Curious Student
Film Class
Radio Production
Video Production Class
First Amendment
Flamingo Film Festival
Stop Motion Class
 

SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION & MULTIMEDIA STUDIES

The School of Communication and Multimedia Studies (SCMS) is a vibrant hub within the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. With an internationally known and award-winning faculty, the School provides opportunities for study for those interested in a wide array of human communicative activities, ranging from face-to-face human interactions to mediated communication to computer animation.

The School of Communication and Multimedia Studies offers two distinct yet aligned baccalaureate degree programs with over 1,200 majors, a Masters of Arts in Communication Studies, and a Masters of Fine Arts in Media, Technology, and Entertainment. The larger of the two B.A. degrees, with over 800 majors, is Communication Studies. The Multimedia Studies degree program allows students to concentrate either in Film, Video, and New Media or in Multimedia Journalism. Undergraduate coursework maybe divided between FAU's main campus in Boca Raton and our Davie campus; the M.A. program is located primarily on the Boca Raton campus, and the M.F.A.program is housed on the Davie campus.

In addition to their coursework, students in the SCMS become involved with many aspects of co-curricular life at FAU. From public debates and Speakers' Corner events, to film festivals and exhibitions, to student clubs such as the Film Clubs and Zeta Iota (the FAU chapter of the national communication honorary society Lambda Pi Eta), to digital media initatives such as Wavelengths and South Florida Journal, to cooperation in student run media such as The University Press, OWL Radio, or OWL TV, SCMS students have myriad opportunities to apply skills learned in the classroom in their engagement in campus and community life. Many of these co-curricular activities fall under the umbrella of the SCMS's commitment to the American Democracy Project, a national initiative promoted by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in cooperation with The New York Times that is dedicated to the reinvigoration of citizenship and civic engagement among students in public colleges and universities. The SCMS takes the mission of the American Democracy Project to heart, and much of our curriculum explores the inter-relationships among human communication activities and public life. The Communication Studies B.A. is built around issues of communication and civic life.

The SCMS enjoys a unique cooperative, public-private alliance with The Living Rooms Theaters, a four-theater complex located with the School in FAU's new Culture and Society Building. Commercials theaters by night, the Living Room Theaters serve as important teaching spaces during the day for our film classes. The cooperative relationship affords our film students opportunities to study the film business from multiple perspectives.

As a graduate from the School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, you would have many career options. Most of our graduates move directly into the job market, but many others go on to graduate school, law school, or other professional advanced degree programs. The opportunities for SCMS graduates to take theoretical, analytic, and critical perspectives and combine them with performance and production skills opens many career doors. And this is not surprising. A poll of 330 industry leaders conducted by the University of Phoenix revealed that 96% of executives ranked communication and interpersonal skills as the most valuable traits for employees, and the American Association of Colleges and Universities conducted a poll of major U.S. employers that showed that employers want colleges and universities to increase their focus on written and oral communication,critical thinking and analytical reasoning, and concepts and developments in technology, including of course communication technologies. Graduates from the School of Communication and Multimedia Studies fit this profile of what employers increasingly seek.

As you look around our website and investigate our programs, we invite you to envision yourself as either an undergraduate major pursuing the rich array of curricular and co-curricular offerings available to you or as a graduate student specializing in either Communication Studies or Media, Technology, and Entertainment. In the School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, we enrich lives as well as careers.

Sincerely,
Carol Bishop Mills, Ph.D.
Professor and Director of the School

FEATURE STORY


Flamingo Film Festival open for submissions.

Student with Drone

Flamingo Film Festival XI: A Showcase of International Student Film and Video, is officially open for submissions. The regular deadline is April 8th with the exhibition scheduled for April 27th at FAU's MetroLab, Fort Lauderdale campus. Screening times and film programs to be announced later.

The Flamingo Film Festival is collaborative project that is organized by students and faculty from the Exhibition Practices in Film, Video & Media course, taught by Prof. Shane Eason. Students can submit their films using the FILMFREEWAY portal, and FAU students can use code FFFXIFAU to waive the entry fee. Review all rules and terms prior to submitting.
More information can be found through the following links: FilmFreeway | Web | Facebook | Instagram | Vimeo | YouTube. Feel free to share this info with anyone that might be interested, and we'll see you at the show!

2024 poster/postcard designed by Leo Rojas.

NEWS
Scene From Lopez de Victoria's Videogame Project
Multiple Awards for Visiting Faculty
Faculty Visiting Instructor Samuel Lopez de Victoria was awarded a 2023 Ellie Creator Award  for a video game art project with a peaceful narrative based on a distant future, where natural plants have merged with digital...
READ
Robé Latest Book
Faculty Author on Book Tour
A special shout out to Dr. Chris Robé who recently published his new book Abolishing Surveillance: Digital Media Activism and State Repression. Recently Dr. Robé talked about his book on the podcast Coffee With Comrades...
READ
New Minors in SCMS!
SCMS Announces Three New Minors
We are excited to announce THREE interdisciplinary minors beginning fall 2022! Students can now earn a minor in Political Communication, Sport Studies, and Public Relations, each requiring only 12 credits. Visit the link...
READ
Pacha Mama Workflow
Alumni Finalists in Producers Guild Honor
"Pacha Mama", a short film from Noitom International (Miami) was nominated for the Producers Guild of America Innovation Award (LA). The film was created by MTEn-MFA alumni Alberto Alvarez (Author and Technical Director;...
READ
Alison Currie
Student in SCMS Wins Broadway Theater Fellowship
A student from the SCMS, Allison Currie, is among the five recipients of the Black Theatre Coalition/Broadway Across America Fellowship sponsored by the John Gore Organization. Currie is an undergraduate student pursuing...
READ
 
SPOTLIGHT STORIES

FACULTY
Alejandra Abad
Alejandra Abad

"Storytelling is a significant part of my art practice, especially experimental narratives that examine access, borders, community, connection, and boundaries. My recent exhibitions include animations and moving images that... Read More

ALUMNUS
Alexandra Robinson
Alexandra Robinson

Alexandra Robinson earned her BA in Multimedia Communications, specializing in Film and New Media, from FAU in 2021. After graduating, she relocated to New York City to pursue her passion of filmmaking. She is now the co-creator... Read More

STUDENT
Vito Borio
Vito Borio

Vito is in his final semester as a Communication Studies major with a minor in Philosophy. Some of his hobbies include cooking, music, exercise, and travel. One of his lifelong dreams was to go to school in Florida, and FAU... Read More