Thank you for your interest in UMW!
The Department of Communication and Digital Studies (CDS) at the University of Mary Washington offers a wide range of courses for both majors and non-majors.
UMW Communication and Digital Studies Programs
The CDS department is delighted to support an array of programs for students who wish to learn about the many different aspects of these disciplines.
UMW CDS Majors and Minors
- a Major in Communication and Digital Studies,
- a Special Major in Journalism.
- a Minor in Journalism, and
- a Minor in Digital Studies.
UMW CDS Course Offerings
Want to learn more about the courses in each of these areas? See these course descriptions in the university catalog:
- Journalism courses
- Communication courses
- Digital Studies courses
If you are interested in declaring the CDS major, or have questions about the major/department, please contact Dr. Anand Rao, CDS Department Chair (arao [at] umw.edu).
Learn More about CDS Studies through Our Virtual Webinar
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- See what a day in the life of a UMW student is like in this video featuring CDS major AJ:
- Want to learn more about Communication and Digital Studies? Check out our webinar for CDS prospective students.
A Sample First-Year Schedule
Below please find some examples of first semester schedules for a Communication and Digital Studies major. There are many variations of a first semester schedule; the examples are just meant to help you see that there are many ways to reach the same goals.
Example 1:
| Course (credits) | Requirement(s) Met |
| 1. COMM 205 – Public Speaking
2. DGST 101 – Intro to Digital Studies 3. PHYS 101 – Gen Physics with Lab 4. SPAN 101 – Beginning Spanish 5. FSEM 100M7 – Beyond the Selfie | Major, SI
Major NS Language FSEM |
Example 2:
| Course (credits) | Requirement(s) Met |
| 1. FSEM 100E – Part Game, Part Play
2. EESC 111 – Our Dynamic Earth with lab 3. COMM 206 – Small Group Communication 4. FREN 101 – Beginning French 5. CPSC 106 – Digital Storytelling | FSEM
NS Major, SI Language Major |
The University of Mary Washington
The University of Mary Washington was founded in 1908. Located in Fredericksburg (VA), it is just an hour away from Northern Virginia, Washington D.C., and Richmond. The University offers a liberal arts curriculum, Division III NCAA athletics, and over 150 student clubs. UMW offers a great combination of high quality academics, out of class events and clubs, and a great location. UMW has been ranked in 2016/2017:
- Fiske Guide to College, 2017: “Best Buy School” (One of only two colleges in Virginia and D.C.)
- US News & World Report 2-17: “America’s Best Colleges,” sixth in the “Top Public regional Universities-South” category
- Forbes, 2016: “America’s Top Colleges,” 275th of 660 undergraduate institutions
- The Princeton Review, 2017: “The Best 381 Colleges”
- Money Magazine, 2016: 252nd among 705 schools listed as Best Colleges
Why UMW?
More About UMW
More information about UMW that may be helpful to interested students can be found:
- UMW Admissions,
- About UMW,
- As well as much more that can be found on the UMW homepage