Director’s welcome message
Welcome to the School of Communication
Welcome to the School of Communication!
My name is Michelle Carpenter. I am the Executive Director of the School of Communication in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at NAU. I am also a professor, filmmaker, and faculty member in the Creative Media and Film program.
The School of Communication helps all students achieve their full potential and have access to industry-relevant career paths. The school curriculum focuses on assisting students to become informed, critical thinkers and makers and engaged and active community members. After completing your studies in the School of Communication, you will have the skills to enter the communication, journalism, and creative industries workforce or be prepared for graduate studies. Students in the School of Communication typically graduate with bachelor’s degrees in the following areas:
- Communication Studies
- Creative Media and Film
- Journalism
- Photography
- Strategic Communication
- Visual Communication
The School of Communication also offers a Master’s in Communication in Communication Studies, Documentary Studies, and Strategic Communication.
In the first semester, students start doing creative and scholarly work in their field of study. Our students have access to state-of-the-art digital labs, including the VisualDESIGNLab (VDL), Photography Studios and Labs, UTV Studios, eSports, Advanced Media Lab, the Media Innovation Center (MIC), which includes The Lumberjack Newspaper, KJACK Radio, MIC Sports Reporting, and NAZToday News Broadcast.
The School of Communication offers numerous minors and certificates, including the Sports & Adventure Media Certificate and minors in Environmental Communication and Journalism. Explore our minors and certificates under degrees and programs on our School of Communication homepage.
Our students get jobs in film and television, including documentary and entertainment, visual communication and design, animation, public relations, marketing, advocacy, media relations, crisis management, advertising, branding, social media, data analytics, photography, journalism, radio, and other related communication fields.
I look forward to meeting you and answering any questions you may have about the School of Communication. Please email me (michelle.carpenter@nau.edu) with any questions using the contact information listed on the website or ask your admissions counselor for more information.
If you want to schedule a visit, please review our planned visit day options.
Welcome to the NAU family. We are proud of NAU’s commitment to educating, supporting, and empowering students of all backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences to reach their full potential and contribute to a more just, equitable, inclusive, prosperous, and sustainable future.
Warm regards,