Mission
The mission of the Department of Communication and Media Studies is to provide a program of study through classroom instruction, and practical experience in research and application, that prepares students to apply the principles of communication to the production, distribution, and systematic analysis of messages. Overall, the curriculum seeks to integrate theoretical and applied knowledge in the field in a program model that facilitates curricular flexibility in order to better meet the challenges of a rapidly changing communication and media studies environment.
Departmental Goals
The primary goals of the department are to provide dynamic and robust: 1) Classroom instruction, 2) Practical experience through practicums and internships, and 3) Research in Communication. This foundation is offered through a set of core courses that all students l must take. Depending on the combination of courses, students will be able to claim expertise in a specific area of specialization, or be a generalist in Communication.
More specifically, the departmental goals of Communication and Media Studies enable students:
1. To engage in the interdisciplinary opportunities in combining the major with other areas of study across the College and University.
2. To engage in the necessary theoretical and applied knowledge to critically understand communication, media, media technology, and its influence on society in different cultural historical, social, and political contexts.
3. To engage in the multiple influences of traditional, contemporary, and emerging media and how media shapes and informs new conceptions of the world and human experience.
4. To engage in greater freedom and choice to successfully create academic pathways to pursue their intellectual interests while developing critical conceptual, methodological, and theoretical skills to engage the discipline for academic and professional purposes.
Major Requirements
Majors are required to take a minimum of 30 semester credit hours of departmental courses beyond the required 60 semester credit hours of WSSU General Education courses. Five core courses are included in the departmental 30 semester credit hours. The five required core courses are MCM 2325 – Introduction to Mass Communications, MCM 1301 – Introduction to Human Communication Theory, MCM 3342 - Media, Communication and Culture, MCM 4321 – International Communications, and MCM 4325 –Communication Senior Seminar Capstone. Each of the five core courses equals 3 semester hours for a total of 15 semester credit hours once completed. The remaining 15 semester credit hours of departmental courses at the 3000 and 4000 level are required to satisfy the major. Free elective courses and possibly some major elective courses should be taken to fulfill the needed total of 120 semester hours required for graduation.
Students must achieve a grade of “C-” or better in all departmental courses taken as part of the major requirements.
Courses Offered by the Department
Core Required Courses (15 Semester Hours)
MCM 1301 - Introduction to Human Communication
MCM 2325 – Introduction to Mass Communications
MCM 3342 – Media, Communication and Culture
MCM 4321 – International Communications
MCM 4325 – Communication Senior Seminar Capstone
Elective Courses (15 Semester Hours Required at the 3000 and 4000 level)
MCM 2341 – Digital Convergence
MCM 3215 – Journalism Practicum
MCM 3301 - Law and Ethics
MCM 3308 – Journalism Language, Style and Literacy
MCM 3311 – Studio Production
MCM 3312 – Copy Editing
MCM 3321 – Media Presentation
MCM 3325 – Media Writing
MCM 3360 – Public Affairs Reporting
MCM 3366 – Advanced Video Directing
MCM 3367 – Advanced Video Editing
MCM 3368 – Advanced Video Production
MCM 3369 – General Internship
MCM 3370 – Field Production
MCM 4093 – Mass Communications Internship
MCM 4115 – Advanced Journalism Practicum
MCM 4309 – Feature Writing
MCM 4322 – Minorities and Media
MCM 4371 – Electronic Media Practicum
SPH 2141 – Speech Project
SPH 2321 – Oral Interpretation of Literature
SPH 2341 – Fundamentals of Speech
SPH 2343 – Voice and Diction
SPH 2345 – Great African-American Speeches of the 20th and 21st Centuries
SPH 2346 – Professional Presentations
SPH 3320 – Intercultural Communication
SPH 3340 – Interpersonal Communication
SPH 3350 – Group Discussion
SPH 3360 – Argumentation and Debate
SPH 3370 – Phonetics
SPH 4345 – Advanced Public Speaking
Speech Communication Minor
Objectives
1. To provide experiences and training in public and interpersonal communication.
2. To provide an awareness of the impact of non-verbal communication on meaning and interpretation.
3. To contribute to the emotional and intellectual development of students by providing opportunities for creative self-expression.
4. To provide experiential learning activities that allow for the composition and delivery of oral communication projects to enhance student expression and creativity.
Students who minor in Speech Communication must earn a grade of “C-” or above in all courses taken for the minor requirements.
The minor in Speech Communication requires 18 hours beyond the courses taken to complete the General Education’s Oral Communication requirement. Courses should be chosen from among the following:
SPH 2321 – Oral Interpretation of Literature
SPH 2341 – Fundamentals of Speech*
SPH 2343 – Voice and Diction
SPH 3320 – Intercultural Communication
SPH 3340 – Interpersonal Communication
SPH 3350 – Group Discussion
SPH 3360 – Argumentation and Debate
SPH 3370 – Phonetics
SPH 4345 – Advanced Public Speaking
*All students minoring in Speech Communication must complete SPH 2341 . It may be taken to fulfill the General Education’s Oral Communication requirement or counted as part of the minor program.
Speech Courses Offered by the Department of Communication and Media Studies
SPH 2141 – Speech Project
SPH 2321 – Oral Interpretation of Literature
SPH 2341 – Fundamentals of Speech
SPH 2343 – Voice and Diction
SPH 2345 - Great African-American Speeches of the 20th and 21st Centuries
SPH 2346 – Professional Presentations
SPH 3320 – Intercultural Communication Across Cultural Boundaries
SPH 3340 – Interpersonal Communication
SPH 3350 – Group Discussion
SPH 3360 – Argumentation and Debate
SPH 3370 – Phonetics
SPH 4345 – Advanced Public Speaking
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