College of Communications and Information Studies

What is ISC?

Integrated Strategic Communication offers students professional preparation for careers in the areas of Advertising, Public Relations and Direct Response Communication.  Students develop their skills through one of four chosen paths that mirror the functions within persuasive communication agencies. More information about the paths that students can select as well as program requirements is available in the University Bulletin.

The four ISC paths are:

•    Account Management
•    Creative Advertising
•    Public Relations
•    Direct Response

Although students focus on a specific area, the major emphasizes a strategic approach to communication initiatives and is designed to build analytical and critical thinking skills, as well as writing and presentation skills.

Each student will work with his or her adviser to select a minor field of study taken outside the college. Popular minors include business, art studio and foreign languages; any minor at the University of Kentucky will fulfill this requirement.  Each student will also complete a required internship prior to graduation.  (Many ISC majors graduate having completed multiple internships.)

NOTE:  All ISC majors must complete at least 80 hours of coursework outside the School of Journalism and Telecommunications; of those 80 hours, 65 must be in liberal arts courses.  This is a requirement of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.

What is the ISC portfolio?

All ISC majors are required to submit a portfolio with representative samples of their work as part of their graduation requirement. A pdf of the current portfolio requirements is attached below.

What happens after College?

ISC graduates enjoy highly diverse career destinations, and are sought after by firms specializing in:

•    Advertising
•    Public Relations
•    Media Sales
•    Communications Technology
•    Event Planning
•    Non-profit Organizations
•    Regulatory/Consumer Protection Agencies

School students often assist with College Day at Keeneland Race Course

The sequence coordinator for ISC is Dr. Alyssa Eckman ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).  For questions about the ISC major, contact either Dr. Eckman or Dr. Beth Barnes ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).  ISC faculty members are Prof. Dennis Altman, Dr. Chike Anyaegbunam, Dr. Alyssa Eckman, Dr. Philip Hutchison, Dr. Bobi Ivanov, Dr. Mark Stuhlfaut, Dr. Scott Whitlow and Dr. Chan Yun Yoo.  You can read about them and their research, creative and teaching interests under the "About" tab.