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

Photo of libe slope from the side with yellow flowers from the wild garden in the foreground and Uris library and the clocktower in the distance.

News

Faculty from seven Cornell colleges have been named Engaged Faculty Fellows through the David M. Einhorn Center for Community Engagement, joining a network that is committed to advancing engaged teaching and scholarship at Cornell and in their...

  • Food Science
  • Microbiology
  • Communication
Photo of homes by a small body of water.

News

Cornell researchers compared federal floodplain home buyout policies with regional programs, showing that local strategies may make these acquisitions more equitable and effective.

  • Cornell Atkinson
  • Landscape Architecture
  • Climate Change

News

The federally funded 2022 Collaborative Midterm Survey aims to provide the most comprehensive understanding of this year’s midterm elections on Nov. 8, while advancing the science of survey research.

  • Department of Communication
  • Communication
Headshot of Natalie Bazarova and Qian Yang.

News

To help people navigate our increasingly tech-driven world, Natalie Bazarova, professor of communication in the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Qian Yang, assistant professor of information science in the Cornell...
  • 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