Communication, discipline and surname in Social Sciences

Within what we can call hybrid faculties, the bulk is concentrated in the field of Social Sciences: nine faculties combine Social Sciences and Communication in their denomination, three unite Communication studies with Documentation, two add them to Business, and one unites the discipline under study with International Relations. We can study this hybridization in a differentiated way or group them under the field of Social Sciences, which would mean that 57.6% of the hybridized faculties are represented in this group (37.5% of all Spanish Communication faculties).

Let's start with the first group, the faculties that combine Social Sciences and Communication in their denomination. Regarding their structure, there is little representation of departments linked to Communication and, likewise, most of the titles in the area are a minority within a very varied offer.

The field of Communication that is most exploited is Advertising, since this degree is the most offered, being present in 7 of the 12 faculties (58.3%). It would seem logical if it had been verified that within the faculties the most exploited position was that of Business, but two trends are visualized: faculties that promote two areas of knowledge, Communication and a second discipline (Tourism/Business in the case of the Universidad de Cádiz, Sociology in La Laguna, Political Science in País Vasco, or Public Management in Vigo), and multidisciplinary faculties that include very diverse disciplines. We must add that four faculties teach the three classic degrees in the field of Communication, 33.3% of the sample (San Jorge, Europea de Madrid, Católica de Murcia, and País Vasco).

In general, hybridization is not encouraged in terms of academic offerings -bachelor's and master's degrees-, nor in terms of new professional opportunities or research projects. There is a minority of double degrees in different but very complementary fields such as Advertising and Tourism in Cádiz and Valladolid. Also, new degrees were born from this hybridized positioning such as Communication for social purposes in Valladolid or Translation and intercultural communication in San Jorge.

Three faculties unite Communication with Documentation and in all three the two disciplines are present at the departmental level. The Communication title with the greatest presence, being offered in the three centers (Extremadura, Granada, and Murcia), is Audiovisual Communication. In the universities of Extremadura and Murcia, there are hybrid double degrees: Journalism and Information and Documentation. In all three cases, there are master's degrees that structure their contents on the two axes, such as Information Management in Social Networks and digital products on the Internet in Extremadura, Scientific Information and Communication in Granada, or Mobile Communication and Digital Content in Murcia.

Likewise, hybrid lines of research coexist in the three centers. It should be remembered that Documentation and Communication Sciences have a shared path; In fact, some faculties, such as the one in Murcia, began by being called the Faculty of Library Science and Documentation and after offering the second cycles of the Communication careers and incorporating the complete programs later on, they changed their nomenclature. This shared trajectory causes the combination of researchers in different projects or the existence of indexed journals such as El Profesional de la Información which, as stated in its description, is a publication on communication, information, indicators, libraries, and information technologies. Going back to the analysis of the three faculties, Extremadura presents as a hybrid line of research "New technologies and media digitization processes", Granada has "Communication, Education, and Documentation", and Murcia has "Semiodoc" or "Social communication, Culture, and Technology".

For their part, the two faculties that combine Business and Communication in their names follow different strategies. The Universidad de Vic offers a mixture of qualifications not only from these fields but also from the Education area. It offers the three classic bachelor's degrees and, on the other hand, there are no degrees related to Communication in the master's degree. It does not present double degrees that link different disciplines, nor are new areas resulting from the hybridization of profiles observed in the catalog of professional opportunities of the degrees.

The UNIR, on the other hand, has an offer very focused on the business field and, in fact, the Communication degrees are the most oriented to this vision (Degree in Advertising and Public Relations and Marketing). Although it promotes hybridization in doubles such as ADE and Marketing, it could present a more ambitious combined offer. Curiously, it has a general degree in Communication, but it is not located within this center but in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities.

Finally, the faculty that combines Communication and International Relations (Ramón Llull) has a clear commitment to hybridization and, in fact, the resulting professional profiles are much more transversal. It presents, for example, two simple degrees that in themselves include two areas of Communication: A degree in Journalism and Corporate Communication and a Degree in Advertising, PR, and Marketing. It also has double degrees that link the two areas present in the name of the faculty, such as the Double Degree in Journalism and Corporate Communication and International Relations. It even presents an innovative Degree in Global Communication Management, born from the fusion of the two areas of knowledge and the result of the globalization of communication. Although the postgraduate offer respects this hybridization less, there are research projects that combine researchers from different fields.

4.2. The classical integration of Communication with Humanities and Art as a new positioning based on creativity

The fusion of Communication with Humanities is consolidated. For example, the Universidad CEU San Pablo collects this denomination since the creation of its communication studies, with the approval of the Faculty in 1993 (Ruct, 2021), although the teaching of Communication studies dates back to 1933, when El Debate, the first School of Journalism, was founded.

Six other faculties have followed this path. But, four other centers hybridize Communication with other humanistic disciplines, such as Art (two faculties) and Philology (two others). In these cases, hybridization is very attractive because, as pointed out in the theoretical framework, language and culture are fundamental to communicative competence.

The total of Communication faculties that merge their studies with Humanities represents 42.3% of the total hybrid centers and 27.5% of the total Communication faculties.

In the case of faculties with Humanities, there is a dominant presence of Communication in the departmental structure. The degree with the most representation given its connection with the field of art and culture is the Degree in Audiovisual Communication, present in 5 of the 7 faculties (71.4%).

Regarding the hybridization of degrees, professional profiles, and research projects, we find different levels.

At Universidad Camilo José Cela there is no hybridization between Communication and Humanities, in fact, the offer is more geared towards Social Sciences (Law, Criminology, Security). Abat Oliva has both areas, but there is no apparent connection between them, although Communication studies do hybridize with others in Social Sciences, for example, with the double degree in Journalism and Political Science, being the second degree from another faculty. Carlos III presents double degrees that merge the disciplines of the faculty (Journalism and Humanities) and new degrees born from this hybridization: Science, technology, and humanities or Cultural Studies. One more step is taken by CEU, both San Pablo and Cardenal Herrera, which presents a complete offer and hybrid double degrees between the degrees in Humanities and Communication, such as History and Journalism or Humanities and Audiovisual Communication, but also between degrees in other areas such as Journalism and International Relations or Law and Advertising and PR. Burgos, although it does not have a hybrid offer in bachelor’s degrees, it does advance the previous ones in postgraduate degrees, offering a master's degree that combines Communication and Humanities (Heritage and Communication); Additionally, it continues this line in the field of research, with two groups in "Communication, dissemination, and advertising of culture and heritage" and "Shows and audiovisual culture".

IE University, for its part, abandons the classic offer of Communication degrees and opts for the STEM+HECI profile which, as we mentioned in the initial part of this research, involves defending the education of a highly qualified professional in the exploitation of technologies and big data but that has a solid humanistic base that makes it possible to interpret and transmit this information. Thus, it divides its bachelor's and master's degree offerings into three areas: Communication and consumer, Digital technology and Data Science, and People, behavior, and transformation.

With a similar approach to the Anglo-Saxon School of Visual Arts, with a long tradition, the faculties that hybridize Communication with the Arts are born, being creativity and the ability to tell stories -of an informative, commercial, entertainment, or artistic nature- their point of union. The first is the Faculty of Communication and Arts of the Universidad Nebrija, the result of the evolution of its former Faculty of Communication and the merger with the Department of Arts, previously covered by the Faculty of Literature. Regarding the departmental structure of the center, three areas are registered: Communication, Advertising, and Arts. Above all, there is a hybridization of profiles between Communication and the Arts in the double degrees: Performing Arts and Audiovisual Communication, Audiovisual Communication and Digital and Multimedia Design, or Advertising and Public Relations and Digital and Multimedia Design. In the master's degree, the degree that incorporates communication and marketing into the field of art is Art Markets and related companies.

At the Universidad Internacional de Valencia there is no departmental structure. In the degree, the field of Arts has more presence than that of Communication and does not present degrees or double programs that hybridize the disciplines. For master's degrees, the offer is compensated and although there are no registered degrees that combine the areas announced by the center, there are postgraduate courses that can meet the interest of communicators and graduates in Humanities such as Publishing and editorial management or Literary creation.

In the two faculties of Communication and Philology, although there is a presence of the discipline under study in the departmental structure, there is an undecided commitment to our field both at an organizational level and in terms of the offer of degrees.

The Universidad de Barcelona does not have classic degrees in Communication and, therefore, does not offer double degrees that merge the areas announced by the center's name. Instead, it has an innovative program that merges the two disciplines into a single degree: Communication and cultural industries. Among the professional profiles for which it trains are those of communication in the media but also those related to the management of the entertainment industries. The area of ​​Communication remains poorly developed in the master's degree, with a single program that is also in the updating phase and does not have linked lines of research.

In the case of the Universidad de Valencia, the degree offer includes Journalism and Audiovisual Communication but these programs are not linked to other degrees in the field of philology. Nor is there a hybrid offer in master's degrees, although there are lines of research that relate the two fields such as "Interculturality and Communication".

Assessment of Communication studies and causes of hybridization

As we have been pointing out, the current situation of Communication studies is changing. We are experiencing a transformation of the media and cultural industries that necessarily affects study plans. Let us now see the opinion of the deans, selected based on the criteria indicated in the methodological section. Studies in Communication and its faculties have proliferated a lot, too much, in recent years. It would be necessary to assess whether all the programs meet the quality standards required by training in Communication, which is so necessary for today's society.

This is how the dean of the Faculty of Communication and International Relations of the Universidad Ramón Llull, Josep M. Carbonell (E7), begins. Despite this, and acknowledging that the employability rate must be improved, the dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Communication of the Universidad de Cádiz, Jesús Rodríguez Torrejón (E1), recalls that the demand from students continues to grow.

The vice-dean of the Faculty of Business and Communication, Eva Asensio del Arco, of the UNIR (E5), agrees, recalling that "registrations in Communication remain in a regular number over the years." Likewise, she reflects on how digital communication "is introduced in all undergraduate and postgraduate curricula in a transversal way".

Precisely, E1 points out three difficulties for updating communication studies to the current demands of employers: The introduction of new technologies, in general, in the university is done slowly. The reasons for this situation are due, among other causes, to the difficulty of modifying the study plans. We must also take into account the cost of having the resources that allow us to introduce digitization since the software is usually very expensive. Furthermore, continuous teacher training is necessary.

Despite these difficulties, the dean of the Faculty of Communication and Arts of the Universidad Nebrija, Marta Perlado (E4), does consider that some centers train graduates for the demands of the sector.

Digitization and the change in the model of the media and entertainment industries cause the necessary updating of the study plans and a reorientation of the faculties that brings with it the correct education of the professional in communication and advertising. The commitment to experiential teaching is vital since graduates must demonstrate their skills in a particularly competitive and changing environment; Likewise, it is important to have a strong conceptual base, a global vision, international experience, and the ability to work in interdisciplinary teams (E4).

For its part, E5, from UNIR, adds that a professional with leadership is needed, capable of working in a team, with critical thinking and creativity, and defends that the private university is more agile in the implementation of changes towards digitization and employability.

Regarding the reasons that make the universities change their name to include several disciplines, the deans reveal different causes and explain what current position the centers have.

From the Universidad de Cádiz, E1 tells that the history of the center dates back to the School of Commerce and that, after 90 years attached to the field of business, in 2004 the new configuration was presented (Faculty of Social Sciences and Communication). “The UCA had a Business School and the redundancy of studies represented a risk for us”, he explains, indicating that the hybridization with Communication derives from structural causes. The current position, for the dean, is positive since "in the current context of the company, communication management is fundamental". “Companies are aware of managing their social networks and their reputation; we are in a world where if you do not communicate you do not exist”, he completes. He considers that for Communication students, having a business vision is beneficial.

The Universidad de Barcelona, ​​says E6, finds in Communication studies "a window of opportunity for its traditional Faculty of Philology". “We were very clear that it was not about repeating the traditional triadic structure, we wanted a new and differentiated offer and we launched the Degree in Communication and Cultural Industries”. “Communication brings innovation and modernity to a Faculty of Philology”, he reflects, while explaining: “We are a hybrid faculty by group, but we are working on establishing collateral areas”. "In the end, philology is not understood without tradition and language and communication without culture, so our position is based on cultural reflection."

For its part, E7, from the Universidad Ramón Llull, explains that when he became the director of the Faculty, he carried out a market study on the degrees in Humanities and Social Sciences, observing a stagnation in Communication studies that continued to bet on the classic structure of three degrees. At the same time, he discovers, as in the previous case, an opportunity for growth and differentiation by hybridizing the faculty with related areas. “It was the case of International Relations. The globalization process has directly affected communication and I believed that they were two disciplines that should coexist”, he collects. Thus, he maintains: "Having a Faculty that hybridizes Communication and International Relations gives students of both degrees a differential." “Those from Communication come out more capable, with a global vision. Those from Relations are more empowered in the labor market because they have certain communication techniques”, he completes.

For E4, from Universidad Nebrija, the engine of hybridization was innovation. “It was about having a differentiating approach that colored our degrees with a transformative positioning, based on creativity,” he explains. Its old Faculty of Communication gave way in 2016 to the new center, which added the Department of Arts. The academic offer has been growing up to the current 19 degrees and its practical methodology, "attached to the learning by doing concept", extends to teaching innovation and university extension projects "where the synergy of Communication and Art is a reality, a fact that encourages the involvement of the teams and the transfer of skills”.

The formation of transverse profiles

Sectoral studies reflect that a transversal professional is required, with a holistic vision and capable of working in interdisciplinary teams. The deans consider that the hybridization of the faculties favors the formation of these profiles.

“We want to educate employable professionals. Our students know about journalism or audiovisual communication but also of business management and cultural industries”, specifies E6.

E7 justifies: “The first two years of the degrees have a deep base in Humanities and Social Sciences. We encourage writing, speaking, reflection, and critical analysis. Companies value it enormously. And it is that our hybridization is not so much between International Relations and Communication but between Humanities, Communication and International Relations”.

E5 explains that the conception of its faculty is based on the fact that “communication is one of the strategic tools of companies and communication campaigns allow corporate and commercial objectives to be achieved”. For this reason, he considers that UNIR degrees "respond to market demands, offering specialized graduates in all areas of communication and marketing with extensive business knowledge."

One of the pioneering universities in the hybridization of Communication studies is San Pablo CEU. Its dean, María Solano Altaba (E2), agrees with her colleagues and defends that hybridization favors the training of communicators. In fact, she considers that the graduates of these faculties have training that is more in line with the needs of the market:

The hybridization formulas return us to the universality of the university, we educate transversally with a more enriched sense of knowledge. Now, with the industrial revolution of digitization, there is a need for communicators who know how to ask, for example, the right question. We have many technical capacities to know the information, but this volume of data must be refined and interpreted (E2).

For the dean, Humanities are key in the digital scenario and, more specifically, in the field of digital communication. "The classics of rhetoric, like Aristotle, already spoke of the fact that good speakers, great communicators, had to be well trained and have values," explains E2. “Humanities are key to transforming the world into a better place”, she considers and underlines that the basis of history, philosophy, culture… “is a wardrobe that helps communicators to interpret”.

To prevent students from living together in “parallel worlds”, as E6 warns, the faculties have initiated interdisciplinary projects that encourage student interaction and the learning of hybrid skills.

For example, the Universidad de Barcelona has opened an optional course and has created a magazine with cultural content where future communicators and philologists coexist. Online, they want to create radio programming that enhances this work and exploits linguistic diversity by having different philologies.

Universidad Nebrija has the Nebrija Medialab media platform, where undergraduate students -regardless of their degree- participate through five laboratories in editorial projects (Revista N), advertising campaigns for real clients, digital design exercises, the weekly radio program NOA, and informative, fiction, or entertainment products of an audiovisual nature and broadcast on Canal Nebrija. "With this, everyone acquires Communication skills, vital in the current environment and the connected society, even if their degrees are not from the center", reflects E4.

Furthermore, they have other university extension activities where students from different studies collaborate to simulate a real business work environment: Festival Jóvenes Tocados por la Publicidad, Festival de Cortos AdN, or, among others, the Nebrija Escena theater show. This university adds, as its dean narrates, the Interdisciplinary Final Degree Projects, "group projects in which students from different degrees and even faculties face the resolution of a common challenge".

The deans point out that coexistence among the teaching staff is also important and that the key can and should be research. In this sense, the hybridization in the research scene seems, according to the account of the deans, a pending phase or, in some cases, an early phase. Some cases are found, such as the project "Disinformation and aggressiveness in Social Media: analysis of language" at the Universidad de Barcelona, ​​where philologists and communicators interact, or the GLOBALCODES group on globalization, conflicts, security, and development, at Ramón Llull, where political scientists, experts in international relations, and communicators work together.

A curious case, regarding the seven faculties interviewed, is that of the Universidad de Granada. Its dean, Benjamín Vargas Quesada, affirms that his center "contemplates two unique and independent degrees" and that therefore they cannot speak of hybridization as such. On the other hand, the research area is more integrated than in other centers. The faculty has, for example, the group “Communication, Education, and Documentation”.

This situation, as we have reflected in the previous section, is also shared in the other Spanish centers that hybridize Communication with Documentation. That is, they have integrated research more developed than academic offer. Perhaps, the fact that they were born as Faculties of Documentation or Library Science and Documentation and that the union with the discipline that we analyze is motivated by structural causes, is one of the reasons.

Concerning this, E3 recalls the good positioning of this Faculty: "In the rankings, for example that of Shanghai, Granada is the best placed, by far, in Spain, the third in Europe and the sixth in the world".

E2 explains, given the difficulties of integrating research from different areas, the problem of departmental hierarchy, "which tends to make researchers always work with colleagues from the same area."

By changing the teaching model at CEU and mainstreaming it, teachers are called to review their knowledge and seek alliances. Thus, from teaching, a very interesting research current has been generated. For example, projects have emerged between Literature and Photography that review the micro-story in the image or between History and Art that observe the image of power in painting (E2).

Another difficulty, in this case external, has to do with the fact that “the evaluations continue to be structured in area panels that may not understand interdisciplinary projects or that do not consider merit in different areas to be of the same value”, maintains E2: “In the end, they force you to box yourself in when the trend is different. If transversality spreads, the Agencies will have to reevaluate their processes”.