Department of Mass Communication

Students majoring in broadcast usually are interested in careers in broadcast journalism, broadcast production, online journalism, broadcast management, corporate video, public relations, or advertising.

Broadcast students take courses in broadcast journalism and broadcast production and choose from broadcast writing, media management, broadcast performance, and broadcast programming, promotion and sales.

Employment

Broadcast graduates hold jobs throughout the South and from Los Angeles to New York City, including:

• Main news anchor of a television station in South Carolina

• Anchor of a television station in South Carolina

• Owner of a corporate and commercial video production house in Pennsylvania

• President of a film, video and music production company in South Carolina

• Senior account executive of a television station in North Carolina

• Video producer in North Carolina

• Video post production in California

• Business manager of two radio stations in South Carolina

• General sales manager of four radio stations in North Carolina

• Sales promotion manager of a radio station in Florida

• Television producer for an ESPN subsidiary in North Carolina

• Managing editor of an online service in North Carolina

• News producer of a television station in North Carolina

BROADCAST MAJOR COURSES

For degree requirements, see the current Undergraduate Catalog.

Mass Communication Courses (34 semester hours)

MCOM 205 Introduction to Mass Communication (3)

MCOM 241 Media Writing (3)

MCOM 325 Broadcast Journalism (3)

MCOM 346 Principles of TV Production (3)

MCOM 425 Advanced Broadcast Journalism (3)

MCOM 446 Advanced Television Production (3)

MCOM 444 Media Management (3) or MCOM 447 Broadcast Programming, Sales and Promotion (3)

MCOM 410 Mass Media Law (3)

MCOM 412 Ethics and Issues in Mass Communication (3)

MCOM 441 Reporting Public Affairs (3)

MCOM 499 Senior Portfolio (1)

MCOM Electives (3)

General Education Required by the Major

For complete General Education requirements, see the current Undergraduate Catalog.

One year of a modern foreign language

MATH 150 or MATH 105 or MATH 201

MATH 145 Statistical Methods for Communicating the Analysis of Data or another approved statistics course

SPCH 201 Public Speaking

HIST 212 United States History since 1877 or HIST 308 American Ethnic History or HIST 507 Cultural and Intellectual History of the United States or HIST 509 African-American History

PLSC 202 State and Local Government

ECON 215 Principles of Microeconomics or ECON 103 Introduction to Political Economy

All of these courses count as required General Education courses that are not part of the major.

All entering students are classified as pre-majors until after they have completed WRIT 101, HMXP 102, MATH 150, ECON 103 or 215, MCOM 205 and MCOM 241 and have attained a 2.00 or higher grade-point average, at which time they can apply for admission to the degree program.

Students are required to earn a C- or better in each required MCOM course in the major as well as to earn at least a 2.00 GPA in the major and minor.

Students are required to type all written assignments.

The mass communication major is limited to 37 hours of MCOM courses. Students who exceed 37 hours in MCOM courses cannot apply those additional hours toward the required degree program of 124 hours.

Students are expected to complete most courses in the major in numerical order. For example, MCOM 205, 241, 325 or 346 (either one first), 425 or 446 (either one first), 410, 412, and 444 or 447.

At least 21 semester hours of the major must be completed at Winthrop. A maximum of 12 semester hours may be transferred into the major from another accredited institution; additional transfer hours in journalism or mass communication will not apply toward the degree. MCOM 241 must be taken at Winthrop. A B- or better in WRIT 101 and HMXP 102 is required for admission to MCOM 241. Students who made less than a B- in WRIT 101 or HMXP 102 must demonstrate writing proficiency by passing the department's Writing Proficiency Examination.

Students must complete 80 hours outside MCOM, at least 65 hours of which must be in the basic liberal arts and sciences.

Students must complete a minimum of 21 semester hours of MCOM courses in residence at Winthrop.

Each student must select and complete a minor or second major.