College of Mass Communication

Departments and Programs

 

Roy L. Moore, Dean

Zeny Sarabia-Panol, Interim Associate Dean  

Hattie Traylor, Academic Advisor 

Sarah Jackson, Academic Advisor 

Janet Billingsley, Graduation Coordinator

  

The College of Mass Communication provides professional education for individuals aspiring to careers in the fields of electronic media communication (including photography), journalism, and the recording industry, as well as academic preparation for advanced studies. The college is dedicated to fostering an appreciation of the media’s role in a democracy and developing better-informed citizens within the University community by providing theoretical  foundations, professional skill sets, research, creative activity, experiential learning, and public service. Students are offered broad-based knowledge encompassing a global perspective and a professional ethos, as well as an affinity for free expression, critical thinking, and diversity of thought.

Programs

The college offers the Bachelor of Science degree with majors in Mass Communication and Recording Industry.

Mass Communication majors have an opportunity to specialize in one of six concentrations: Advertising-Public Relations, Visual Communication, or Journalism in the School of Journalism; and Photography, Electronic Media Communication, or Digital Media Communication in the Department of Electronic Media Communication. Additional specialties are available in the various concentrations.

Majors in the Department of Recording Industry may choose a concentration in Commercial Songwriting, Music Business, or Audio Production.

All curricular programs throughout the College of Mass Communication attempt to address a common, minimum set of core competencies. The current core competencies include

1. literacy;
2. history, theory, and research appropriate to the area;
3. law, ethics, and policy appropriate to the area.

The College of Mass Communication participates in the plus/minus (+/-) grading system. Mass Communication majors must earn a C (2.00) or better in each course in the college in order to graduate. Thus, in order to earn a grade of P in a pass/fail course, the student must earn the equivalent of a grade of C (2.00) or better.

Candidacy Program

The College of Mass Communication includes a candidacy program for all majors in the college. (See specific pages for Journalism, Electronic Media Communication, and Recording Industry.) This program is based on research indicating a relationship between completion of certain required classes with certain minimum grade point expectations and both performance and retention in the major. In addition, the requirements specified in the candidacy program are consistent with requirements of our national accrediting.

Liberal Arts and Sciences Requirements

All students in the School of Journalism and in the Department of Electronic Media Communication must complete 65 approved liberal arts and sciences hours to meet graduation requirements.Courses in the following rubrics are considered liberal arts and sciences courses:

AAS - African American Studies	GERO - Gerontology
ANTH - Anthropology	GS - Global Studies
ARAB - Arabic	HEBR - Hebrew
ART - Art	HIST - History
ASTR - Astronomy	HUM - Humanities
CHEM - Chemistry	ITAL - Italian
CHIN - Chinese	JAPN - Japanese
COMM - Communication Studies	LEAD - Leadership Studies
CSCI - Computer Science	MATH - Mathematics
DANC - Dance	MES - Middle East Studies
ECON - Economics	MUAP - Applied Music
ENGL - English	MUED - Music Education
FL - Foreign Languages	MUEN - Music Ensembles
FREN - French	MUHL - Music History and Literature
GEOG - Geography	MUPD - Music Pedagogy
GEOL - Geology	MUS - Music
GERM - German	MUTH - Music Theory
ORCO - Organizational Communication	RUSS - Russian
PHIL - Philosophy	SOC - Sociology
PHYS - Physics	SPAN - Spanish
PORT - Portuguese	UH - University Honors
PS - Political Science	WGST - Women’s Studies
PSCI - Physical Science	SW - Social Work
PSY - Psychology	STAT - Statistics
QM - Quantitative Methods	THEA - Theatre
RS - Religious Studies	SCI (old)
MUSI (old)	SPEE (old)

 The following courses are also considered to be liberal arts and sciences courses:

• INFS 2200 - Introduction to Microcomputing
    (comparable to CSCI 1150 )
• INFS 3100 - Principles of Management Information Systems
   
• REC 3000 - Leisure in Your Life
   

The following minors are considered liberal arts and sciences minors:

African American Studies, American Culture, Anthropology, Archaeology, Art, Asian Studies, Biology, Chemistry, Classical Studies, Computer Science, Dance, Early Modern European Studies, Economics, Economics and Finance, English, Environment and Human Society, Film Studies, Gerontology, Global Studies, Great Books, Health Care Services, History, Latin American Studies, Leadership Studies, Mathematics, Medieval Studies, Music, Native American Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Social Welfare, Southern Studies, Speech and Theatre,  Twentieth Century European Studies, Urban Studies, Writing, and Women’s and Gender Studies. Minors in the departments of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Geosciences, Physics and Astronomy, and Sociology and Anthropology also meet requirements.

University Media

Students majoring in Mass Communication are urged to become involved with the various campus media because they offer excellent opportunities for practical experience. These include student publications—Sidelines, the student newspaper; Collage, the student creative magazine—and MT Record.

Two radio stations and a community cable television channel provide opportunities for students to gain experience and knowledge about the mass media and communications:

• WMOT, the University’s National Public Radio affiliate, is a professionally managed public service radio station featuring jazz, news, and information programming. Located at 89.5 on the FM dial, WMOT-FM also provides enrichment opportunities for selected students majoring in Mass Communication.
• WMTS is a student-operated alternative radio station, located at 88.3 on the FM dial, which carries an eclectic mix of music, news, and student information.
• Channel 10, the University student-operated cable channel, carries sports, news, instructional, and entertainment programming.

Following are the curricula, courses, and specific requirements for majors and minors in each department or school.

Programs

Non-Degree

• •  Art Minor (for Mass Communication Students)
• •  Mass Communication Minor
• •  Mass Communication Minor for Recording Industry Majors

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