The College offers emphases in Communication, Technology, & Social Influence and Media & Health Promotion at the graduate level.

This began a tradition of bringing prominent media figures to campus each year, a trend that ultimately became the awarding of the Edward R. Murrow Award.The 1980s saw a period of rapid growth for the Department.

Under the guidance of Professors Glenn Johnson and W. Neal Robison, the Department began a weekly television newscast in 1980.

In 1986, Dr. Alexis S. Tan joined as chair and led efforts to have the Department designated as the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication, with the new title approved by the WSU Board of Regents in 1990.

Dr. Lawrence Pintak, a veteran of more than 30 years in journalism and a prominent expert on America's relationship with the Muslim world, was hired as the Founding Dean of the new College.

[8] Virtually every spring since 1973, the College of Communication at Washington State University has hosted the Edward R. Murrow Symposium, an event that brings prominent media figures to the WSU Pullman campus to discuss contemporary issues facing the communication professions and offers current students the opportunity to interact with and seek valuable advice from alumni and communication professionals from across the state of Washington and beyond.