Undergraduate Scholarships and Awards

The Department of Communication offers a variety of competitive scholarships and awards. Please see below for descriptions of each.

The College of Arts and Science also offers a variety of scholarships which can be accessed here. 

Applications for all scholarships and awards should be made on the ScholarshipUniverse website. For more information on how to use Scholarship Universe, see this instructional webpage from Student Financial Aid.

 

Timeline for Application Due Dates

  • February 1, 11:59 PM:  College of Arts & Science Scholarships
  • April 1, 11:59 PM: Department of Communication Curator Scholarships
  • April 1, 11:59 PM: Unbridled Media Scholarship
  • April 1, 11:59 PM: Department of Communication Outstanding Senior Awards
  • April 1, 11:59 PM: ACDC Summer Opportunities Fund Internship Scholarship 

Department of Communication Curators Scholarships

Curator Scholarships are given to a select number of students who demonstrate both community involvement and active participation with student organizations through various extracurricular activities, have at least a 3.0 GPA, and have completed 12 hours of course work within the department by the end of the applying semester. Applications are due by April 1 and announcements are made approximately two weeks later.

Summer Internship Scholarship

The Advisory Council for the Department of Communication awards a $1,000 travel scholarship for a Communication Major who secures a summer internship in a location where they do not currently live. This scholarship is intended to help a student with travel expenses and/or housing costs associated with a summer internship. Internship scholarship requests must be received by April 1 at 11:59 PM.

Department of Communication Outstanding Student Awards

Every year, the Department of Communication offers awards to outstanding undergraduate students. 

The nominations for the awards can come from the faculty, academic advisors, graduate student instructors, and student self-nominations. A nomination period will be announced every spring. The faculty selects the recipients of the awards. The awards are presented at the annual Department of Communication Undergraduate Awards Ceremony during COMM Week each spring semester. 

The criteria for the awards emphasize involvement with the undergraduate program through outstanding participation in coursework, research projects, and relevant student activities.  

The awards include:

The G. Joseph Wolfe Award in Media Production 

  • This award is given to a senior who has demonstrated creative and technical abilities in all phases of media production and has provided noteworthy involvement with student production activities. 

The Outstanding Student in Department Service and Leadership (The Loren Reid Award) 

  • This award is given to a student who has demonstrated strong leadership skills through his/her participation in student activities and service for the department.  

Inclusive Excellence in Communication Undergraduate Award  

  • This award is given to a student who has made exceptional contributions to the Department of Communication excellence by cultivating an inclusive and accessible learning environment. 

MJ Smythe Award for Excellence in Communication Research  

  • This award is given to a senior who has demonstrated strong skills and commitment to conducting research in the field of communication. 

Academic Excellence in Communication Undergraduate Award 

  • This award is given to a senior who has demonstrated excellence in learning and applying their communication coursework inside and/or outside of the classroom.  

Unbridled Media Scholarship

This award recognizes undergraduate Communication students with experience and aspirations in media production or content creation, giving preference to those pursuing careers in media whose work brings fresh perspectives and meaningfully tells the stories of diverse communities or experiences.

Applicants should provide the following:

  1. A brief written statement (maximum of 500 words) describing the student's professional and personal goals after college, and why their interest in mediated communication is central to those goals.
  2. Links to any examples of digital media creations by the student that are available for review on an online source.  "Digital media creations" include (but are not necessarily limited to) such products as videos, audio productions and visual graphic design.

For more information on Unbridled Media, please visit the company’s website here.