Department of Communication
If you’re looking for hands-on, professional-level experiences that start on your first semester, look no further than the Department of Communication at Otterbein University. Host your own radio show, run a camera for live coverage of a sports event, write for a campus magazine or news website, plan an event, execute a campaign for a real client, and so much more. Classes, practicum, and internship opportunities, as well as leadership roles in student media and pre-professional organizations prepare you for careers in media and communication.
Request More Information
Student, Faculty, & Alumni Spotlights
![Public Relations Student Society Of America Public Relations Student Society Of America](https://www.otterbein.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/live-sports-e1617825226519.jpg)
Get your own byline. Learn to write, design, edit, and package a story with print, audio, and video components. Broadcast live while learning the talent of on-air announcing or camera operation. Be part of a team that engages broadly with the campus community and reports on news, arts, and sports. Build your editorial portfolio and connect with local journalists who help advise aspiring writers.
Join Otterbein’s PRSSA chapter and be one of more than 7,000 students from across the country who are finding internships, scholarships, and careers through their connections. Guest speakers, professional mixers, and tours of local agencies are some of the activities you’ll enjoy as you learn more about the growing field of public relations.
![Public Relations Student Society Of America Public Relations Student Society Of America](https://www.otterbein.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/public-relations-student-society-of-america-e1617824665861.jpg)
![Public Relations Student Society Of America Public Relations Student Society Of America](https://www.otterbein.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/debate-e1617826062705.jpeg)
Love to speak? Find yourself persuading others about important topics? Consider joining either the speech or debate team. Hone your presentation skills and then enjoy traveling to other campuses to meet other students in friendly, but sometimes fierce, competition! All along the way, build a skill employers desire—effective public speaking!
Students at WOBN-FM learn how to do remotes and live airshifts on the NexGen Automation system. Enjoy producing your own radio show, inviting guests to provide on-air insight, or editing your own podcast.
![Journalism And Media Communication Journalism And Media Communication](https://www.otterbein.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Journalism-and-Media-Communication-e1617742109732.jpg)
“Use college as your laboratory. Make mistakes and keep learning. Try something different. Don’t dismiss it if it’s not your first choice.”
Dr. Eric Jones
Associate Professor & WOBN-FM adviser
“I worked on the student magazine and eventually become editor-in-chief. I think it is a really great community builder and I have learned leadership skills in the process.”
Julia Grimm ’22
Public Relations and Journalism and Media Communication Major
Department Features & Student Opportunities
![012 Books](https://www.otterbein.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/012-books.png)
Scholarships
Communications majors can receive a wide range of scholarships and awards, including our department’s Communication Abilities scholarship, which ranges from $4,000 to $12,000 over four years.
![Thinking 1](https://www.otterbein.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/thinking-1.png)
Internships
Our students find internships as event planners, social media content producers, video creators, media liaisons, internal communication specialists, and more. These hands-on experiences often lead to successful job placements.
![020 Library](https://www.otterbein.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/020-library.png)
Facilities
The Department of Communication building is always buzzing with active student learning in classrooms, organization offices, informal study spaces, industry-standard production studios and computer labs, including a fully equipped video studio and a student-run radio station.
Communication Department News
![Resident Assistants Build Community In The Halls](https://www.otterbein.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Resident-Assistants-Build-Community-in-the-Halls--796x796.jpeg)
Cool Campus Jobs: Resident Assistants Build Community in the Halls and Across Campus
News - September 18, 2023
At Otterbein, students have many opportunities to foster their skills and interests in the form of on-campus jobs, internships and clubs. One campus job, being a resident assistant, or RA, allows students to become leaders in their residence hall, build community among other students and make life-long connections. A RA is an undergraduate student that lives in the residence halls and ensures the safety of the hall community while also being a resource for all the residential students that reside…![Photograph of Towers Hall at Otterbein University.](https://www.otterbein.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Towers-Hall-AA-Hero-Web-e1563820073191-796x796.jpg)
National Media Recognize Otterbein University for Programs and Values
News - September 18, 2023
Otterbein University has been collecting honors this fall, as it is recognized in national publications for its programs and values, including U.S. News & World Report, Colleges of Distinction, and Washington Monthly. US News & World Report Otterbein University has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report for its academic excellence, commitment to undergraduate teaching, and focus on affordability, student success outcomes, and experiential learning. In the 2024 Best Colleges rankings by U.S. News & World Report, Otterbein has…![Otterbein Marching Band](https://www.otterbein.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Otterbein-Marching-Band-796x796.jpeg)
Fast Track Innovation Fund Lets Community Shape Otterbein’s Growth
News - July 31, 2023
Otterbein University is using an innovative approach to grow enrollment and revenue by “crowd sourcing” ideas from its own community and investing in the best ideas with $1 million approved by the Board of Trustees. Under the Fast Track Innovation Fund initiative, seven projects proposed by Otterbein faculty and staff in May have been funded and are already being implemented on campus. “This investment in Otterbein’s future demonstrates our trustees’ commitment to allowing every member of our community to be heard…Programs of Study in Communication
B.A.
Communication Studies
B.A.
Health Communication
B.A.
Journalism & Media Communication
B.A.
Public Relations
Contact Us
33 Collegeview Road
1 South Grove St
Westerville, OH 43081
Administrative Assistant
Debra FitzGibbons
614-823-3380
fitzgibbons1@otterbein.edu
Apply
Now!