Political Communications Concentration
With the gift of Bonnie and Bill Stubblefield and the subsequent creation of the ‘Stubblefield Institute for Civil Political Communications at Shepherd University’ in summer 2019, a new and exciting focus on political communication and the need to address incivility in American public discourse has taken hold at Shepherd University. Interest in the mission of the Institute for Civil Political Communications and in a better understanding of political communication generally is spreading throughout the region and across the country as a result of the rise in the importance of social media in the political world, as well as of the increasingly charged and partisan political environment. Shepherd University is proud to be one of less than a dozen institutions of higher education in the country that offers an undergraduate program in political communications.
The Political Communications Concentration is designed to provide students with an in-depth understanding of both political institutions and processes and communication theory and techniques. This program prepares undergraduates to become policy advocates, campaign executives, public relations officers, political consultants and other political professionals whose work is to create, shape, and distribute messages that influence the political process. In addition, Shepherd’s proximity to Washington, DC offers easy access to accomplished practitioners in the field who can share their knowledge and experience directly with students, provides for a wide array of internship placements in the field, and produces many opportunities for connecting students graduating from Shepherd with lucrative job and career development opportunities.