Bachelor of Art in Mass Communication
Chair: Mahmoud A. M. Braima
Administrative Assistant: Devora Sulcer
Professors: Mahmoud A. M. Braima, Lorraine Fuller
Assistant Professors: Yolanda Campbell, Okoye Ahmose
Engineer/Instructor: Darrell Roberson
Adjunct: Cynthia Stephens
The Department of Mass Communication provides programs to students preparing for careers in broadcast, print journalism, and public relations. The department seeks to impart the skills, knowledge, and professional values needed in journalism and public relations. Students are expected to develop the discipline of working under deadlines, the use of English language properly, knowledge of communication technology in their respective field, and to become knowledgeable about current news events.
Each of three concentrations—Broadcast News, News Editorial, and Public Relations—consists of a common core of courses and a major area of specialization, along with electives at the junior and senior levels. The core courses are designed to develop a practical, theoretical, and ethical foundation common to all areas of the mass media.
Because journalists must be broadly knowledgeable, the department emphasizes the need for mass communication majors to get a solid grounding in the liberal arts and sciences. It requires, therefore, that majors take a minimum of 81 semester hours (of the 120 hours needed for graduation) in the arts and sciences; 39 hours must be taken in the major.
Admission Requirements
Students are admitted to the Mass Communication program only after they have satisfied all of the following requirements:
- A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0.
- Completion of Freshman Composition I (SENL-101) and Freshman Composition II (SENL-102 with a grade of at least “C” or better;
- Completion of at least 30 semester hours; and
- Passing the University Writing Proficiency Examination
Degree Requirements
To be retained as a major in mass communication, students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.25.
Students must pass News Writing, MCOM-211, with at least a “C” before they will be permitted to take any upper-level courses in mass communication. Students must pass all mass communication courses with a grade of “C” or better.
Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication (Broadcast Journalism Sequence)
Freshman Year
First Semester
-
| Fine Arts | 3 |
SENL-101
| | 3 |
HIST-
| History | 3 |
MATH-130
| | 3 |
-
| Science | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Second Semester
FOLG-100
| | 3 |
SENL-102
| | 3 |
HIST-
| History | 3 |
SMAT-120
| | 3 |
-
| Science | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
NOTE: Students seeking admission to the Mass Communication program must have completed 30 semester hours with a grade-point average of at least 2.0, must have earned at least “C” in English (SENL-101 and 102), and must have passed the Writing Proficiency Examination.
Sophomore Year
First Semester
PHIL-
| Philosophy | 3 |
SPOL-201
| | 3 |
ENGL-
| English | 3 |
FOLG-101
| | 3 |
-
| Science | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Second Semester
SPTH-210
| | 3 |
ENGL-
| English | 3 |
HUMN-
| Humanities | 3 |
FOLG-200
| | 3 |
SPOL-211
| | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
NOTE: Students must pass MCOM-211 (News Writing) with at least a “C” before they will be allowed to take any upper-level courses in Mass Communication
Junior Year
First Semester
MCOM-202
| | 3 |
MCOM-211
| | 3 |
MCOM-
| Mass Comm. Elective | 3 |
-
| African American Studies | 3 |
-
| Service Learning | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Second Semester
MCOM-230
| | 3 |
MCOM-322
| | 3 |
MCOM-328
| | 3 |
SECO-211
| | 3 |
COMPS-105
| | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Senior Year
First Semester
MCOM-325
| | 3 |
MCOM-330
| | 3 |
MCOM-
| Mass Comm. Elective | 3 |
-
| Elective | 3 |
-
| Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Second Semester
MCOM-455
| | 3 |
MCOM-494
| | 3 |
MCOM-400
| | 3 |
-
| Ethics | 3 |
-
| Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication (Print Journalism Sequence)
Freshman Year
First Semester
-
| Fine Arts | 3 |
SENL-101
| | 3 |
HIST-
| History | 3 |
MATH-130
| | 3 |
-
| Science | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Second Semester
FOLG-100
| | 3 |
SENL-102
| | 3 |
HIST-
| History | 3 |
SMAT-120
| | 3 |
-
| Science | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
NOTE: Students seeking admission to the Mass Communication program must have completed 30 semester hours with a grade-point average of at least 2.0, must have earned at least “C” in English (SENL-101 and 102), and passed writing proficiency.
Sophomore Year
First Semester
PHIL-200
| | 3 |
SPOL-201
| | 3 |
ENGL-
| English | 3 |
FOLG-101
| | 3 |
-
| Science | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Second Semester
SPTH-210
| | 3 |
ENGL-
| English | 3 |
HUMN-
| Humanities | 3 |
FOLG-200
| | 3 |
SPOL-211
| | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
NOTE: Students must pass MCOM-211 (News Writing) with at least a “C” before they will be allowed to take any upper-level courses in Mass Communication.
Junior Year
First Semester
MCOM-202
| | 3 |
MCOM-211
| | 3 |
MCOM-
| Mass Comm. Elective | 3 |
-
| African American Studies | 3 |
-
| Service Learning | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Second Semester
MCOM-307
| | 3 |
MCOM-
| Mass Comm. Elective | 3 |
MCOM-325
| | 3 |
SECO-221
| | 3 |
COMPS-105
| | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
NOTE: MCOM-306 and 308 are only offered in the fall. MCOM-401 is only offered in the spring.
Senior Year
First Semester
MCOM-306
| | 3 |
MCOM-343
| | 3 |
MCOM-308
| | 3 |
-
| Elective | 3 |
-
| Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Second Semester
MCOM-401
| | 3 |
MCOM-494
| | 3 |
MCOM-400
| | 3 |
-
| Ethics | 3 |
-
| Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication (Public Relations Sequence)
Freshman Year
First Semester
-
| Fine Arts | 3 |
SENL-101
| | 3 |
HIST-
| History | 3 |
MATH-130
| | 3 |
-
| Science | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Second Semester
Elem. I-
| World Language | 3 |
SENL-101
| | 3 |
HIST-
| History | 3 |
SMAT-120
| | 3 |
-
| Science | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
NOTE: Students seeking admission to the mass communication program must have completed 30 semester hours with a grade-point average of at least 2.0 and must have earned at least “C” in English (SENL-101 and 102) and writing proficiency.
Sophomore Year
First Semester
PHIL-
| Philosophy | 3 |
SPOL-201
| | 3 |
ENGL-
| English | 3 |
Elem. II-
| World Language | 3 |
-
| Science | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Second Semester
SPTH-210
| | 3 |
ENGL-
| English | 3 |
HUMN-
| Humanities | 3 |
-
| Intermediate I (World Languages) | 3 |
SPOL-211
| | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
NOTE: Students must pass MCOM-211 (News Writing) with at least a “C” before they will be allowed to take any upper-level courses in Mass Communication.
Junior Year
First Semester
MCOM-202
| | 3 |
MCOM-211
| | 3 |
MCOM-
| Mass Comm. Elective | 3 |
-
| African American Studies | 3 |
-
| Service Learning | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Second Semester
MCOM-307
| | 3 |
MCOM-
| Mass Comm. Elective | 3 |
MCOM-325
| | 3 |
SECO-221
| | 3 |
CMPS-105
| | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
NOTE: MCOM-301 and 316 are only offered in the fall. MCOM-430 and 439 are only offered in spring term.
Senior Year
First Semester
MCOM-301
| | 3 |
MCOM-316
| | 3 |
MCOM-400
| | 3 |
MCOM-
| Elective | 3 |
-
| Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Second Semester
MCOM-430
| | 3 |
MCOM-439
| | 3 |
MCOM-494
| | 3 |
-
| Ethics | 3 |
-
| Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Mass Communication Minor
News Editorial
MCOM-202
| | 3 |
MCOM-211
| | 3 |
MCOM-400
| | 3 |
MCOM-307
| | 3 |
MCOM-306
| | 3 |
MCOM-308
| | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 18 |
Broadcast News
MCOM-202
| | 3 |
MCOM-211
| | 3 |
MCOM-400
| | 3 |
MCOM-322
| | 3 |
MCOM-328
| | 3 |
MCOM-330
| | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 18 |
Public Relations
MCOM-202
| | 3 |
MCOM-211
| | 3 |
MCOM-400
| | 3 |
MCOM-301
| | 3 |
MCOM-307
| | 3 |
MCOM-316
| | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 18 |
Departmental Electives
MCOM-225
| | 3 |
MCOM-331
| | 3 |
MCOM-341
| | 3 |
MCOM-345
| | 3 |
MCOM-361
| | 3 |
MCOM-441
| | 3 |
MCOM-475
| | 3 |
MCOM-491
| | 3 |