Degree requirements – Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications

No more than 40 credits in the major field can be counted toward the 120 credits needed to graduate. In addition, students must earn a total of 45 credits in classes at the 300-level and above, including upper-level mass communications course work. To graduate from the mass communications program, students must have a cumulative and major GPA of 2.5 and must earn at least a C in their senior-level capstone courses. The mass communications curriculum includes the foundation and specific sequences.

Foundation course work for advertising students

MASC 101; MASC 201; MASC 204 with a minimum grade of C; and completion of UNIV 111, UNIV 112, ECON 203 and the College of Humanities and Sciences’ “Human, Social and Political Behavior,” “Math and Statistics” (must choose STAT 208), “Science and Technology” and “Diverse and Global Communities” requirements.

To enroll in MASC 204, students must receive departmental permission.

Admittance to a sequence in the School of Mass Communications is contingent on meeting the following requirements: an overall GPA of at least 2.5 in all courses and completion of the required mass communications foundation courses. Transfer students will be evaluated on an individual basis but generally will be required to meet the prerequisites for admission to the major sequence during the second semester they are enrolled at VCU.

Certification of these requirements must accompany a formal petition for admission to a sequence. At this time, the student must select a specialization in one of the school’s sequences: advertising, journalism or public relations. In addition, students selecting the advertising sequence must choose either the creative advertising or strategic advertising concentration. Students selecting the journalism sequence must choose either the broadcast journalism or the print journalism concentration.

To enroll in a mass communications course, majors must have earned a minimum grade of C in all courses prerequisite for that course. To graduate from the mass communications program, students must earn a minimum grade of C in their senior-level capstone courses. (Those courses are designated below with an asterisk.)

Advertising sequence

The advertising sequence prepares students for careers at advertising agencies, marketing departments of corporations or service organizations, and media buying companies. Students choose one of two concentrations: strategic or creative.

All advertising students:

• MASC 101 Mass Communications
• MASC 201 Curiousness
• MASC 204 Story (or MASC 203 Journalism Writing)
• MASC 380 History of Advertising
• MASC 409 Truth and Honor
• MASC 481 Completeness*

Strategic concentration

• MASC  398 Awareness
• MASC 399 Empathy
• MASC 459 Judgment*
• MASC 493 Fieldwork/Internship (3 credits)
• MASC electives (9 credits)

Creative concentration

• MASC 300 Technical Prowess
• MASC 392 Perspicuousness
• MASC 394 Imagination
• MASC 450 Style
• MASC 451 Invention*
• MASC electives (6 credits)

Collateral requirements

In addition to mass communications courses, students must take the following:

HIST 103, 104 Survey of American History
STAT 208 Statistical Thinking or STAT 210 Basic Practice of Statistics
Any literature course at the 300 level or above except ENGL 351 or ENGL 433
One 3-credit POLI or URSP course at the 300 level or above

Additional collateral requirements for the advertising sequence include the following:

ARTH 103 Western Art History (for the college’s “Experiencing the Fine Arts” requirement)
ACCT 202 Accounting for Non-business Majors