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

students standing in front of class while Professor LaVigne announces student winners

News

COMM Updates - 12/11/2024
Awards The annual Woodford Persuasive Speech Contest took place on November 20, 2024. The contest is the culmination of the undergraduate course Oral Communication, taught by Senior Lecturer Michelle LaVigne. The event features students...
Lewenstein gives presentation to crowd

News

Briefings, Conference Presentations, Symposia, Panels & Workshops Graduate student Luke Dye presented a paper at the National Communication Association annual conference entitled “How Do Servicemembers and Romantic Partners Talk about...
6 individuals stand and pose for a photo

News

Briefings, Conference Presentations, Panels & Workshops Associate Professor Brooke Duffy delivered two panel talks at the Association of Internet Researchers annual conference. In “From CareerTok to #Quietquitting: Social Media Communication...

Communication in the News

Field Note

Lauren Chuhta ’26: Fostering connection at the forefront of global change
Meet Lauren Chuhta ’26, a double major in Global Development and Communication at Cornell CALS. Before coming to Cornell, Lauren explored local and global food security challenges through experiences with FFA and the World Food Prize Foundation...
  • Department of Communication
  • Department of Global Development
  • Communication
Beth McGinty, chief of the Division of Health Policy and Economics in the Department of Population Health Sciences at Weill Cornell Medicine, and Colleen Barry, founding dean of the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, celebrate the Cornell Health Policy Center's launch during an event Nov. 15 at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. Photo by Sudeepa Singh.

News

Weill Cornell Medicine and the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy have established the Cornell Health Policy Center to serve as the locus for health policy impact, research and training across Cornell.

  • Department of Communication
  • Policy Analysis and Management
  • Communication
Lisa Kaltenegger, director of the Carl Sagan Institute, associate professor of astronomy and author of “Alien Earths: The New Science of Planet Hunting in the Cosmos,” said the thousands of exoplanets detected to date suggest there are “billions and billions” of possibilities for life beyond Earth. Photo by Sreang Hok.

News

In person and online Nov. 9, thousands attended an interdisciplinary program of research presentations and music celebrated Carl Sagan’s legacy on what would have been his 90th birthday.

  • Biological and Environmental Engineering
  • Department of Communication
  • Biology

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