Mar 28, 2024  
2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]


Mass Communications B.A./B.S.



Becoming a major

A student must successfully pass the nine-hour JMC Gateway, which includes the three, one-hour JMC Writing Academy courses (MC 130   Media Writing Conventions and Mechanics, MC 131  Media Writing Styles and Platforms and MC 132   Media Writing Perspectives); MC 110   Mass Communication in Society (3 hours); and three of the six one-hour Foundational Skills modules (MC 191   Audio Production Foundations, MC 192   Pixel Foundations, MC 193   Video Foundations, MC 194   Social Media Foundations, MC 195   Vector Foundations and MC 196   Web-CMS Foundations). Students must earn C or better in the JMC Gateway classes.

Students may take restricted courses and advanced courses only if they meet the prerequisites. Students who expect to fulfill one or more prerequisites in a current semester may provisionally enroll on the expectation they will be eligible to take the course the following semester.

 

Mass communications major and outside specialty area

Requirements for a mass communications major consist of a minimum 45 credit hours in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications. No more than 6 credit hours from the following classes may be counted as electives within the 45 credit hours required in the major: MC 120 , MC 160 , or MC 180 . National accreditation standards require all mass communication graduates to complete at least 72 credit hours of course work outside the school.

A student must fulfill the general requirements  of the College of Arts and Sciences for either the BA or the BS degree.

To graduate, a student must achieve a cumulative 2.5 GPA in MC courses applied to the major within the school. In addition, K-State requires a cumulative 2.0 GPA in all course work (a C average) to graduate.

A curriculum guide for majors and pre-majors is available in the school office and on the website for the School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Students in the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications must complete the requirements of one of the school’s options in journalism or strategic communications.

Beyond this, students are also required to develop an area of expertise outside of journalism and mass communications, which entails taking a minimum of 15 credit hours in another department on campus. Students can meet this requirement by completing one of the following plans:

Outside concentration

Option 1
A minimum of 15 credit hours of course work taken in another department or academic program will satisfy the outside concentration requirement. At least two of the courses must be advanced courses (numbered at the 500-level or higher) or classes with a prerequisite in the same department or program.

Up to two courses used to fulfill general College of Arts and Sciences requirements, but not ENGL 100 , ENGL 200 , COMM 105 , or COMM 106 , or COMM 109 , may be counted toward completion of the outside concentration.

Option 2
A minimum of 15 credit hours of related course work from two or more departments or academic programs will satisfy the outside concentration requirement. Students choosing a ”custom” outside concentration such as this must have their course work plan approved by their faculty advisor in JMC. At least two of the courses must be advanced courses (numbered at the 500-level or higher) or classes with a prerequisite in the same department or program. Custom concentrations will be reviewed by the associate director for undergraduate studies. If the associate director has doubts about the appropriateness of approval, the question will be taken to the school’s curriculum committee.

Up to two courses used to fulfill general College of Arts and Sciences requirements, but not ENGL 100 , ENGL 200 , COMM 105  , or , or COMM 109 , may be counted toward completion of the outside concentration.

Other ways to develop the outside concentration requirement

Complete a minor
Students who declare a minor entirely within a single department or academic program are expected to complete the academic requirements of the minor. Students who declare an interdisciplinary minor are expected to compete the academic requirements of the minor. Completion of a minor satisfies the outside concentration requirement.

Complete a secondary major
Students who declare and complete a secondary major—a major that is interdisciplinary and not within a single department—automatically satisfy the outside concentration.

Complete a ”dual”major
Students who declare and complete a second or ”dual”major in another department or academic program automatically satisfy the outside concentration.

Credit through quiz-out

Any student may apply to test out of professional practice courses in journalism and mass communications by presenting to the appropriate sequence head a portfolio, tapes, or other suitable evidence of performance that would allow assessment of course-related experience. After review of the material, the sequence head may refer the application to the appropriate instructor who will determine the number of credit hours, if any, and the method of examination or evaluation to be employed to determine whether credit shall be given. Such credit shall be granted on a Credit/No Credit basis. No more than 12 semester credit hours may be earned through quiz-out and at least 24 of the student’s journalism credit hours must be K-State resident hours.

Transfer course work

Students may transfer a maximum of 12 semester credit hours in the major. Courses in journalism and mass communications above the 12-hour maximum will not be accepted as electives outside the major and will not be accepted as part of the graduation requirement. No journalism and mass communications course will transfer to K-State without a grade of C or better.

When transfer students present an accumulation of credits in any journalism and mass communications course, the school may accept up to 3 credit hours per course. Students may transfer up to 2 credit hours of media participation and media practicum courses. No journalism and mass communications internship credit from another institution will be accepted in the A.Q. Miller School.

Bachelor’s degree requirements

Plans of study


Journalism Core (36 credit hours)


Strategic Communications Sequence (36 credit hours)


A minimum total credit hours required for graduation: (120)