Department of Mass Communication

Mass Communication is a professional department that prepares students for careers in communicating through the traditional, specialized and new media. The faculty bring extensive professional experience into their classroom teaching, and some of that experience is listed in their brief bios.

The department offers the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communication with majors in Broadcasting and Journalism.

With the Department of Management and Marketing in the College of Business Administration, it offers the Bachelor of Science Degree in Integrated Marketing Communication.

Mass communication broadly is covered in three courses all majors take: introduction to mass communication, mass media law, and ethics and issues in mass communication. All majors take media writing as their first professional skills course. Mass communication courses that are required on the broadcast and journalism tracks are mentioned in their respective sections. The department also offers international communication, advertising principles, public relations principles, advertising copy and layout, history of American mass media, community and civic journalism and mass communication internship.

All entering students are classified as pre-majors until they complete qualifying courses and make formal application to the faculty for admission to the chosen major. Admission is granted for one major only. Most students will be eligible to apply after their third semester at Winthrop. Students who wish to change majors will apply for admission to the new major. Requirements are listed in the Undergraduate Catalog, and application forms are available at this site or in the department office, 219 Johnson Hall.

The Department of Mass Communication traces its history to 1925 when journalism was first taught at Winthrop. The Department of Journalism with a full journalism major was established in 1946. Radio was first taught in 1948 and television in 1960. Mass communication courses were taught in the Department of Communications 1962-87 and have been taught in the Department of Mass Communication since 1987. The department is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.