What is COJO all about?

In COJO, we study all forms of communication – interpersonal, organizational, intercultural, and mass-mediated through advertising, journalism and public relations. We create effective messages with words, images and sounds that are presented as speeches, news stories and advertising campaigns, just to name a few. We study the processes by which messages are sent and received so that we understand the effects and meanings of messages.

COJO courses prepare students for careers in advertising, corporate communication, digital and electronic media production, journalism (in print, broadcast and web-based formats), organizational communication, public relations and more.

COJO students take a core of courses that give them basic competence in writing and speaking, and then work with their faculty advisors to select courses that help them specialize in a self-determined area of communication. All our students end their major with a senior seminar in Communication Ethics, which ensures they understand how ethical principles apply to all forms of communication and are ready as professionals to work toward the common good.

To build professional skills in the field, COJO students have the opportunity to apply and be hired for positions as reporters, editors, designers, advertising salespeople and public relations representatives at TommieMedia.com, our web-based, student-run media organization.  TommieMedia reports and posts news stories in text, video and audio formats seven days a week.  As the nation's first online-only college member of the Associated Press, TommieMedia also includes local, regional, national and world news.