Mass Communication (Advertising and Public Relations), Bachelor of Arts
Program Overview
The Bachelor of Arts in Communication – Mass Communication prepares a student to work in fields as varied as print journalism, broadcast journalism, public relations, advertising and agencies and organizations requiring Press Secretaries and Information Officers in private and public sectors. Employment opportunities also exist in Training and Development, and administrative roles in information and service industries as well as law enforcement and health care organizations. The Bachelor of Arts in Communication also prepares the students to pursue graduate programs in Communication, Journalism, and Media Management.
Specific graduation requirements for this program beyond university bachelor’s degree requirements.
- All courses in the major require grade of a “C” or better.
Core Curriculum - 42 hours
The Core Curriculum serves as a broad foundation for the undergraduate degree. All candidates for a bachelor’s degree must achieve core student learning outcomes, including communication, critical thinking, empirical and quantitative skills, teamwork, personal responsibility and social responsibility, by completing courses within each category or component area of the Core Curriculum as outlined below.
The University has approved specific courses that satisfy Core Curriculum Requirements. Approved courses can be found on the Core Curriculum Page. Students seeking the most efficient way to complete the core curriculum and major or minor requirements are advised to take approved courses that can fulfill both requirements. Although core curriculum courses can also be used to fulfill major or minor requirements, earned credits hours are only applied once.
The courses listed below fulfill core curriculum and major requirements. Students who have completed a core curriculum category with courses other than those listed below will still be required to take the listed course(s) to meet major requirements.
090 Integrative and Experiential Learning - 3 hours
Major Requirements - 48 hours
Required Courses - 27 hours
Mass Communication Core
Advertising and Public Relations Concentration - 21 hours
Advertising and Public Relations Core - 12 hours
Cluster Area - 9 hours
Complete the courses in the Public Relations or the Advertising Cluster.
Public Relations Cluster:
Advertising Cluster:
Free Electives - 30 hours
Internship in Mass Communication is recommended. A total of 6 internship credit hours may be taken for credit, either COMM 4337 twice or COMM 4624 once.
Free elective credit hours at the advanced level may be needed to achieve the institutional minimum of 42 advanced hours. Free electives credit hours required may vary to achieve the institutional minimum of 120 hours for a degree.
Total Credit Hours: 42
Total Credit Hours: 120
View this program’s recommended roadmap to graduation.
UTRGV Roadmaps are a suggested sequence of courses designed to assist students in completing their undergraduate degree requirements. This is a term-by-term sample roadmap of courses required to complete the degree. Students must satisfy all requirements in their catalog including, but not limited to course prerequisites, grade point average and course grade benchmarks, progression requirements, and graduation requirements.
Students should meet with their academic advisor every semester to discuss their individualized path toward completion. Degree progress within this roadmap depends upon such factors as course availability, individual student academic preparation and readiness, student time management, work and personal responsibilities, and financial considerations. Students may choose to take courses during summer terms to reduce course loads during long semesters.