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 Journalism Students

MASC 101; MASC 203 with a minimum grade of C; and completion of UNIV 111, UNIV 112, POLI 103, ECON 203 and the College of Humanities and Sciences’ “Math and Statistics (must choose STAT 208)” “Science and Technology” and “Diverse and Global Communities” requirements.

To enroll in MASC 203, students must receive departmental permission.

Admittance to a sequence in the School of Mass Communications requires 1) an overall GPA of at least 2.5 in all courses and 2) 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.)

Journalism Sequence

All Journalism Students:

• MASC 101 Mass Communications
• MASC 203 Journalism Writing
• MASC 303 Reporting for Print and Web
• MASC 361 History and Development of Journalism
• MASC 363 Introduction to Broadcast Writing
• MASC 367 Audio and Video Journalism
• MASC 408 Communications Ethics and Law
• MASC 493 Fieldwork/Internship (3 credits)

Broadcast Concentration

• MASC 415 Advanced Video Journalism
• MASC 460 Advanced Television Newsgathering
• MASC electives (3 credits)

Choose one of the Following Capstone Courses:

• MASC 461 The Documentary*
• MASC 465 Newscasting*
• MASC 475 Capital News Service*
• MASC 496 Multimedia Journalism*

Print Concentration

• MASC 301 Graphics for Journalism
• MASC 305 Copy Editing

Choose two of the Following Capstone Courses: (The two courses may not be taken during the same semester without permission of the instructors.)

• MASC 403 Advanced Reporting*
• MASC 404 Specialized Project Reporting*
• MASC 475 Capital News Service*
• MASC 496 Multimedia Journalism*

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 journalism sequence include the following:

One additional history course at the 300 level or above.