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

COMM UPDATES from the Department of Communication

News

COMM Updates - 12/10/2025
December 10, 2025 Conferences & Lectures Graduate student Emma Cox presented her research titled “Expanding the Risk Convergence Model: Distinguishing Character-Driven and Plot-Driven Forms of Engagement as Explanations for Risk Perceptions” at...
four people stand in front of a sign that reads I heart NCA

News

December 3, 2025 Awards Assistant Professor Monica Cornejo et al., received the Top Paper Award in the Interpersonal Communication Division from the National Communication Association. Their paper, titled “Exploring the Effects and Content of...
four individuals sit around a table

News

November 19, 2025 Invited Lectures Graduate student Ria Gualano delivered an invited talk titled “Virtual Reality Avatars and Storytelling” as part of Disability and Extended Reality Technologies: A Research Day at the University of Michigan’s...

Communication in the News

Single lit candle

News

Dawn Schrader, moral psychology expert, dies at 67

Dawn Schrader, associate professor in the Department of Communication in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, known for her intellectual rigor and deep humanity, died Jan. 6 at age 67.

  • Communication
Hauwa Otori headshot

News

Hauwa Otori ‘08 is the guest on the new episode of Startup Cornell. She's the creator of the Founders International Network and host of the Building Black podcast, which shares stories about the experiences of under-resourced entrepreneurs from...

  • Communication
Emma Alexander standing on top of Phnom Kulen Mountain

News

Being a Global Intern in Cambodia helped Emma Alexander explore her career interests and opened a world of possibilities in global studies.

  • Communication

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