure to complete it before declaring a major field of study.

 

Q: How will I know what courses to take?

A: HPU has an advertising Center of counselors who are there to help figure that out! We suggest that communication majors try to see Mirasol Espanol-Lim since she is our special adviser but any of the advisers can help you if she's busy and you don't want to wait. We also suggest that you come by the Communication Office and get the four-year schedule and three-year accelerated schedule of courses for each area of study. If you still have questions, Communication faculty and staff are always available to help you plan.

 

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Hawaii Pacific University
Communication Program
1132 Bishop Street, Suite 504
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Fax: (808) 544-1136
Phone: (808) 544-0824