The Sports Communication program studies sports as a communication context. The topics covered by the course include the impact of sports on culture, media coverage of sports, coach-athlete communication, family communication, and fan behavior. The goal of the program is to provide students with an educational background to work in a support role in an athletic organization, most frequently in either sports administration or sports information.
Course Catalog
A complete list of major requirements, courses, and a proposed four-year program of study for Communication majors are available in the UAB Undergraduate Catalog.
Ready to Apply?
All the information you need to apply can be found on UAB's Undergraduate Admissions Hub.
The UAB Department of Communication Studies offers a top-ranked and award-winning curriculum in public relations. Our program is designed to offer you a wide range of career choices in fields that include business, politics and public affairs, fundraising, event planning, sports, government, not-for-profits, crisis management, and education.
The public relations curriculum places a heavy emphasis on teaching you all the skills you'll need to succeed and excel in any of these organizations. You'll learn the basics in the field and also practice those skills by representing real clients over the course of your study, all under the supervision and advice of faculty. In addition, you will develop skills in management and leadership, as well as theory and research — all essential in providing professional representation to your clients throughout your career. Students regularly publish their work, recognized by public relations practitioners.
Here's What to Expect
Public relations is the use of strategy and skill to manage communication with the media and public for individuals and organizations. It is a relationship-based field and you will learn everything from how to effectively build those relationships, to branding, to how to craft your message while maintaining credibility. Initial courses will provide you with a broad overview of the field, exploring the relationships between public relations and other fields, including marketing and advertising.
Early on, you will begin representing clients while you take courses in the basic principles of public relations as a management function in the areas of communication analysis, leadership and ethics, counseling, public information activities and publicity. You will learn to analyze the relationships between an individual or organization and the public(s) upon which success or failure depends. Then, together with your client, you will use those analytical skills to develop and implement a campaign delivering measurable results. Strong emphasis is placed on ethics and leadership throughout the curriculum.
Why Study Public Relations at UAB?
Our program has won the Public Relations Council of Alabama (PRCA) Student Chapter of the Year for 39 of the last 41 years. In 2024 UAB brought home nine Medallion Awards (the highest award offered by the Public Relations Council of Alabama) as well as 10 Awards of Excellence and 17 Awards of Merit.In addition, students won three group awards recognizing their campaigns representing local nonprofit organizations in the community. One student won the Judge's Choice Award for her individual contribution to the campaign and three students won Judge's Choice Awards for their firm's campaign. Finally, another student won Best of Show and one student placed second for the Student of the Year Award.
The UAB program receives state and national recognition. The PRCA/PRSSA at UAB chapter has been recognized as a STAR chapter by the Public Relations Student Society of America for the past six years. In 2023 the program also received the prestigious Dr. F. H. Teahan National Chapter Award for Chapter Firm.
In 2024 the UAB program won the Outstanding Chapter Award, Chapter Campaign Award, Community Service Award, and Chapter Website Award from the Alabama Public Relations Student Society of America. One student won the PR Strategist Award and the Wordsmith Award.
Our award-winning student chapter, PRCA/PRSSA at UAB, competes successfully against similar student organizations across the nation and is active in the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).
If you are looking for a career that is cutting-edge, fast-paced, and rewarding and combines creativity with story-telling and building relationships, Public Relations is the field for you. The market is robust and our students graduate into a career that is dynamic and full of opportunities across many, many industries.
Program Requirements
A complete list of major requirements, courses, and a proposed four-year program of study for Communication majors are available in the UAB Undergraduate Catalog.
Want to Learn More?
Do you have questions that we haven't answered? Ask us! Email Dr. Jacquelyn S. Shaia, director of the public relations program and director of internships, at
Ready to apply? All the information you need can be found on UAB's Undergraduate Admissions Hub.
The journalism degree in Communication Studies at UAB aims to prepare students to work in an ever-changing 21st-century digital media landscape, and we do that by focusing on the field’s core elements — namely storytelling and information gathering — in addition to its history, ethical norms and legal regulation.
Here's What to Expect
The journalism specialization offers courses that meet this need, among them news writing and reporting, feature writing, editing, and design. You will make use of a state-of-the-art Digital Commons and a Journalism Lab. You will also hone your skills by writing and editing the UAB student newspaper - The Kaleidoscope and literary magazine - Aura and through internships at various newspapers and magazines.
Why Study With Us?
Our graduates pursue careers in newspaper and magazine journalism, online journalism, corporate communication, and political communication, among others. One of our graduates was part of the team at The Tuscaloosa News that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2012. Another recent graduate is a freelance contributor to The New York Times, following stints at the Times Daily (Florence, AL) and the Anderson-Independent-Mail (South Carolina).
The Journalism specialization annually offers competitive scholarships that range in value from $750 to $2,000.
Program Requirements
A complete list of major requirements, courses, and a proposed four-year program of study for Communication majors are available in the UAB Undergraduate Catalog.
Ready to Apply?
All the information you need to apply can be found on UAB's Undergraduate Admissions Hub.
With media increasingly becoming a part of our daily lives, the need for talented people to create compelling content has never been higher. Whether you’re interested in television, radio, or digital media, a specialization in broadcasting prepares you to work in a fast-paced team environment while producing a variety of media content.
Here's What to Expect
The broadcasting curriculum at UAB is designed to educate you through a combination of history, theory, and practice. You will be taught to think critically about human communication while learning to communicate through various types of media — you will learn to write, produce, direct, record, and edit digital media through hands-on projects in the field and the studio. As you progress through your studies, you will work on increasingly complicated projects, learning to use more complex production tools and software with the ultimate goal of producing captivating stories.
Why Study With Us?
Student work has been featured on TV and radio broadcasts, online, and in festivals, and several of our alumni have gained professional recognition for their work, including Emmy and Addy awards. Alumni can be seen and heard on the air, while others are involved behind-the-scenes in other capacities, whether producing, directing, writing, editing, or filming a variety of productions.
Students who study broadcasting are armed with skills that are valuable in a number of professional settings, and our graduates have found jobs in a variety of careers across the country. Graduates work in TV and radio stations — in the news, production, sales, and marketing — and many got an early start here at UAB through internships at local stations. Our graduates also work at companies and nonprofits with a need for strategic media content, while others find work at production companies or media networks.
Program Requirements
A complete list of major requirements, courses, and a proposed four-year program of study for Communication majors are available in the UAB Undergraduate Catalog.
The Mass Media Concentration is designed for students interested in specializing in broadcasting, journalism, or public relations.
Broadcasting Specialization
Students in broadcasting prepare for professional careers in television and digital media, news operations, or management. Learn more about what to expect, why to study with us, and what the requirements are.
Learn MoreJournalism Specialization
This concentration is designed to prepare students for work with newspapers, magazines, and company publications. Learn more about what to expect, why to study with us, and what the requirements are.
Learn MorePublic Relations Specialization
Public relations is a pre-professional program designed to acquaint students with the theoretical knowledge and the practical skills necessary for relating ideas and information to the public. The program stresses writing, oral, and analytical skills. Learn more about what to expect, why to study with us, and what the requirements are.
Learn MoreReady to Apply?
All the information you need to apply can be found on UAB's Undergraduate Admissions Hub.
The Communication Management Program in Communication Studies at UAB is designed for students interested in the general principles of communication, from interpersonal relationships to the theory and practice of public dialogue. Students learn how to manage communication and interpersonal relationships more effectively across a variety of contexts, including health, organizational, and intercultural.
Course Catalog
A complete list of major requirements, courses, and a proposed four-year program of study for Communication majors are available in the UAB Undergraduate Catalog.
Ready to Apply?
All the information you need to apply can be found on UAB's Undergraduate Admissions Hub.