Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication
Communication is highly integral to our living experience. It is through communication that we share ideas and meanings that help us define our identity and sense of community. At the professional level, communication is a full-fledged industry that harnesses both talent and technology to enhance engagement with our world in social, economic, cultural and political domains. From analog press and broadcast outlets to digital web-based media, communication has experienced dramatic transitions that continue to shape our physical and virtual world.
Our Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication (BAMC) aims to prepare a new generation of communicators who combine talent and technical digital knowledge to create and manage content relevant to corporate and non-profit sectors. The Department of Mass Communication’s two concentrations in Journalism and Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) seek to engage students with the latest media industry trends through both on-campus and field learning and training. Our program’s focal areas in digital storytelling, multiplatform communications, multimedia journalism, social media, infographics and social analytics are meant to create full alignment with fast-changing markets.
Program Mission
Our Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication degree program seeks to provide students with a balanced foundation of professional competencies involving digital storytelling, social media, integrated communications and academic knowledge of the discipline of mass communication in general and the department’s specific professional concentrations: Journalism and Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) in particular.
Program Goals
The Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication program strives to:
- provide students with a grounding in the various perspectives found in the academic discipline of mass communication in its traditional and new digital format, fostering students’ critical and analytical faculties in mass communication
- b) furnish students with theoretical and strategic knowledge required of media professionals in the digital age
- c) equip graduates for competencies required for entry-level positions in the media industries
Program Outcomes
Upon graduation from the Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication program, students should be able to:
- articulate the dominant quantitative and qualitative research methods and paradigms found in the discipline of mass communication and to employ these research methods in their professional careers
- demonstrate an understanding of the role that mass media (including new digital/social media) play in the production of everyday life, culture and belief
- employ digital story-telling, multi-platform, social and integrated communications techniques in the production of content
Admission to the Program
Admission to the program follows the university’s undergraduate admission requirements.
AUS students transferring into the program must have achieved a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00. Students who do not meet the minimum cumulative GPA requirement must consult with the department. If advised by the department to complete MCM 150, MCM 225 and MCM 231, students who successfully complete the three courses with a minimum average of 2.50 will be admitted into the program. For more details, please check with the head of the department or the college associate dean.
For information on how to submit a change of major request, please refer to Fields of Study/Change of Major under the Academic Policies and Regulations section in the undergraduate catalog.
Degree Requirements
To qualify for graduation with a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication, students must successfully complete the following minimum requirements:
• a minimum of 120 credits, including a minimum of 36 credits in courses at the 300 level or above, as follows:
- a minimum of 42 credits of general education requirements
- a minimum of 24 credits of MCM major requirements and major electives
- a minimum of 30 credits of concentration requirements and concentration electives
- five weeks or 240 hours of on-the-job training (MCM 497) with a professional firm
- a minimum of 24 credits of free electives from non-MCM courses at the 100 level or above
• a minimum CGPA of 2.00
General Education Requirements (minimum of 42 credits)
Students must successfully complete a minimum of 42 credits as follows:
- a minimum of 18 credits in courses meeting the core general education requirements:
- history and culture of the Arab world requirement: three to six credits
- culture in a critical perspective requirement: three to six credits
- arts and literature requirement: three to six credits
- human interaction and behavior requirement: six to nine credits
- natural sciences requirement: a minimum of six credits taken from the natural sciences area
- mathematics requirement: MTH 100 or MTH 101 or MTH 103 or MTH 111
- statistics requirement: STA 202
- communication requirement: a minimum of 12 credits in 100-level writing (WRI) courses and/or 200-level and above English (ENG) courses meeting this requirement, including ENG 203 or ENG 204, and ENG 208
- ethical understanding requirement: satisfied through MCM 321
- discipline-specific writing intensive course requirement: satisfied through MCM 231
- oral proficiency requirement: satisfied through ENG 208
- information literacy requirement: satisfied through WRI 102, and ENG 203 or ENG 204
- computer literacy requirement: satisfied through MCM 101
Major Requirements (18 credits)
- MCM 101 Digital Video Skills I
- MCM 150 Introduction to Mass Communication Studies
- MCM 225 Theories of Mass Communication
- MCM 231 Writing for Mass Communication
- MCM 311 Mass Communication Research Methods and Data Analytics
- MCM 321 Mass Communication Law and Ethics
- MCM 497 Mass Communication Internship
Concentration in Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)- (minimum of 30 credits)
Students who select the IMC concentration must successfully complete a minimum of 30 credits as follows:
Concentration Requirements (24 credits)
- MCM 222 Principles of Integrated Marketing Communications
- MCM 322 Case Studies in Integrated Marketing Communications
- MCM 323 Multiplatform Media Planning
- MCM 326 Content Creation for Integrated Marketing Communications
- MCM 424 Social Media Strategies
- MCM 485 Integrated Marketing Communications Campaigns
- MKT 201 Fundamentals of Marketing
Students must successfully complete three credits in courses selected from the following list:
- MKT 301 Consumer Behavior
- MKT 302 Marketing Research
- MKT 308 Sports Marketing
- MKT 309 International Marketing
- MKT 365 Service Marketing
- MKT 370 Brand Management
Concentration Electives (minimum of 6 credits)
Students must successfully complete a minimum of six credits in courses selected from the following list:
- MCM 309 Social Media for Mass Communication
- MCM 360 Crisis and Conflict Communication
- MCM 377 Photojournalism
- MCM 394/494 approved special topic courses in mass communication.
Concentration in Journalism (minimum of 30 credits)
Students who select the journalism concentration must successfully complete a minimum of 30 credits as follows:
Concentration Requirements (24 credits)
- MCM 275 Principles of Journalism
- MCM 310 Infographics for Journalism
- MCM 371 News Writing
- MCM 381 Digital Storytelling for Journalists
- MCM 474 Field News Reporting
- MCM 479 Multimedia Journalism
Students must successfully complete two courses selected from the following list, with a minimum of one course at the 300 level:
- ARA 314 Media Arabic
- HIS 208 Women in History
- HIS 307 Modern Palestinian History
- HIS 310 Modern Gulf History
- POL 201 Introduction to Political Studies
- POL 202 Introduction to International Relations
- TRA 210 Introduction to Translation
Concentration Electives (minimum of 6 credits)
Students must successfully complete a minimum of six credits in courses selected from the following list:
- MCM 309 Social Media for Mass Communication
- MCM 374 Feature Writing
- MCM 376 Writing for Magazines
- MCM 377 Photojournalism
- MCM 378 Literary Journalism
- MCM 379 Journalism in the Arab Countries
- MCM 394/494 approved special topic courses in mass communication. Consult the online course catalog or the online class schedule accessible via the AUS student information system to verify course classifications.
- MCM 480 Critical Analysis of the Mass Media
Minors in Integrated Marketing Communications
Students applying to the integrated marketing communications minor should have normally completed a minimum of 30 credits of course work and be in good academic standing.
The following rules apply:
- The minor consists of a minimum of 18 credits, including at least nine credits in courses at or above the 300 level.
- At least nine credits of the 18 credits required for the minor must be taken in residence at AUS.
- At least six credits of the nine credits at or above the 300 level must be taken in residence at AUS.
- A minimum GPA of 2.00 must be earned in courses completed to satisfy the minor.
Students seeking a minor in integrated marketing communications must successfully complete the following courses or their equivalent. All course prerequisites must be satisfied.
This minor is not open to mass communication students in the integrated marketing communications concentration.
IMC Minor Requirements (9 credits)
- MCM 150 Introduction to Mass Communication Studies
- MCM 222 Principles of Integrated Marketing Communications
- MCM 231 Writing for Mass Communication
IMC Minor Electives
(minimum of 9 credits)
Students must successfully complete a minimum of nine credits in 300 level or above MCM courses selected from the integrated marketing communications required or elective courses.
Minor in Journalism
Students applying to the journalism minor should have normally completed a minimum of 30 credits of course work and be in good academic standing.
The following rules apply:
- The minor consists of a minimum of 18 credits, including at least nine credits in courses at or above the 300 level.
- At least nine credits of the 18 credits required for the minor must be taken in residence at AUS.
- At least six credits of the nine credits at or above the 300 level must be taken in residence at AUS.
- A minimum GPA of 2.00 must be earned in courses completed to satisfy the minor.
Students seeking a minor in journalism must successfully complete the following courses or their equivalent. All course prerequisites must be satisfied.
This minor is not open to mass communication students in the journalism concentration.
Journalism Minor Requirements (9 credits)
- MCM 150 Introduction to Mass Communication Studies
- MCM 231 Writing for Mass Communication
- MCM 275 Principles of Journalism
Journalism Minor Electives
(minimum of 9 credits)
Students must successfully complete a minimum of nine credits in 300 level or above MCM courses selected from the journalism required or elective courses.
