Degree Requirements
General Education (42-44 hours)
University general education requirements are outlined in the general education section of the undergraduate academic catalog and included in the sample curriculum outline. Mass communications majors must complete MC 455: Media Ethics, as part of their program of study.
To ensure that mass communications majors learn to apply basic numerical and statistical concepts, each must complete one of the following specializations:
Choose either STAT 244, Statistics, or STAT 380, Statistics for Applications, to complete the SIUE general education courses requirement; or
If a mass communications major chooses a minor in applied communication studies, complete ACS 329, Communication Research Methods; or
Choose MC 451, Research Methods in Mass Media, either as a mass communications department elective or as one of the student’s three selected courses: Advertising and Strategic Media, Journalism, and Media Production Specializations.
All mass communications majors must complete a minimum of 72 semester hours in courses outside the Department of Mass Communications.
Introductory Core Requirements (9 hours)
- MC 201, MC 202 and MC 204
Advanced Core (12 hours)
- MC 327, MC 401, MC 403 and MC 481
Professional Specialization (15 hours)
Choose one of the following mass communications specializations:
Advertising and Strategic Media
- MC 325 Fundamentals of Advertising and MC 389 Media Planning or
- MC 402 Media Management and MC 422 Writing for the Corporate & Institutional Market
Three of the following courses chosen in consultation with a mass communications department advisor:
- MC 321 Feature Writing
- MC 323 Digital Publishing and Design
- MC 326 Advertising Copyediting & Design
- MC 334 Electronic Media Advertising
- MC 342 Digital Imagery
- MC 421 Advertising Campaigns
- MC 440 Visual Media Analysis
- MC 441 Advanced Writing and Designing for Digital Media
- MC 449 Media Psychology
- MC 451 Research Methods in Mass Media
Journalism
- MC 322 Copy Editing For The Media
- MC 324 Public Affairs Reporting
Three of the following courses chosen in consultation with a mass communications department advisor:
- MC 321 Feature Writing
- MC 323 Digital Publishing and Design
- MC 330 Advanced Broadcast WritIng
- MC 332 Electronic Media News
- MC 341 Sports Journalism
- MC 342 Digital Imagery
- MC 424 Literary Journalism
- MC 447 Photojournalism
Media Production
- MC 330 Advanced Broadcast Writing
- MC 402 Media Management
Three of the following courses chosen in consultation with a mass communications department advisor:
- MC 301 Radio Production
- MC 331 Electronic Media Performance
- MC 333 Advanced Video Production
- MC 334 Electronic Media Advertising
- MC 423A, 423B Advanced Topics in Writing for the Media
- MC 431 Corporate and Non-broadcast Video
- MC 433 Television Producing and Directing
- MC 440 Visual Media Analysis
- MC 441 Advanced Writing and Designing for Digital Media
- MC 454 Documentary Media Production
Mass Communications Electives (3 hours)
Minor Outside of Mass Communications (18-21 hours)
University Electives (19-22 hours)
Only mass communications courses in which the student receives a grade of C or better will be accepted for credit toward completion of the mass communications major or minor.
Retention
Mass communications majors must maintain a 2.2 overall GPA.
Students may attempt (complete a course and receive a grade) any Department of Mass Communications course only twice. If a student fails to achieve a grade of C or better in a course after a second attempt, they must petition the Department of Mass Communications faculty for the opportunity to attempt the course again.
