Campuses:
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Twin Cities Campus
Mass Communication B.A.School of Journalism & Mass Communication
College of Liberal Arts
Mass communication is the study of communicating with the masses, but is also about media storytelling with strategy and purpose. The study of mass communication is centered around how messages persuade and affect the behavior and opinion of the person or people receiving the content. This major is designed for students who wish to pursue a liberal arts approach to the study of mass communication institutions, processes, effects, research methods, and analysis through the lens of economic sociology, politics, psychology, law and other disciplines. The major helps students develop research methods and analysis skills that can be applied to a number of different fields, including law, academia, and the professional sector. Students can choose a program emphasis in areas such as history, law, media effects, media industry studies, international communications, or other aspects of the mass communication field.
About two-thirds of the coursework for the BA degree is outside of JOUR. The 120-credit requirement must include at least 72 non-JOUR credits. Total program credits may not exceed 48.
Program Delivery
This program is available:
Admission Requirements
Freshman and transfer students are usually admitted to pre-major status
before admission to this major.
A GPA above 2.0 is preferred for the following:
Students must apply to the major. To apply, students must have completed, or be enrolled in, JOUR 1001 and at least 30 graded (A-F) credits, including at least one semester of study (13) at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Campus. Students must write a statement of intent for the major application. The statement of intent provides a writing sample for the Admissions Committee, addressing information about academic interests, professional goals, and mass communication or related experience, if any.
For information about University of Minnesota admission requirements, visit the
Office of Admissions
website.
Required prerequisites
Preparatory Course
Take exactly 1 course(s) totaling exactly 3 credit(s) from the following:
·
JOUR 1001 - Media in a Changing World
[SOCS, TS]
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 1001H - Media in a Changing World
[SOCS, TS]
(3.0 cr)
General Requirements
All students in baccalaureate degree programs are required to complete general University and college requirements including writing and liberal education courses. For more information about University-wide requirements, see the
liberal education requirements.
Required courses for the major, minor or certificate in which a student receives a D grade (with or without plus or minus) do not count toward the major, minor or certificate (including transfer courses).
Program Requirements
Students are required to complete 4 semester(s) of
any second language.
with a grade of C-, or better, or S, or demonstrate proficiency in the language(s) as defined by the department
or college.
Students are required to complete 4 semester(s) of any second language. with a grade of C-, or better, or S, or demonstrate proficiency in the language(s) as defined by the department or college.
CLA BA degrees require 18 upper-division (3xxx-level or higher) credits outside the major designator. These credits must be taken in designators different from the major designator and cannot include courses that are cross-listed with the major designator. The major designator for the Mass Communication BA is JOUR.
The 120-credit requirement must include at least 72 non-journalism credits. Total program credits may not exceed 48.
At least 24 credits in the major must be taken at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities campus.
Students may combine the Mass Communication BA with the Digital Media Studies minor, but not with the Mass Communication minor.
Students may earn no more than one undergraduate major in Journalism, Strategic Communication: Advertising and Public Relations, and Mass Communication.
All incoming CLA freshmen must complete the First-Year Experience course sequence.
Core Course
Take exactly 1 course(s) totaling exactly 3 credit(s) from the following:
·
JOUR 3004 - Information for Mass Communication
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 3004H - Information for Mass Communication
(3.0 cr)
Context Courses
All courses must be chosen in consultation with a major advisor. With advisor approval, one to three professional (skills) courses may count. Students must take 2 or more 4xxx or 5xxx courses from the list below.
Take exactly 30 credit(s) including 4 or more sub-requirements(s) from the following:
History
Take 1 or more course(s) from the following:
·
JOUR 3007 - The Media in American History and Law: Case Studies
[HIS]
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 3614 - History of Media Communication
[HIS, TS]
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 5601W - History of Journalism
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 5606W - Literary Aspects of Journalism
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
or
ENGW 5606W - Literary Aspects of Journalism
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
International/Multicultural
Take 1 or more course(s) from the following:
·
JOUR 3552 - Technology, Communication & Global Society
[GP]
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 3741 - Diversity and Media
[DSJ]
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 3745 - Media and Popular Culture
[AH, DSJ]
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 4801 - Global Communication
(3.0 cr)
·
Media Effects
Take 1 or more course(s) from the following:
·
JOUR 3005 - Media Effects
[SOCS]
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 3006 - Visual Communication
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 3757 - Principles of Health Communication Strategy
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 4251 - Psychology of Advertising
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 4272 - Digital Advertising: Theory and Practice
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 5501 - Communication, Public Opinion, and Social Media
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 5541 - Mass Communication and Public Health
(3.0 cr)
·
Media and Society
Take 1 or more course(s) from the following:
·
JOUR 3551 - The Business of Digital Media: Innovation, Disruption, and Adaptation
[TS]
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 3745 - Media and Popular Culture
[AH, DSJ]
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 3751 - Digital Media and Culture
[AH, TS]
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 3771 - Media Ethics
[CIV]
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 3775 - Strategic Communication Law
[CIV]
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 3776 - Media Law
(3.0 cr)
or
JOUR 3776H - Media Law
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 3786 - Media and Politics
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 4274W - Advertising in Society
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 4721 - Mass Media and U.S. Society
[SOCS, DSJ]
(3.0 cr)
or
JOUR 4721H - Mass Media and U.S. Society
[SOCS, DSJ]
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 5552 - Law of Internet Communication
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 5725 - Management of Media Organizations
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 5777 - Contemporary Problems in Freedom of Speech and Press
(3.0 cr)
Capstone
The capstone requirement is fulfilled by taking JOUR 4995 after 90 credits have been earned. Students who double major within CLA can choose to complete the capstone requirement in their other major and only have to complete 36 credits within the major.
Take exactly 1 course(s) totaling exactly 1 credit(s) from the following:
·
JOUR 4999 - Capstone
(1.0 cr)
Upper Division Writing Intensive within the major
Students are required to take one upper division writing intensive course within the major. If that requirement has not been satisfied within the core major requirements, students must choose one course from the following list. Some of these courses may also fulfill other major requirements.
Take 0 - 1 course(s) from the following:
·
JOUR 4274W - Advertising in Society
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 5601W - History of Journalism
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
JOUR 5606W - Literary Aspects of Journalism
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
or
ENGW 5606W - Literary Aspects of Journalism
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
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Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Jour 1001/Jour 1001H |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Jour 1001/Jour 1001H |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 6.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Jour 3004/Jour 3004H |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 6.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Jour 3004/Jour 3004H |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Glos 3605/Hist 3705/Jour 3614 |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | EngW 5606W/Jour 5606W |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | EngW 5606W/Jour 5606W |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Jour 5541/PubH 6074 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Jour 3776/Jour 3776H |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Jour 3776/Jour 3776H |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Jour 3786/Pol 3786 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Jour 4721/Jour 4721H |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Jour 4721/Jour 4721H |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Jour 5777/Law 6030 |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 1.0 [max 1.0] |
Grading Basis: | S-N only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | EngW 5606W/Jour 5606W |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | EngW 5606W/Jour 5606W |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |