Undergraduate Research

Our faculty members are recognized nationally and internationally for outstanding research spanning political communication, media content and effects, communication law and ethics, rhetorical theory and criticism, communication history, and public relations. Our researchers have been part of nearly $4 million in external funding from several organizations, including the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute, National Science Foundation, the Political Communication Research Foundation, Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation, the U.S. State Department, and the Hungarian-American Fulbright Association.

Communication Research Opportunities

Independent Study and Undergraduate Research

You can register for our independent study or undergraduate research courses, which provide opportunities to complete a research project with the guidance of a faculty mentor. Ask your academic advisor for more information.

Collaborations with Faculty

Faculty are always interested in talking to students about their research. If you're curious about a professor's area of research, ask about pursuing a collaborative project.

Presenting Your Research

Research Facilities
Presenting Your Research

Our research facilities in the Digital Media Research Facility, located in the basement of Shanks Hall, consist of several rooms for experiments, observational studies, focus groups, and more.

Research equipment contained in the facility includes the Biopac MP35 system with peripherals to measure skin conductance (EDA), electrocardiogram (ECG), facial electromyogram (EMG), electroencephalogram (EEG), noninvasive blood pressure, and push-button reaction time tasks. The research facilities also house Perception Analyzer real-time-response equipment, virtual reality hardware, multiple large plasma-screen monitors, multiple video game console systems (e.g., PS2, Xbox360, Nintendo Wii, PS3), and media analysis software.

The Virginia Tech Gaming and Media Effects Research Laboratory (VT G.A.M.E.R. Lab) resembles a living-room setting and facilitates research investigating the social effects of video games and related media technology. The research facility also houses multiple laboratory and meeting rooms where research projects, such as computer-assisted experiments, surveys, and focus groups, are conducted. The facility includes a two-way mirror, an observation room, and multi-purpose rooms designed to accommodate research projects involving individual or small groups of research participants.