Communications and Media Studies Newsletter

In 1982, the Communications Cluster was founded within the Experimental College. The cluster was developed in response to student demand and the perceived need to develop an "academic emphasis on communications and media." (Bulletin of Tufts University, 1983-1984). It became the Communications and Media Studies in 1985.

In 1996, the Communications and Media Studies program, while continuing to be housed in the Ex College, won approval as an interdisciplinary minor.

As of 2012, Communications and Media Studies is an interdisciplinary program designed to educate Tufts students about mass media and communications within a liberal arts curriculum. It continues to focus on the role of media in the United States and internationally. In an era in which knowledge about people and events comes primarily from mass media and social media, responsible citizens increasingly need to understand the historical, social, and cultural significance of film, print, digital, and electronic media. It focuses on understanding what those art and media forms mean, why they are important, and how students can learn from them and use them more powerfully. There are three minor degrees associated with the program: Mass Communications & Media Studies Minor, Film Studies, and Multimedia Arts.