Department of Mass Communication

This is an archived copy of the 2021-2022 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.shsu.edu.

Chair: Dr. Wojciech Lorenc

Information:  (936) 294-1341; Dan Rather Communications Building 212

Website: Department of Mass Communication

The Mass Communication Program at Sam Houston State University offers a unique educational experience.  In daily, one-on-one contact with faculty from a variety of theoretical and practical backgrounds, students are exposed to a combination of hands-on production classes, professional development classes, and traditional theory/criticism classes. Our graduates develop:

  1. general media literacy skills that are increasingly required in our media-saturated contemporary experience, and
  2. specific skill-sets especially applicable to the emerging technologically-driven marketplace.


There are seven undergraduate MCOM programs: 

  • Bachelor of Arts, Major in Mass Communication: Multiplatform Journalism
  • Bachelor of Arts, Major in Mass Communication: Broadcast Production
  • Bachelor of Arts, Major in Mass Communication: Film
  • Bachelor of Arts, Major in Mass Communication: Public Relations &  Advertising
  • Bachelor of Fine Arts, Major in Film and Television Production
  • Bachelor of Arts, Double Major in Education and Mass Communication: Journalism 
  • Bachelor of Science, Major in Agricultural Communication (Department of Agricultural Sciences & Engineering Technology)

There are three undergraduate MCOM minors:

  • Minor in Mass Communication
  • Minor in Film Studies
  • Minor in Sports Communication

Graduates can enter a variety of fields, including but not limited to video production, print and television news, broadcast and cable sales, media management, advertising, digital media production, promotions/public relations, and corporate media.  In addition, students may supplement their degrees with educational requirements that allow them to become certified media-specialists in public school systems with a concentration in Mass Communication Teaching. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the MCOM Department’s internship program.

Mission

The mission of the Department of Mass Communication is to acquire, synthesize, and disseminate knowledge related to print, broadcast, cable, online, and other forms of electronic communication for the purpose of producing media literate, socially aware, professionally competent graduates.

Program emphasis is on the preparation of ethical and technologically proficient communication professionals who are capable of making a positive impact on their environment and on society. Our graduates will acquire the skills for today’s media marketplace and also develop the broader, theoretical background for:

  • Negotiating convergence in the media fields;
  • Communicating with and servicing diverse populations;
  • Understanding the economic and political pressures on professional integrity; and
  • Intelligently assessing and interpreting unfolding events in a media saturated experience.

Highlights

The Department of Mass Communication offers a comprehensive blend of courses, including but not limited to global communication, film production and theory, media production and reporting, audience assessment, media sales, mass communication theory and history, and writing for print, broadcast, and digital media, and other professional development areas. The curriculum introduces students to each of the four emphasis areas during their first year in the mass communication program. During the remaining three years, students can register for classes in digital audio and video editing, film production and directing, feature writing, research techniques, communication law, media marketing, scriptwriting, global communication, and broadcast journalism. Students with a major or minor in the MCOM Department will have the opportunity, as part of their college experience, to work with departmental media: 90.5 KSHU-FM, 90.5.2 El Gato, Cable Channel 7, The Houstonian newspaper, student news, Priority One PR and Bearkat Sports.

Suggested Free Electives

Students in Mass Communication may select a specialized area of free elective classes compatible with their professional goals. In choosing an appropriate set of free electives, students should discuss their career plans with an advisor. For example, free electives in Management and Marketing are desirable for Public Relations & Advertising. History, English, foreign languages, Art, Theatre, Sociology, and other social sciences and fine arts are helpful to all emphases. Students with a Multi-Platform Journalism emphasis could benefit from free electives in Political Science or History.

Career Opportunities

There are a variety of career opportunities in the Mass Communication field. Some graduates pursue traditional positions in the mass media marketplace (reporting/editing/writing for newspapers, television stations, radio stations, or magazines). MCOM graduates may also pursue careers with public relations and advertising agencies, with corporate communication programs and within government, hospital, and other institutional settings. Graduates can affiliate with nonprofit agencies or move into sales and other promotional positions. Increasingly, graduates have been teaching in high schools, pursuing advanced graduate studies, and working in interactive media.

Program Specific Requirements

All students in the Mass Communication program will complete a departmental four-course core that provides a foundation for success in a variety of media fields. To help students understand the contemporary media environment, the core includes an analysis of media and society. Because specific skills are required in the media marketplace, the applied Writing for Mass Media and T.V. & Film Production courses are part of the departmental core. A course in mass media law and ethics examines legal issues pertinent to the print, electronic, and emerging digital press.

All Mass Communication majors and minors must earn a grade of ‘C’ or better in each Mass Communication courses, and successfully pass the departmental required competency writing and production tests.