Jan 27, 2025

2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Journalism, Media Studies Concentration, B.S.

Journalism and Strategic Media
615-898-2814
Katie Foss, program coordinator
Katie.Foss@mtsu.edu

The Journalism major with a Media Studies concentration is designed for students who enjoy discussing, analyzing, and writing about film, television, advertising, and other media. In this concentration, students think about the interplay between media and society, exploring the messages in historical and contemporary media content, as well as examining how and why media influence audience perception and behavior.

The B.S. in Journalism with a concentration in Media Studies is offered both on ground and online.

Students should check the prerequisites for each course.

Academic Map

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

Journalism, Media Studies, B.S., Academic Map

Degree Requirements

True Blue Core (TBC)	41 hours
Major Requirements	50 hours*
Minor	15-18 hours
Electives	11-17 hours
TOTAL	120 hours

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

True Blue Core (41 hours)

True Blue Core (TBC) requirements (shown in curricular listings below) include courses in the Foundational Skills areas of Written Communication (WC), Information Literacy (Info Lit), Non-Written Communication (NWC), and Quantitative Literacy (Quant Lit). Knowledge Domains include Human Society and Social Relationships (HSSR), Scientific Literacy (Sci Lit), Creativity and Cultural Expression (CCE), and History and Civic Learning (HCL), which include Discovery and Explorations categories. Students must choose at least one course from each Discovery category.

The following courses required by the major meet True Blue Core requirements:

EMC 1020 /JOUR 1020 /RIM 1020 (HSSR)

Major Requirements (50 hours)

School of Journalism and Strategic Media Core (14 hours)

EMC 1020 - Introduction to Media and Entertainment 3 credit hours OR
JOUR 1020 - Introduction to Media and Entertainment 3 credit hours OR
RIM 1020 - Introduction to Media and Entertainment 3 credit hours
(may be counted in the True Blue Core)
JOUR 2710 - Media Writing 3 credit hours
JOUR 2720 - Digital Media Practices 3 credit hours
JOUR 4880 - Professional Development 1 credit hour
EMC 4250 - Media Law 3 credit hours OR
JOUR 4250 - Media Law 3 credit hours
JOUR 3580 - MC Practicum 1 to 3 credit hours (1 credit hour) OR
JOUR 4000 - MC Internship 1 to 3 credit hours (1 credit hour)

Writing/Research/Design/Professional (18 hours)

Choose two (6 hours):

ADV 3020 - Principles of Advertising 3 credit hours
PR 2040 - Public Relations Principles 3 credit hours
VCOM 2010 - Introduction to Visual Communication 3 credit hours
JOUR 3600 - Digital and Media Literacy 3 credit hours
SPM 2100 - Media and Sports 3 credit hours

Choose four (12 hours):

JOUR 2132 - Video Journalism Practices 3 credit hours
JOUR 3090 - Reporting 3 credit hours
JOUR 3170 - Digital Analytics and Certifications 3 credit hours
JOUR 3240 - Mobile Storytelling 3 credit hours
JOUR 3430 - Radio News Reporting 3 credit hours
JOUR 3530 - Feature Writing 3 credit hours
JOUR 3560 - Podcasting in Journalism 3 credit hours
JOUR 3720 - News Producing 3 credit hours
JOUR 3841 - Data Skills for Media Professionals 3 credit hours
ADV 3160 - Advertising Design and Visuals 3 credit hours
ADV 3480 - Media Strategy and Buying 3 credit hours
PR 3360 - Strategic Communication Writing for Public Relations 3 credit hours
PR 3380 - Public Relations Publications 3 credit hours
VCOM 2950 - Visual Communication Applications 3 credit hours
VCOM 3920 - Information Web Design 3 credit hours
ADV 3520 - Special Topics in Professional Issues 3 credit hours OR
JOUR 3520 - Special Topics in Professional Issues 3 credit hours OR
PR 3520 - Special Topics in Professional Issues 3 credit hours OR
VCOM 3520 - Special Topics in Professional Issues 3 credit hours

Conceptual Requirements (18 hours)

Choose six courses from the list below:

ADV 3060 - Issues in Advertising: Sexuality and Gender 3 credit hours
JOUR 2800 - Journalism and Media Topics 1 to 3 credit hours
JOUR 3000 - Journalism and Media in the Movies 3 credit hours
JOUR 3020 - Community Engagement Journalism 3 credit hours
JOUR 3050 - Principles of Health Communication 3 credit hours
JOUR 3070 - Introduction to Social Media Practice 3 credit hours
JOUR 3650 - Free Expression, Media, and the American Public 3 credit hours
JOUR 3660 - Strategic Communication Research 3 credit hours
JOUR 3850 - Crime, Gender, and Media 3 credit hours
JOUR 4210 - Media and Society 3 credit hours
JOUR 4240 - Television, Culture, and History 3 credit hours
JOUR 4350 - Children and Media 3 credit hours
JOUR 4510 - Media and Social Change 3 credit hours
JOUR 4700 - Mass Media and National Security 3 credit hours
JOUR 4780 - Media and Markets 3 credit hours
JOUR 4790 - Global News and World Media Cultures 3 credit hours
JOUR 4800 - Seminar in Media Issues 3 credit hours
JOUR 4810 - Global Comparative Media Systems 3 credit hours
JOUR 4820 - Race, Gender, and Class in Media 3 credit hours
JOUR 4850 - Media Ethics 3 credit hours
PR 3400 - Case Studies in Public Relations 3 credit hours
PR 4720 - Crisis Communication in Public Relations 3 credit hours
SPM 3100 - Diversity in Sports Media 3 credit hours
Approved School of Journalism and Strategic Media elective 3 credit hours
Approved College of Media and Entertainment elective 3 credit hours

NOTE: Electives not listed should be approved before enrolling in the courses.

Minor (15-18 hours)

Selected from outside the School of Journalism and Strategic Media with advisor approval.

Electives (11-17 hours)

Students in the School of Journalism and Strategic Media (SOJSM) must select at least 9 hours of liberal arts/social sciences (beyond True Blue Core); at least six hours of liberal arts/social science electives must come from courses at the 3000-level or higher.

Curriculum: Journalism, Media Studies

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

Freshman

Written Communication 3 credit hours
Information Literacy 3 credit hours
Non-Written Communication 3 credit hours
Creativity and Cultural Expression 6 credit hours
Quantitative Literacy 3 credit hours
Scientific Literacy 4 credit hours
History and Civic Learning 3 credit hours
Elective 3 credit hours
EMC 1020 - Introduction to Media and Entertainment 3 credit hours (HSSR) OR
JOUR 1020 - Introduction to Media and Entertainment 3 credit hours (HSSR) OR
RIM 1020 - Introduction to Media and Entertainment 3 credit hours (HSSR)

Subtotal: 31 Hours

Sophomore

JOUR 2710 - Media Writing 3 credit hours
JOUR 2720 - Digital Media Practices 3 credit hours
Creativity and Cultural Expression Literature 3 credit hours
Scientific Literacy 4 credit hours
Human Society and Social Relationships 3 credit hours
Minor courses 6 credit hours
Conceptual requirement 3 credit hours
Writing/Research/Design/Professional 6 credit hours

Subtotal: 31 Hours

Junior

History and Civic Learning 3 credit hours
Writing/Research/Design/Professional 6 credit hours
Conceptual Requirement 12 credit hours
Electives 6 credit hours
Minor course 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 30 Hours

Senior

JOUR 4250 - Media Law 3 credit hours
Conceptual Requirement 3 credit hours
Writing/Research/Design/Professional 6 credit hours
Minor courses 6 credit hours
Minor or elective course 3 credit hours
Electives 5 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)

Journalism, Media Studies Concentration, B.S.

Academic Map

Degree Requirements

True Blue Core (41 hours)

Major Requirements (50 hours)

School of Journalism and Strategic Media Core (14 hours)

Writing/Research/Design/Professional (18 hours)

Choose two (6 hours):

Choose four (12 hours):

Conceptual Requirements (18 hours)

Minor (15-18 hours)

Electives (11-17 hours)

Curriculum: Journalism, Media Studies

Freshman

Subtotal: 31 Hours

Sophomore

Subtotal: 31 Hours

Junior

Subtotal: 30 Hours

Senior

Subtotal: 28 Hours