Department of Communication Studies and Theatre

Located in Communication and Theatre Building

 

 

 

The Department of Communication and Theatre Arts invites students to explore the important ways in which human communication, theatre performance and modern converged media (film, video, radio, television, news and the Internet) connect with and affect our lives, society and culture. Central to our pursuit of understanding the complexities of communicating in the 21st Century is the concept of story. Classes examine the rich traditions, explanatory theories and current practices of storytelling within the contexts of news and information, pleasure and entertainment and persuasion and social influence.

 

The Department's underlying focus is the pursuit of understanding the ways in which stories both reflect and shape self, relationships, institutions and organizations, society and culture in the contemporary world. Students who wish to deepen their understanding of these issues or who wish to prepare themselves for careers in this field may do so by pursuing majors in communication and theatre arts, journalism, media studies or theatre.

 

 

Communication and Theatre Arts
The communication and theatre arts major examines the theory and practice of human

communication in interpersonal, organizational, and public settings. The study of communication enriches students' lives as well as providing attractive career paths.

 

Journalism
With its focus on the convergence of print, electronic, and online journalism, the journalism major is designed to prepare students to work in the newsroom of the 21st Century.

 

Media Studies
The media studies major is designed to facilitate the development of a critical understanding of the media-conscious culture in which we live and the skills to produce media messages in a variety of genres.

 

Theatre
The theatre major consists of challenging courses in acting, directing, playwriting and design. The major takes advantage of the multi-disciplinary nature of the liberal arts tradition at Mercer. Combined with intensive practical training in production, the major is excellent preparation for graduate study or the professional industry.

 

Each of the above majors also offers a minor.

 

 

The Theatre
Mercer Theatre offers an intensive, hands-on experience in theatre production and performance. The Back Door Theatre provides an intimate setting for design and performance while larger venues, such as The Grand Opera House, offer large-scale production opportunities.  Mercer Theatre is committed to excellence in the arts. We embrace risk-taking and are committed to the development of theatre artists.

 

Mercer Debate Society
In the tradition of forensic and scholastic excellence, Mercer University supports a nationally competitive policy debate team and parliamentary debate team. Mercer Debate Society is open to the entire university community and provides the students with the opportunity for intercollegiate competition at national and regional tournaments.

 

National Honor Society
Students participate in an active chapter of the national honor society for communication and theatre arts.