The mission of the School of Communication is to educate and prepare students to obtain and evaluate information critically; to create, implement, and disseminate evidence-based messages; and to communicate ethically and appropriately with a variety of audiences in both personal and professional contexts. We aim to produce communication leaders who are aware of the importance of communication research, theories, and principles, and who are able to apply these to communicate effectively in an increasingly complex global communication environment.
The School of Communication was created in 2016 under the direction of founding dean Lisa Sparks, Ph.D. and has experienced a tremendous amount of growth in the past few years. Home to three undergraduate academic programs, a Master of Science in Health and Strategic Communication, and a Ph.D. in Communication, the School of Communication continues to be considered a vibrant and innovative leader in the rapidly growing and critically important field of communication.
The School of Communication faculty are among the most productive and respected scholars in the communication discipline and on the Chapman campus. Just recently, Assistant Professor Dr. Sara LaBelle has been recognized by Communication Education as part of the top 1% of published scholars in Communication Studies journals for her research from 2017 to 2021. Our faculty consistently publish cutting-edge peer-reviewed research in top academic journals and have published hundreds of research articles as well as numerous books and book chapters. Communication faculty have also landed book contracts with highly regarded publishers (Peter Lang, University of California Press, Wiley-Blackwell, and Polity), have served on review boards and as editors for several academic journals, and have received numerous awards and accolades.