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.

Communication in the News

Kimi Gengo, a poet and advocate for Japanese Americans who attended Cornell from 1924-1925 and 1928-1930 is one of the changemakers featured in Any Person, Many Stories. Her story is shared by Claire Deng, '22.

News

Public history project reveals stories of Cornell changemakers

"Any Person, Many Stories," a new public history digital exhibition hosted by the Center for Teaching Innovation, uses storytelling methods to take a closer look at Cornell’s past. The project's goal is to engage students, faculty, alumni, staff...

  • American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program
  • Behavior
  • Communication
A dining room with a table and chairs and bench

News

White Airbnb guests’ preference for white hosts unexpectedly is offset by the influence of same-race reviews, new Cornell research finds.

  • Department of Communication
  • Development Sociology
  • Behavior
New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado answers questions and offers life advice in a session for students moderated by Julie Suarez, associate dean for land-grant affairs, right.

News

New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado engaged with students and faculty on topics ranging from biological engineering to nutrition to 4-H programs during his first tour of the Ithaca campus on Feb. 2.

  • Department of Communication
  • Nutritional Sciences
  • Biology

News

Native speakers often dominate the discussion in multilingual online meetings, but adding an automated participant that periodically interrupts the conversation can help nonnative speakers get a word in edgewise, according to new research at...

  • Department of Communication
  • Communication

News

A Cornell research team identified barriers to immigrants’ use of online resources that could help them access health and legal benefits, and recommended solutions they incorporated into a new website, Rights for Health.

  • Department of Communication
  • Communication

Contact Us

450 Mann Library Building
phone: (607) 255-2601
email: communication [at] cornell.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