The School of Communication evolved from a two-credit public speaking course offered in 1926 at the College of Liberal Arts into a school that champions ethical and effective communication, credibility and creativity, and impactful scholarship.

Anika Engel, who graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies, has a commitment to serve others. Photo: Joshua Prezant/University of Miami

News@TheU
6-26-2025
This story originally appeared in News@TheU.

Shortly after the University welcomed its inaugural class, the first student-written column of University News ran in the Coral Gables Riviera Times. By 1929, it evolved into The Miami Hurricane, the University’s award–winning newspaper. That same year, journalism courses were offered. A journalism major followed in 1938.

The two-credit public speaking course evolved into a public speaking major in 1927 and launched the University’s first debate team, The Debating Society. Now called The Debate Team, the group has won multiple national awards, including the ACC Debate Championship.

Continuing its collaboration with local media, the University broadcast several radio programs on WIOD, leading to a Radio Workshop course in 1940. Within a year, the University was producing up to three weekly programs, featuring original student-written scripts, casts, and production crews.

The Radio Department, established in 1948, quickly became the Radio and Television Department a year later, reflecting the rise of television. In March 1949, local station WTVJ signed on and within a month, partnered with the department to livecast student productions. Recognizing the growing importance of cinema, the department was renamed the Department of Radio, Television, and Film. A merger with the Department of Journalism in 1966 resulted in the Department of Mass Media Communications. In 1968 the radio operation received its official license to broadcast under the call sign WVUM. Today, “The Voice” still broadcasts throughout South Florida and online. Cable broadcasting was driven by a grant from Dynamic Cablevision in the 1980s that led to the construction of Studio C and the development of a 24-hour local cable channel. Renamed UMTV in the mid-1990s, today, the award- winning channel produces a variety of programming, including news, sports, weather, comedy, and Spanish- language shows, filmed in multiple studios within the school.

Meanwhile, back in the mid-1980s, the establishment of a communication school was gaining momentum. The School of Communication welcomed its first class of students in fall 1985. Today, the Frances L. Wolfson Building, built in 2001, and the Communication International Building, built in 2007, house the school’s five departments and state-of-the-art learning spaces, broadcast and production studios, UX and VR labs, and editing suites. The Koenigsberg and Nadal Interactive Media Center offers students a vibrant, collaborative learning space and houses Orange Umbrella, the school’s student-run consultancy. The Bill Cosford Cinema, a nonprofit art house movie theater, serves both the University and Coral Gables communities. The Norton Herrick Center for Motion Picture Studies hosts a collection of more than 2,000 films for university use.

To keep pace with the times, the school is finding new and innovative ways to integrate artificial intelligence into its curriculum. Recognizing the importance of research and practice, it offers courses that leverage experience and evidence.

The school continues to evolve, offering academic degrees and experiential opportunities that benefit undergraduate and graduate students in cinematic arts, communication and media studies, interactive media, journalism, media management, and strategic communication. The school consistently has achieved high national rankings across its award-winning programs, publications, and organizations, and its faculty members are among the most successful scholars and creative professionals in the field.

Read the full issue of Miami magazine’s Centennial Edition online.