Overview
Broadcast and digital communications impact every aspect of our lives, from listening to the radio or streamed content to watching television to using the Internet. The B.F.A. with a major in Mass Media is designed to provide the knowledge, values, perspectives, and skills necessary to transition seamlessly from the academic environment to the digital and broadcast communications arena. Students are involved in content creation and delivery.
The B.F.A. with a major in Mass Media at VSU offers numerous productions throughout the year, providing students with significant performance experience.
Beyond technical learning, students learn important skills such as collaboration, writing, storytelling, planning, budgeting, presentation, and research skills.
Students who declare a major in Mass Media must earn a grade point average of 2.50 or better on Core Field of Study courses. Students who earn less than a 2.50 GPA in Core Field of Study courses will be asked to switch to another major or will automatically be changed to an undeclared major status.
Selected Educational Outcomes
Selected Educational Outcomes
| 1. | Students will demonstrate the acquisition of historic, cultural, and critical perspectives on the media. |
| 2. | Students will demonstrate skills in the analysis of broadcast program syntax and broadcast systems and their applications. |
| 3. | Students will demonstrate skills required for the production and delivery of broadcast programming and management. |
| 4. | Students will demonstrate knowledge of professional opportunities for employment in the broadcast industries. |
Examples of Outcome Assessments
Concluding curricular experiences for the major will include:
| 1. | Participation in professionally oriented broadcast media program productions. |
| 2. | Development of materials geared to the individual student’s professional career goals or post-graduation plans. |
| 3. | A capstone portfolio presentation exhibiting advanced technical or performance skills and assessing personal strengths and weaknesses. |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Curriculum | 60 | |
| Core IMPACTS (See VSU Core Curriculum) | 42 | |
| Core Field of Study | 18 | |
| MDIA 2000 | Introduction to Mass Media | 3 |
| MDIA 2050 | Introduction to Electronic Media Production | 3 |
| MDIA 2100 | Introduction to Media Writing | 3 |
| MDIA 2350 | Media and Culture | 3 |
| MDIA 2500 | Computer Mediated Communication | 3 |
| MDIA 2600 | Course MDIA 2600 Not Found | 3 |
| Major Courses | 60 | |
| Program Core: | 12 | |
| MDIA 3350 | Aesthetics of Electronic Media | 3 |
| MDIA 4100 | Media Economics and Management | 3 |
| MDIA 4200 | Media Law and Ethics | 3 |
| MDIA 4400 | Media Criticism | 3 |
| Writing Core: | 6 | |
| MDIA 3100 | Writing for Media II | 3 |
| MDIA 3500 | Newswriting and Reporting | 3 |
| Production Core: | ||
| MDIA 3001 | Media Production I | 3 |
| MDIA 3002 | Media Production II | 3 |
| MDIA 3003 | Media Production III | 3 |
| Areas of Focus | 12 | |
| Students will select one Area of Focus from the following: | ||
| Digital and Social Media | 12 | |
| MDIA 3175 | Transmedia Storytelling | 3 |
| JOUR 3570 | Photojournalism | 3 |
| or JOUR 4540 | Journalism in the Digital Age | |
| MDIA 3125 | Social Media | 3 |
| or MDIA 4450 | International Media | |
| MDIA 4965 | New Media Workshop | 3 |
| or MDIA 4962 | Video Workshop | |
| or MDIA 4961 | Audio Workshop | |
| News and Sports | 12 | |
| JOUR 4570 | Course JOURN 4570 Not Found | 0-3 |
| or JOUR 4520 | Literary Journalism | |
| or JOUR 4510 | Feature Writing | |
| JOURXXXX Sports, Media, and Society | 3 | |
| JOUR 4550 | Reporting | 3 |
| or JOUR 4530 | Editorial, Column, and Review Writing | |
| MDIA 4964 | Sports Workshop | 3 |
| or MDIA 4960 | News Workshop | |
| or JOUR 4505 | Course JOUR 4505 Not Found | |
| Narrative and Documentary | 12 | |
| MDIA 3400 | Screenwriting | 3 |
| MDIA 3380 | Course MDIA 3380 Not Found | |
| MDIA 3900 | Course MDIA 3900 Not Found | |
| MDIA 4962 | Video Workshop | 3 |
| or MDIA 4963 | Documentary Workshop | |
| or MDIA 4961 | Audio Workshop | |
| Senior Projects | 6 | |
| MDIA 4700 | Digital Media Production Capstone | 3 |
| MDIA 4950 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| Guided Elective | 15 | |
| GFA | ||
| MDIA 4970 | Internship | 3-9 |
| MDIA 3950 | Directed Study | 1-3 |
| MDIA 4030 | Selected Topics in Mass Media | 1-3 |
| Total hours required for the degree | 120 | |
