Mass Communications, Bachelor of Science with a concentration in advertising/creative
Program Overview
Mass Communications, Bachelor of Science with a Concentration in Advertising/Creative
Program Overview
The Robertson School of Media and Culture prepares effective and skilled communicators through quality instruction, advising, and student services based on real-world applications. Through research, professional service, and scholarship in applied communications, the school advances the knowledge and practice of a multidisciplinary and evolving media environment. The School values truth, ethics, creativity, innovation, collaboration, cultural diversity, shared governance, and community engagement.
Career Opportunities
The concentrations in advertising prepare students for careers at advertising agencies, marketing departments of corporations or service organizations, and media companies. These concentrations are a training ground that prepares students to join the world community of media practitioners and are centered on professional practice, studio-intensive coursework, and experimental collaboration.
The concentrations in journalism train alumni for competitive careers in print and video media and in such places as print and video newsrooms, digital news, magazines, and special interest publications. The concentrations in journalism are transferable to many other fields like law, business, or government service.
The concentration in media production prepares graduates to work as content creators in film and television, sports media, local or national production studios, and online productions.
The concentration in public relations prepares graduates to successfully enter the public relations field. Graduates can be found representing professional sports teams, global clothing manufacturers, Hollywood production studios, energy companies, hospitals, international non-profits, and small businesses. The public relations profession calls for professional communicators; all organizations, big and small, must communicate with audiences to succeed.
Bachelor-Level Job Titles
- Art Director
- Broadcast News Analyst
- Development/Fundraising Manager
- Digital Specialist
- Grant Writer
- Media Relations Coordinator
- Nonprofit Communications Manager
- Radio and Television Announcer
- Videographer
- Visual Effects (FX) Artist
Graduate and Professional Level Job Titles
- Copywriter
- Creative Brand Manager
- Director of Digital Media
- Experience Designer
Guaranteed Transfer Admission Requirements
- Completion of associate degree
- Minimum GPA of 2.5
- All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better
Degree Requirements
The Mass Communications, Bachelor of Science (B.S.) with a concentration in advertising/creative requires the completion of 120 credits.
Plan of Study
The plan of study includes:
- General education requirements
- Major requirements
- Electives
Requirements
- Highest level of math required: STAT 208
- Science required: Natural Sciences requirement only
- Foreign language requirements: Yes
- Additional tuition/fees: No
- GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major): 2.5+ cumulative GPA, 2.5+ major GPA
Recommended Courses
Richard Bland College of William and Mary (Associate of Arts)
| Course | Title | Equivalent Course | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGL 101 | Rhetoric and Research I | UNIV 111-112 | 3 | General education |
| ENGL 102 | Rhetoric and Research II | UNIV 200 | 3 | General education |
| Literature | Select 2: ENGL 203, 204, 205, 206, 210, 211, 214, 215, 216 | ENGL | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| Language & Ideas | Select 1: ENGL 203, 204, 205, 206, 210, 211, 214, 215, 216, PHIL 101, 201, 202, 203, 270, REL 201, 209, 210, 270, COMM 101, 102, 201 | VCU equivalent | 3 | General education |
| ART 202 | Art History Survey | ARTH 104 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| MATH 217 | Introductory Statistics | STAT 210 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| French or Spanish | Two Courses in Foreign Language as per Placement | VCU equivalent | 6 to 8 | General education |
| HIST 201 or HIST 202 | Select either HIST 201 American History to 1865 or HIST 202 American History since 1865 | HIST 103 or HIST 104 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| Economics | ECON 201 Principles of Economics (Macro) and ECON 202 Principles of Economics (Micro) | ECON 210 + ECON 211 | 6 | Major (Ancillary) |
| Lab Science | Select 1 with lab: BIOL 101/L, 110, 151/L, CHEM 101/L, 110/L, PHYS 101/L, 201/L, SCIE 111/L | VCU equivalent | 4 | General education |
| BUS 201 | Principles of Accounting I (substitutes for MKTG 301 requirement) | ACCT 203 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| Complete requirements for associate degree | VCU equivalents | 20 | Elective | |
| Richard Bland credits transferred to VCU | 60 |
VCU Courses
| Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| MASC 101 | Mass Communications | 3 | Major |
| MASC 274 | Diversity in the Media | 3 | Major |
| MASC 300 | Technical Prowess | 3 | Major |
| MASC 380 | Media and Culture | 3 | Major |
| MASC 390 | Ethical Problems in Mass Media | 3 | Major |
| MASC 408 | Communications Law | 3 | Major |
| MASC 493 | Fieldwork/Internship | 3 | Major |
| MASC 499 | Career Minded | 3 | Major |
| MASC 201 | Curiousness | 3 | Major |
| MASC 203 or MASC 204 | Journalism Writing or Story | 3 | Major |
| MASC 392 | Perspicuousness | 3 | Major |
| MASC 394 | Imagination | 3 | Major |
| MASC 450 | Style | 3 | Major |
| MASC 451 | Invention | 3 | Major |
| MASC 481 | Completeness | 3 | Major |
| MASC | MASC electives | 6 | Major |
| POLI or URSP course (300 level or higher) | 3 | Major (Ancillary) | |
| Literature course (300-level or above) except ENGL/TEDU 386 or TEDU 387 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) | |
| Open elective | 3 | Elective | |
| REAL | The REAL requirement may be satisfied by successfully completing a 300-level (or higher) course that has received a REAL attribute of Level 2, 3 or 4 or through an approved "REAL" co-curricular experience that has received a REAL attribute of Level 3 or 4 | 0 | Major |
| Credits completed at VCU | 60 | ||
| Bachelor's degree total | 120 |