B.A. DEGREE WITH A MAJOR IN MASS COMMUNICATION

Eligibility for Entry into and Continuation in the Mass Communication Major

All students (current, entering, first-year, and transfer) who wish to major in mass communication will be classified as pre-mass communication majors. Students will be classified as mass communication majors after applying for acceptance into the major and receiving official acceptance by the faculty.

To be considered for admission to the mass communication major, students must meet all of the following requirements:

2.5 cumulative GPA in at least 36 hours of coursework
Passed Regents Exam (both parts)
Completed and earned a C or better in each of the following courses:
MSCM 2200, Mass Media and Society
MSCM 2204, Writing for the Mass Media
English 1101
English 1102

Meeting minimum requirements assures consideration but is not a guarantee of admission. The application process is competitive. Applicants presenting the highest qualifications will be accepted Fall and Spring semesters of each academic year.

Students wishing to be considered for admission to the mass communication major must complete the application and submit it to the Department of Mass Communication no later than 12 noon on the last day of final exams of each semester. Applications can be found in the Department of Mass Communication Office. Mass Communication faculty will determine acceptance into the major, and students will be notified one month after application deadline.


Areas A - E (See Core section of the Catalog)				42 semester hours
Area F				18 semester hours
1.		MSCM 2200	Mass Media And Society (3 hours)
MSCM 2204			Writing for the Mass Media (3 hours)
2.	Any 1000-2000 level ARTS, ECON, ENGL, HIST, IDST, MUSC, POLS, PSYC, RHET, SOCI, or THEA (6-12 hours)
3.		FREN 1001	Elementary French I
GRMN 1001			Elementary German I
ITAL 1001			Elementary Italian I
SPAN 1001			Elementary Spanish I;
FREN 1002			Elementary French II
GRMN 1002			Elementary German II
ITAL 1002			Elementary Italian II
SPAN 1002			Elementary Spanish II;
FREN 2001			Elementary French III
GRMN 2001			Elementary German III
ITAL 2001			Elementary Italian III
SPAN 2001			Elementary Spanish III;
FREN 2002			Intermediate French Readings
GRMN 2002			Intermediate German Readings
ITAL 2002			Intermediate Italian Readings
SPAN 2002			Intermediate Spanish Readings (0-6 hours)

(Any transfer student who has not completed the courses in Area F, or their equivalents, must take these courses at GCSU.)


Major Requirements			25 semester hours
1.	MSCM 3300	Mass Media Law and Ethics (3 hours)
	MSCM 3306	Mass Communication Theory and Research (3 hours)
	MSCM 4402	Senior Career Development (1 hour)
2.	MSCM electives at the 3000-4000 level (6 hours)
3.	Select one concentration of study from the following four programs (12 hours):

Broadcast and Electronic Media Concentration

MSCM 3309	Principles of Broadcast and Electronic Media
MSCM 3311	Audio Theory and Practice
MSCM 3315	Video Theory and Practice
MSCM 4417	Advanced Media Production OR MSCM 4410

Print Concentration

MSCM 3319	Publication Layout and Design
MSCM 3323	Publication Editing
MSCM 3326	Feature Writing
MSCM 4422	Government and Public Affairs Reporting

Advertising Concentration

MSCM 3330	Principles of Advertising
MSCM 3331	Advertising Copywriting
MSCM 3332	Advertising Management
MSCM 4438	Advertising Campaigns

Public Relations Concentration


MSCM 3340		Principles of Public Relations
MSCM 3342		Public Relations Writing
MSCM 4442		Public Relations Administration
MSCM 4448		Public Relations Campaigns
Cognate Area		12 semester hours
1.	(4-6 hours total)
MSCM 2930		Practicum (3 hours; one of which must be with the student media)
MSCM 4960		Internship (3 hours)
2.	Two courses from the following (6 hours):
ARTS 2200		Photography I
ARTS 3200		Photography II
CBIS 3217		Desktop Publishing
CBIS 3218		Web Design Tools

any 3000-4000 level English, Rhetoric, Management, or Marketing course

Senior Capstone Experience

3* semester hours

This requirement is usually satisfied during the senior year and is met by completion of MSCM 4402, Senior Career Development, which requires the compilation of a reflective portfolio of a student's work.

*The Capstone Experience is not added to cumulative hours because it is fulfilled by the regular major curriculum in MSCM.

Foreign Language Requirement

0-12 semester hours

Students must show competence in a foreign language at the level of the fourth university course (2002). (0-12 hours.)

NOTE: Mass Communication majors who take three or four courses at the university level may count two of them in Area F.

Other Requirements

Completion of the First-Year Academic Seminar with a passing grade. Students who transfer to GCSU after the first term are exempt from the requirement.
Mass Communication majors are required to complete off-campus internships in the communications field. If students do not have a 2.5 GPA or better, they must successfully complete a noncredit internship and take three additional semester hours of MSCM electives. The maximum number of internship hours that may be applied toward a Mass Communication major is three. Internships must be completed at GCSU.
Mass Communication majors must earn a C or better in all MSCM courses that count toward their major.
Any student who receives more than one grade of D or F in any MSCM course(s) will be ineligible to continue in the major, subject to appeal to the department faculty and the department chair.
Students who are found guilty of misconduct at the university level, including but not limited to cheating or plagiarism, will not be allowed to remain in the major.
No more than three journalism and/or mass communication courses totaling nine hours completed prior to admission to the program may be applied toward requirements for the B.A. in Mass Communication. This includes courses taken at GCSU as well as any taken at other institutions. All courses over three will be placed in excess credit and may only be counted as B.A. electives.
A minimum of 39 semester hours overall must be at the 3000-4000 level.
Fulfillment of University-wide Senior Capstone Experience requirement, as explained above.

Electives

11-23 semester hours

Mass Communication majors who use language courses in Area F will have the higher number of elective hours.

Total

120 semester hours