Howard University — Cathy Hughes School of Communications

Degrees offered

The Cathy Hughes School of Communications offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees across four departments: Communication, Culture and Media Studies (Ph.D. only, with tracks in Health Communication, Media and Cultural Studies, and Technology, Policy and Society); Communication Studies; Media, Journalism and Film; and Communication Sciences and Disorders, which offers a Bachelor of Science in Speech Pathology/Audiology. Undergraduate departments offer ten specializations and 18-hour minor sequences.

Programs and emphasis

The school houses the Annenberg Honors Program, an experiential scholarly leadership program, and the Center for Journalism and Democracy, launched with a $20 million pledge to support training in investigative reporting. The school publishes the Howard Journal of Communication and holds an annual Career and Internship Fair connecting students with employers including CNN, ESPN, CBS, FOX, Google, and Edelman.

History

The school was founded in 1971. Tony Brown, longtime host of "Tony Brown's Journal," served as an early dean and established one of the first annual career fairs for Black media professionals. The school was renamed in honor of media executive Cathy Hughes in 2016. Gracie Lawson-Borders served as dean for over a decade, from 2013 to 2024.

Key faculty and leadership

Kimberly R. Moffitt: Dean since August 1, 2025, a Howard alumna and former dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Chukwuka "Chuka" Onwumechili: Interim dean from 2024 to 2025.
Gracie Lawson-Borders: Dean from 2013 to 2024, now dean emeritus.

Location and contact info

Address
300 Bryant St., NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone
(202) 806-7694
Email
kimberly.moffitt@howard.edu
Website
https://communications.howard.edu