Knight School of Communication
Knight School of Communication
The James L. Knight School of Communication provides you with a learning environment where the classroom meets the real world. Our degrees are aligned with our overarching vision of being always current and always connected. We offer cutting-edge programs in Multimedia Storytelling, Sports Communication, and Health Communication, as well as a generalist Communication program. Our programs are designed to connect you to the exciting opportunities in the Charlotte area:
- Charlotte is a top 25 Nielsen media market
- The Charlotte region is a global leader in creating an innovation-led healthcare system
- Charlotte is home to many major professional sports teams
Our energetic and inspiring faculty prepares you to become an engaged citizen, advocate, and leader in the communities you serve. We are training you to be sophisticated information analysts, with a deep knowledge of how information flows. You will also develop the vocabulary and skills needed to communicate in meaningful ways across broad audiences.
Our School of Communication is the only one in the nation to bear the Knight name, and we are honored by that privilege. Our School is differentiated by its emphasis on deploying technology to a civically engaged end. By bridging community engagement and new media innovation, our programs are unique among our peer institutions.
We are committed to helping you understand, embrace, and share the best practices in the communication field. Our degrees equip you to navigate multiple and merged media platforms while providing you with the versatility necessary to succeed in a quickly evolving, growing, and converging digital media environment.
Beyond the walls of the classroom, we want you to be informed and engaged digital citizens. We encourage you to communicate, create, and innovate—to be dynamic agents of change. The faculty and students of the Knight School are working together to elevate their communities while building sustainable media ecosystems to help the communities in which they live, work, and serve flourish.
Center for Digital Equity
Housed in the Knight School of Communication, the Center for Digital Equity (CDE) is dedicated to making Mecklenburg County the most digitally equitable community in America. Digital equity means that every community has the necessary technology skills and tools to take part fully in our society, democracy, and economy. Lack of internet access and adoption, a working device, and basic computer literacy skills place Mecklenburg County residents at a disadvantage and prevent them from fully participating in an increasingly digitalized world.
To achieve their ambitious mission, the CDE uses a collective impact strategy that brings together residents, and public and private sector partners to co-create solutions to allow every resident the opportunity to thrive in our modern culture. The CDE believes addressing digital equity is not just a matter of fairness and justice; it is essential for building a robust democracy and creating a society that benefits from the diverse perspectives and collective talents of all its members.
Read more about the CDE’s work in the community by browsing the FY23 Collective Impact Report.
Degrees & Certificates
- Master of Arts in Communication (MA COM)
The Knight Team
Dean’s Office
Nicole Hoerschelmann
Dean, Knight School of Communication
Undergraduate Programs
Roseann Pluretti English
Director, Undergraduate Programs
Graduate Programs
Lauren Holmes
Graduate Recruiter
Dynamic Faculty
The Knight School of Communication faculty are mentors to students, as well as well-respected scholars and experts in various industries linked to the field of communication.
Queens News Service
Launched in February 2021, this student-run service supplies news content to multiple news organizations in the Queen City, as it helps these media outlets report local stories they would cover if they had additional resources. Intending to produce five pieces monthly — 80 percent text, and 20 percent video, the Queens News Service helps power student broadcasting and podcasting along with courses on content generation.
By working on the student news service team, you are offered a realistic learning environment where you interact with top editors to discuss gaps in staff coverage that the service can fill. Many members of the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative have agreed to participate and Queens students have published their work in multiple professional news outlets, including WFAE’s web page and the front page of the Charlotte Observer.
“The Queens University News Service is a great news asset for Charlotte newsrooms,” said Jennifer Lang, senior editor, digital news and product at WFAE. “By subscribing to this news service, WFAE can give our audience additional perspectives and coverage of news and events that we might not have had without the work of these student journalists.”
Location
Queens is nestled in the historic Myers Park neighborhood, so we are just minutes from Uptown Charlotte. Come visit us at the Knight-Crane Hall!
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