Program: Journalism, Advertising-Public Relations Concentration (Recording Industry) B.S. - Middle Tennessee State University

Apr 07, 2025

2021-22 Undergraduate Catalog

Journalism and Strategic Media
615-898-2814
Matt Taylor, program coordinator
Matthew.Taylor@mtsu.edu

Advertising and public relations are distinct fields; these programs help students prepare for positions in advertising agencies and departments, media sales and management, advertising production and design, public relations agencies and departments, and organizational and employee relations.

Students in public relations may choose the general program or a specialty in the recording industry. By the junior year students should choose a minor.

Academic Map

Following is a printable, suggested four-year schedule of courses:

Journalism, Advertising-Public Relations (RIM), B.S., Academic Map

Degree Requirements

General Education	41 hours
Major Requirements	59 hours*
Minor	15-18 hours
Electives	2-8 hours
TOTAL	120 hours

*This program requires courses that can also fulfill requirements of the General Education curriculum. If program requirements are also used to fulfill General Education requirements, the number of elective hours will increase.

General Education (41 hours)

General Education requirements (shown in curricular listings below) include courses in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences.

The following course required by the program meets General Education requirements:

EMC 1020 /JOUR 1020 /RIM 1020 (Soc/Beh Sci)

Major Requirements (59 hours)

Minor (15-18 hours)

Selected from outside the School of Journalism and Strategic Media and Department of Media Arts with advisor approval; students may wish to consider a minor in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business.

Electives (2-8 hours)

Students in the School of Journalism and Strategic Media (SOJSM) must complete 72 hours of approved coursework from outside SOJSM or Department of Media Arts courses.

Curriculum: Journalism, Advertising-Public Relations (Recording Industry)

Curricular listings include General Education requirements in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences categories.

Majors must have a C (2.00) or better in all Media and Entertainment courses.

Freshman

ENGL 1010 - Expository Writing 3 credit hours (Comm)
ENGL 1020 - Research and Argumentative Writing 3 credit hours (Comm)
COMM 2200 - Fundamentals of Communication 3 credit hours (Comm)
HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I 3 credit hours OR
HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II 3 credit hours OR
HIST 2030 - Tennessee History 3 credit hours OR
HIST 2040 - Survey African American History I 3 credit hours OR
HIST 2050 - Survey African American History II 3 credit hours
JOUR 1020 - American Media and Social Institutions 3 credit hours (Soc/Beh Sci) OR
EMC 1020 - American Media and Social Institutions 3 credit hours (Soc/Beh Sci) OR
RIM 1020 - American Media and Social Institutions 3 credit hours (Soc/Beh Sci)
Mathematics 3 credit hours
Social/Behavioral Sciences 3 credit hours
Humanities and/or Fine Arts 3 credit hours
Natural Sciences 4 credit hours
Elective 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 31 Hours

Sophomore

ENGL 2020 - Themes in Literature and Culture 3 credit hours (Hum/FA) OR
ENGL 2030 - The Experience of Literature 3 credit hours (Hum/FA) OR
HUM 2610 - World Literatures 3 credit hours (Hum/FA)
HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I 3 credit hours OR
HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II 3 credit hours OR
HIST 2030 - Tennessee History 3 credit hours OR
HIST 2040 - Survey African American History I 3 credit hours OR
HIST 2050 - Survey African American History II 3 credit hours
JOUR 2710 - Media Writing 3 credit hours
PR 2040 - Public Relations Principles 3 credit hours
Natural Science 4 credit hours
Minor course 3 credit hours
Minor course/elective 3 credit hours
RIM 3000 - History of the Recording Industry 3 credit hours
RIM 3600 - Survey of the Recording Industry 3 credit hours
JOUR 2720 - Digital Media Skills 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 31 Hours

Junior

PR 3360 - Strategic Communication Writing for Public Relations 3 credit hours
VCOM 2950 - Visual Communication Applications 3 credit hours
Elective 2 credit hours
Minor courses 9 credit hours
Humanities and/or Fine Arts 3 credit hours
JOUR conceptual requirement 3 credit hours
JOUR/RIM conceptual requirement 3 credit hours
JOUR 3090 - Reporting 3 credit hours OR
RIM 3780 - Entertainment Reporting and Writing 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 29 Hours

Senior

RIM 3700 - Entertainment Intellectual Property I 3 credit hours
PR 4740 - Public Relations Campaigns 3 credit hours
JOUR 3660 - Strategic Communication Research 3 credit hours
PR 3380 - Public Relations Publications 3 credit hours
PR 3400 - Case Studies in Public Relations 3 credit hours
JOUR 4250 - Mass Media Law 3 credit hours
JOUR 4880 - Professional Development 1 credit hour
JOUR 3580 - MC Practicum 1 to 3 credit hours (1 credit hour required) OR
JOUR 4000 - MC Internship 1 to 3 credit hours (1 credit hour required)
JOUR/RIM conceptual requirement 3 credit hours
Professional Topics requirement 3 credit hours
Minor course 3 credit hours

Journalism, Advertising-Public Relations Concentration (Recording Industry) B.S.

Academic Map

Degree Requirements

General Education (41 hours)

Major Requirements (59 hours)

School of Journalism and Strategic Media Core (14 hours)

Writing/Design Requirements (9 hours)

Conceptual Requirements (24 hours)

Choose one:

Choose two:

Professional Topics (9 hours)

Choose one:

Senior Capstone (3 hours)

Minor (15-18 hours)

Electives (2-8 hours)

Curriculum: Journalism, Advertising-Public Relations (Recording Industry)

Freshman

Subtotal: 31 Hours

Sophomore

Subtotal: 31 Hours

Junior

Subtotal: 29 Hours

Senior

Subtotal: 29-31 Hours