Advertising homepage

Chair: Joe Basso
Department of Public Relations & Advertising

With half a century of excellence in Public Relations and Advertising education, our department offers graduate, undergraduate and certificate programs in Strategic Communication, Public Relations and Advertising. Students thrive with the help of our four pre-professional student organizations, two national competition teams, and thousands of alumni leaders in the field. See below for more information about each program.

Africana Studies homepage

Coordinator: Dr. Marquita Smith
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Center for Interdisciplinary Studies

American Studies homepage

Coordinator: Dr. Tiffany Tillman
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Center for Interdisciplinary Studies

Focused on excellence in undergraduate education, Rowan University has one of the most renowned American Studies programs in the country. Our American Studies major is flexible, allowing our students the opportunity to learn from many disciplines. In addition, our program is compact enough that it can be paired with almost any other major. Our program is especially focused on being compatible with Education dual majors, specifically those in Elementary Education. We often spend time in the classroom directly considering how the content and skills in the course would apply in an elementary education context.

Anthropology homepage

Coordintor: Dr. Maria Rosado
Department of Sociology & Anthropology

The Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology degree, through the four-field approach of cultural, physical, linguistic, and archaeology, is designed to prepare students to succeed in the 21st century and find employment in research, teaching, development, advocacy, health care, consumer research, community-based organizations, non-profits, and public service. Anthropology Majors will have the option of concentrating their studies in one of four subfield tracks. These are forensic anthropology, museum studies, medical anthropology, and cultural resource management and archaeology. The BA Anthropology degree will also support those students who wish to pursue further study in graduate or professional schools. By acquiring an anthropological perspective on human diversity, culture, and ethnography as well as developing strong social and natural scientific research skills, students will expand their career opportunities.

Applied Professional Communication homepage

Coordinator: Dr. Jen Tole

For students enrolled at Rowan College of Burlington County and Rowan College of South Jersey, the B.A. in Applied Professional Communication is an extension of their associates degree coursework and provides students with communication skills that support them in a range of professional settings. Through a focus on digital communication and hands-on projects, students gain a multidisciplinary overview of various communication-based professional practices, and the opportunity to pursue their particular interests in professional communications.

Area Studies

Coordinator: Dr. Marilyn Manley
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Department of World Languages

The Area Studies Major offers concentration options in Asian Studies, European Studies, and Latin American Studies. Fundamentally, this interdisciplinary program is designed to teach students about methodological approaches used by different disciplines and encourage them to use these approaches to understand the complexity of the area under study. The cultural competence and language proficiency students gain through this program will prepare them to interact with and contribute to the international community with greater cultural awareness and sensitivity. Furthermore, the interdisciplinary foundation and core liberal arts career skills in critical thinking, research, and communication that the program develops enhance our students’ preparation for graduate study, such as in the fields of area studies, international studies, international development, public policy, and law school, as well as a wide variety of careers, including foreign and public service, international sales and business, humanitarian work, government, politics, international law, and global health care, both abroad and with populations at home in the United States.

Communication Studies

Chair: Dr. Dan Strasser

Communication Studies explores the rich complexity of our lived experiences, which are created by and represented through communication.

Communication is how we form relationships, develop creative ideas and products, share experiences, and make connections with others in our personal, professional, and civic lives.

The Communication Studies program at Rowan offers students breadth and depth in exploring this central and complex part of the human condition across two main specializations:

• Interpersonal/Organizational Communication
• Rhetoric and Cultural Criticism

Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management homepage

Coordinator: Dr. DeMond Miller
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Department of Sociology & Anthropology

Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management is a relevant and timely major especially with the current and impending threat of universal terrorism, the impact of climate change and natural disasters, and the enhanced need to address issues related to public safety and national security. Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management is an innovative and interdisciplinary degree program that focuses on training students in areas that impact human welfare locally, nationally, and globally. The program has a distinctive emphasis on urban issues and environments and the role that ethics plays in how policies, politics, and practices shape the quality of life for human beings in our state, nation, and the world. Courses for the last two years of this program are offered at Rowan's Camden campus.

Economics homepage

Chair: Dr. Lawrence Markowitz
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Department of Political Science & Economics

Rowan's​ Economics major provides a useful background for students interested in careers in banking/financial institutions, government agencies, and consulting. Our undergraduate program in economics focuses on learning to analyze the world in terms of tradeoffs and incentives – that is, to “think like an economist.” As an economist, you will study people, firms, governments, and markets. While economics can be linked to business, it also pairs well with other fields of study like psychology, sociology, math, law, journalism, and political science.

English homepage

Chair: Dr. Catherine Wilcoxson
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Department of English

Rowan’s English program is ideal for creative, thoughtful students with a strong desire to read and analyze important works of literature.  English majors learn how factors such as class, gender, religion, race, sexual orientation, and nationality affect individuals, groups, and texts, using a range of interpretive strategies to engage intelligently in an ongoing dialogue about diverse peoples and cultures.  Our alumni are prepared to succeed in a variety of careers – including education, publishing, marketing, government, public relations, library sciences, and journalism – using their skills and knowledge to adapt to the shifting demands of professional life.  

Esports

Coordinator: Dr. Kacey Doran

The Esports program offers students the opportunity to acquire and develop foundational knowledge of the media and industries that support professional, competitive video gaming. Students will train in the areas of communication, production, and critical reflection essential to careers in esports.

General Studies homepage

Academic Advisor: Tiffany Delesandro
Center for Interdisciplinary Studies

Rowan University is proud to offer students another option to complete a bachelor's degree. The Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) Degree Completion Program may be the best route to a degree for some students.

BGS students: 

•  Achieve a well-rounded and rigorous liberal arts education in a degree program that is tailored to individual needs.
•  Concentrate on a disciplinary or interdisciplinary academic focus area more flexible than a traditional major.
•  Collaborate with the program coordinator and advisor to ensure achievement of program and individual goals.
•  Actively prepare for a future career as part of the degree requirements.

Admission to the Bachelor of General Studies program is available to matriculated students who have earned a minimum of 75 credits who require a degree completion program. Successful applicants must be currently matriculated at Rowan; have 45 credits or fewer to complete toward a degree; be transferring from a declared major and provide evidence that they have attempted to make progress in the major; demonstrate that the BGS degree is the best option for them.

Health and Science Communication homepage

Coordinator: Dr. Joy Cypher

The Health and Science Communication (HSC) program is a unique, interdisciplinary program made up of students and faculty who are curious about health and science, who facilitate public engagement with complex information, and who advocate for life-saving and sustaining change.  

History homepage

Chair: Dr. Janet Moore Lindman
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Department of History

The History program at Rowan University has more programs and a wider range of courses than most History departments our size throughout the country. We also offer a 4 + 1 program, in which students can earn a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in 5 years, saving 40% of the cost they would spend getting each degree separately. Overall, the History program is highly flexible, allowing students to be creative and widen their boundaries, as well as preparing students for graduate school or a wide range of fields in the job market.

Human Services homepage

Coordinator: Dr. Sharon McCann
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Department of Sociology & Anthropology

The field of human services is a growing professional field. There is an increasing demand for human service professionals in the field of child, adult, family and community services in various human service organizations and settings. Human Service professionals provide a wide variety of social, personal, and health services depending on the need of the individual, group or community. Accordingly, the Human Services degree at Rowan University offers three unique concentration areas; clinical services, administration, and criminal justice. Students also gain valuable experience during their field internship where they get course credit working at local human service organizations. Field internships allow students the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to real-life experiences. Courses for the last two years of this program are offered at Rowan's Camden campus.

This program is being phased out, with no new admissions as of 2025. Students interested in this field should learn about Rowan's new Bachelor of Social Work (BSW).

International Studies homepage

Coordinator: Dr. Kelly Duke Bryant
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Center for Interdisciplinary Studies

International Studies is an interdisciplinary major designed to prepare you for careers in an increasingly global world. As an International Studies major, you will undertake a rigorous program of study--international politics, economics, geography, languages, history, and cultures--to analyze significant issues facing the world community and understand your society in a broader context. You will also learn how to apply interdisciplinary approaches to global problems and issues and acquire transferable skills in communication, data collection and analysis, and research. Concentrations are available in:

• International Business and Economics
• Global Health Studies
• Global Security
• Global and Comparative Perspectives
• Middle East and African Studies

International Studies majors will be well-positioned to build careers within a wide range of companies, foundations, and governmental organizations that require an in-depth knowledge of international issues or to continue to graduate programs in a variety of fields. Students also have the option of pursuing a Combined Advanced Degree Program (CADP) with a BA in International Studies and an MBA

Journalism homepage

Chair: Kathryn Quigley

The Department of Journalism prepares students to be successful news and media professionals. We offer a B.A. and Minor in Journalism as well as 12-credit Certificates of Undergraduate Study in Sports Media, Public Relations and the News, and Entrepreneurial and Independent Media. 

Our faculty members are experienced journalists who combine craft and scholarship. The full-time faculty present at academic and professional conferences and publish their research in academic journals specializing in journalism and mass communication. Many of our courses are taught by working journalists from area news outlets.

At Rowan University, we are excited about the future of journalism and preparing the journalists of the future. 

Law & Justice Studies homepage

Chair: Dr. Michael Weiss
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Department of Law & Justice Studies

The Law and Justice Studies Department at Rowan University offers a unique program that allows students to be very hands-on in their respective fields before graduating. Our students enter the workforce with experience on their resume and full knowledge of what to expect in their respective fields. Our department also takes pride in the fact that faculty are readily available to help students, and we ensure that students are getting the most hands-on and practical approach to their Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree so that they are ready for their future once they graduate. We offer a 4+1 program in which students can earn a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in five years, saving 40% of the cost for getting each degree separately.

Liberal Studies homepage

Coordinator: Tiffany Tillman
Informational Handout
Center for Interdisciplinary Studies

The Liberal Studies: Humanities/Social Science (LS:HSS) major is designed to offer students the opportunity to pursue multiple areas of study in the humanities and social sciences. Liberal Studies: Humanities/Social Science gives students the ability to combine two academic areas into one flexible and comprehensive Bachelor of Arts degree, creating a truly multidisciplinary education.

Modern Languages & Linguistics homepage

Chair: Dr. Marilyn Manley
Informational Handout
Department of World Languages

The Major in Modern Languages and Linguistics offers an innovative, flexible, interdisciplinary curriculum that combines the study of modern languages, linguistics, and communication. In order to play a meaningful role in world discourse, in order to protect our national security and in order to compete with our international counterparts in every field of study imaginable, the knowledge of modern languages is now a fundamental and indispensable part of every student's education. As citizens of today's world, students will benefit greatly from the study of modern languages, which equip them with the ability to communicate and interact with large populations of speakers coming from different cultural and ideological backgrounds.

Philosophy homepage

Chair: Nathan Bauer
Informational Handout
Department of Philosophy & World Religions

Philosophy majors learn how to make knowledgeable decisions and lead others in sound decision-making. Philosophy majors take discussion-focused courses that emphasize discovering solutions for local and global ethical, scientific, and social conflicts. Students can choose courses that cover classic and current readings in science and technology, art, literature, environmental ethics, gender, race, biomedical ethics, and existentialism. Philosophy majors regularly score in the top percentiles on graduate admission tests, including the Graduate Record Examination, the Law School Admission Test, and the Graduate Management Admission Test. The flexible 30 s.h. major provides excellent preparation for numerous careers, especially law and government, business management, ethics administration, information technology, and journalism.

Political Science homepage

Chair: Dr. Lawrence Markowitz
Informational Handout
Department of Political Science & Economics

A degree in Political Science provides a rigorous liberal arts education that can carry you into a career in law, government, non-profit organizations, and graduate education. Political science includes a wide array of fields of study and methodological approaches in the study of politics and government of all countries and regions of the world. You can choose concentrations within political science at Rowan including American politics and government, state and local government, political theory and ideology, public policy and administration, comparative politics and political economy and international relations. Rowan’s Political Science program offers a well-established internship program and a unique ability to concentrate on public policy in depth.

Public Relations homepage

Chair: Joe Basso
Department of Public Relations & Advertising

With half a century of excellence in Public Relations and Advertising education, our department offers graduate, undergraduate and certificate programs in Strategic Communication, Public Relations and Advertising. Students thrive with the help of our four pre-professional student organizations, two national competition teams, and thousands of alumni leaders in the field. See below for more information about each program.

Radio, Television, & Film homepage

Chair: Joe Bierman

In the Department of Radio, Television, & Film, we offer comprehensive degree programs designed to blend creative mastery within a liberal arts and professional framework. We prepare students for a variety of careers in the media industries, including film, television, radio, photography, biomedical art and visualization, new media and game design, all housed within our diverse curriculum.

Our mission is to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary for thriving careers across the media landscape and related fields.

Social Work Homepage

Program Director - Mary Kay Tuohy
Department of Social Work

The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) at Rowan University prepares students for a broad range of entry-level positions in behavioral health, community organizing, and/or healthcare agencies.

Sociology homepage

Coordinator: Dr. Jennifer Rich
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Department of Sociology & Anthropology

If you really want to understand the world around you – and make a difference in it – consider a B.A. in Sociology. Using empirical data, Rowan students of Sociology study factors that affect and shape cultures and societies. Through a combination of classroom study, the field experience seminar and internships, you will develop and practice critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills that will serve you well for a lifetime.

Spanish homepage

Chair: Dr. Marilyn Manley
Informational Handout
Department of World Languages

The Spanish Major offers a comprehensive and flexible curriculum that makes it possible for students to develop advanced proficiency in the Spanish language and a deep understanding of the civilization, cultures, and literature from both Spain and Latin America. The major trains you to think and write analytically, enriches your worldview, and prepares you to use the language practically in a wide variety of careers, including teaching, translation and interpretation, business, communications, law, and medicine. It also provides a general background for future professional studies and advanced degrees in Spanish.

Sports Communication & Media homepage

Coordinator: Dr. Emil Steiner

Center for Sports Communication & Social Impact

Rowan University's B.A. in Sports Communication and Media (Sports CaM) is one of the largest degree programs of its kind in the United States. The major is built for students who are passionate about sports and want to turn their passion into careers in the field. Our growing faculty of sports media professionals and scholars crosstrain students in the coverage, promotion, broadcasting, production, marketing, language, and culture of contemporary sport. As an interdicipliarny program, students can easily Double Major in any related field to earn two degress for the price of one. Through our professional partnerships with sports teams and across the sports media industry, Sports CaM students get hands-on experience in the field and graduate career-ready.

World Religions homepage

Chair: Nathan Bauer
Informational Handout
Department of Philosophy & World Religions

The World Religions BA acquaints students with the world’s great religious traditions and engages them in critical reflection of a wide range of religious values, ideas and practices and in inter-religious dialogue. Courses are offered in almost all major world religions, including their comparative studies, and critical topics common to these religions. World Religions majors are well prepared for a variety of careers, as well as for admission to graduate programs in World Religions. The flexible 30 s.h. major offers career tracks in pre-law, pre-business, pre-health, pre-government, pre-social work, and pre-journalism.

Writing Arts homepage

Chair: Amy Woodworth

As one of the few independent writing departments in the United States, Writing Arts is uniquely positioned to help you learn to communicate effectively within our dynamic culture. Indeed, we are the only department in the country with the name Writing Arts. Our name reflects the uniqueness of our offerings.

Housed in the Edelman College of Communication and Creative Arts at Rowan University, the department boasts award-winning professors who are publishing in a myriad of genres. From online to in print, from novels to nonfiction, from the scholarly to the creative, we are active writers engaging word, text, and image in our work.