Mass Communications Major, BA

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 Program Outcomes

1. Students will use traditional, contemporary, and emerging media to articulate new conceptions of the world and communicate various perspectives of the human experience.
2. Students will demonstrate the ability to use theoretical and applied knowledge to better understand communication, media, media technology, and its influence on society in different cultural, historical, social and political contexts.
3. Students will demonstrate the ability to write, speak, and communicate effectively with different audiences for a variety of purposes.