Propulsion’s Top Picks for Communication Programs Across the Country

For those who have aspirations of entering the Communications field, or for employers looking for talented future hires, we decided to compile a list of Communication schools and programs across the country that standout. This list is loosely based off the 2011 US News College Rankings and our own research of 20 colleges (from their own school websites). From there, we chose these five universities because they had something special to offer a student trying to break into the industry. These are our results:

1. Northwestern University- School of Communication
One of their premier facilities, Fisk Digital Media Studio, contains 20 Mac workstations and 10 DVCPRO tape decks along with graphics software such as Apple Final Cut Pro, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe After Effects. Classes in the studio teach practical skills, such as video editing, graphic design, and 2D animation.

*Notable alumni: David Schwimmer, Steven Colbert, Zach Braff

2. University of Texas- College of Communication
This university competes with colleges based in LA or NYC by offering a special program called University of Texas Semester in LA. Each semester 30 students go out to LA and can choose from 6 different classes they wish to take while also participating in an internship.

*Notable alumni: Matthew McConaughey, Renee Zellweger, & Owen Wilson

3. Syracuse University- S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
The Newhouse School is considered to be one of the nation’s top mass communication schools. The school’s curriculum even in includes the opportunity to study abroad and a summer internship in India’s famous Bollywood.

*Notable alumni: Taye Diggs, Vanessa Williams, & Aaron Sorkin

4. University of Southern California- School of Cinematic Arts
The school holds an annual film festival called First Look. The categories include: Cinematography, Documentary, Writing, Editing, Sound, Directing and Producing. The films are narrowed down to three top prizes: FotoKem Gold, Silver and Bronze awards. Winners can be awarded $1000-$3000 in order to distribute their film.

*Notable alumni: Judd Apatow, Ron Howard, & Will Ferrell

5. University of Miami- School of Communication
All students within the program are encouraged to become involved in UMTV, the school’s cable television channel. The channel reaches all the entire Coral Gables area and other parts of Miami. Student run shows that can be viewed on the channel include: Cane Eyes View, Hurricane Gameday, NewsVision, Off The Wire, The Slate, SportsDesk, UMTV Today, Uni Miami, We The Students.

*Notable alumni: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Sylvester Stallone, & Enrique Iglesias

Please stay tuned next time when Propulsion reviews Communication programs in the Delaware Valley/Tri-State area.