Communication Studies

In these exciting, highly interactive majors, you'll explore how our everyday forms of communication create meaning and shape our perspective of the world. The majors are unique within Canada for our experience-based study of verbal, non-verbal, visual, and digital communication practices.

Over the course of your degree, you'll hone your written and oral communication skills while developing expertise in teamwork, research, visual and digital literacy, and critical analysis – just the kind of skills that employers are hungry for. Choosing the co-op version will provide insights into possible careers and paid work experience along the way.

Choose one of two majors

• Communication Arts and Design Practice: Enhance your knowledge and practice of effective communication with hands-on digital design projects and greater focus on visual communication and rhetoric. This major is a really good fit if you're artistic and interested in careers in digital media design.

• Communication Studies: Focus on the art of speaking and communicating to audiences and in group settings. This major is broader and has more courses related to general business than the Communication Arts and Design Practice major.

With the explosion of information in recent decades, a degree in communications has never been more valuable. Our program will set you up for an exciting range of careers in marketing, public relations, advertising, teaching, the media, and human resources. Graduates work in a variety of settings – including interpersonal, organizational, and public – for businesses, non-profit organizations, universities, technology companies, and financial institutions.

Learn more about what you can do with a communications degree.

Recent graduates

• Marketing Coordinator – Deloitte
• Junior Integrated Marketing Communications Manager – Microsoft Canada
• English Teacher – EF Education First
• Strategic Planning Officer – Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)
• Enterprise Account Executive – Shopify Plus
• Customer Experience Specialist – Tesla Canada

Learn about the future of careers in the humanities, social sciences, languages, and creative arts.

If you plan to be a full-time Waterloo student, you'll apply through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC), which handles applications to each of Ontario's universities.

Applying through the OUAC means that you'll apply and/or submit grades to the OUAC instead of multiple Ontario universities. OUAC will send your information to each Ontario university you apply to.

Be sure to apply by the application deadline (February 1 for most programs).

Within two weeks of receiving your application from the OUAC, we'll email you with your Waterloo student number and any actions you might need to take.