The Department of Communication is a national leader in the study of communication as a social science, ranked among the top five by the National Research Council.

Our faculty and students are dedicated to understanding the role and enhancing the effectiveness of communication processes, systems and infrastructure in society. We explore communication in its many forms and contexts as a fundamentally social phenomenon. Our faculty members are recognized for developing and applying novel theoretical perspectives to the most pressing social and policy issues of the day.  

Our Programs & Research

Undergraduate

Our carefully constructed curriculum provides a core of contemporary communication knowledge, theory and practice: Students learn how communication influences attitudes, opinions and behaviors; how communication systems work in society; and how to apply this understanding of communication to solve problems, sustain the environment, reach the public with new knowledge, and manage the intricate networks of technologies.

Graduate

Our faculty and associated Graduate Field of Communication ensure that students are familiar with a wide range of tools, theories and methods, and can use these skills in original empirical research that asks and answers theoretically driven, socially relevant questions. Drawing from Cornell’s outstanding scholars and resources in the social sciences, natural sciences and humanities, our students find new ways to investigate how communication shapes society.

Research

We engage in a rich variety of research at the cutting edge of the field of communication and related disciplines, conducting research in many different areas. We encourage undergraduate and graduate students to explore faculty research areas and contact individual faculty members if interested in getting involved with research. Students must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA to do research.

COMM Updates

Michelle and Megan against wall smiling for picture

News

COMM Updates - 9/25/2024
Media Coverage Research Associate Sarah Gilbert was quoted in the Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research podcast “ Research Ethics across Domains.” The podcast explored the intersection of research ethics, online communities, and...
individuals smile in front of pollinator gardens

News

Events Associate Professor Neil Lewis, Jr. , is delivering the Hedges Lecture, sponsored by the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness. In his talk, entitled “Sharing What We Know (and What Isn’t So) to Improve Equity in Education,”...
individuals with their faces on the bodies of farm animals

News

Welcome back to the new semester and COMM Updates! Honors Continuing in the tradition of appointing our faculty members in high-level leadership positions, the university announced Professor Natalie Bazarova was appointed Associate Vice Provost...

Communication in the News

three digital drawings

Field Note

Sushmi Majumder '25: Artistic reflections on our connections to food
Cornell’s Food Systems and Global Change program launched a storytelling project called “Food is…,” which aims to meld digital illustration with personal narratives on the multifaceted nature of what food means to each of us. Hear from Sushmi...
  • Department of Communication
  • Department of Global Development
  • Communication
Smoke from wildfires burning in Canada shroud the Sage Hall tower, foreground, and McGraw Tower

News

To help local emergency managers assess danger, Cornell researchers have created the Mortality Estimation Tool to map predicted, smoke-attributed mortality statistics in near-real time.

  • Cornell Atkinson
  • Northeast Regional Climate Center
  • Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
A person giving another person a vaccination indoors

News

A study involving more than 3.6 million people who’d already received COVID vaccinations found that offering free Lyft rides to a vaccination site was no more enticing than simply reminding people of the importance of getting boosted.

  • Communication
  • Department of Communication
  • Behavior

Contact Us

450 Mann Library Building
phone: (607) 254-6278
email: communication [at] cornell.edu (communication[at]cornell[dot]edu)
We are located on the 4th floor of Mann Library, accessible only by the stairs/elevators within the library, which are just past the circulation desk.

Department Hours:
Monday - Thursday, 8am to 4:30pm
Friday, 8am to 3:30pm