Print this page. About the Program
The School of Journalism and Mass Communications is a professional school that is strongly grounded in the liberal arts. We emphasize the value of a broad educational foundation and proficiency in mass-communication skills. In addition to our instructional programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, we offer an extensive program in continuing education and provide wide-ranging journalism services that benefit both the community and the profession. Our research programs are assuming an increasingly important role in scholarly study, and the school is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. Undergraduate students purse the degree of Bachelor of Arts Journalism and Mass Communications. As the newest major in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, visual communications is designed for students who are interested in learning the basics of visual communications through a series of core courses and then applying those skills in a specific area through a series of media-related electives. For example, a visual communications student who is interested in advertising would take all of the general mass communications and visual communications courses and then would take electives in courses such as principles of advertising, creative strategy and advertising campaigns. A visual communications student interested in a news/editorial field would take all of the same core courses and then could take electives such as reporting, feature writing, and copyediting.
Career Opportunities
Graduates in journalism and mass communications have a wide range of career options, including
:
• announcing, reporting, writing, editing
• directing and producing
• advertising copywriting
• public relations counseling and consulting
• photojournalism and commercial photography
• art directing
• media planning and media managing
• graphic designing and production coordinating
All students are strongly encouraged to do an internship in the art or photo department of an ad agency, a public relations firm, or at a newspaper or magazine. The University Career Center is available to assist you in choosing a career direction and increasing your marketability upon graduation. For additional information, call the center at 803-777-7280.
Admission/Progression Requirements
To be admitted into the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, you must meet all University admissions standards and School of Journalism and Mass Communications requirements. University requirements for freshmen include a completed application, specified nonrefundable application fee, high-school record complete up to the time of application (including record of at least 20 academic units of study earned as required by the University), and entrance examination scores (either SAT or ACT). Details for all applicant categories can be found at the Undergraduate Bulletin. To facilitate your orderly progress toward a baccalaureate degree, our undergraduate program is divided into upper and lower divisions. Lower-division students have earned fewer than 60 semester hours and must maintain a minimum USC grade point average of 2.50. Admission to the upper division is based upon a minimum 2.50 cumulative USC grade point average upon completion of 60 or more semester hours and completion of JOUR 201 and 202 with grades of “C” or higher. You are also expected to pass all of your journalism and mass communications courses with a minimum grade of “C.” Because all your assignments must be word processed, you must also demonstrate reasonable speed and accuracy in keying skills.
Programs of Study (126 hours)
The Bachelor of Arts degree is available for Visual Communications. You will be required to earn 90 hours of general education requirements consisting of course work including 15 hours of English; nine hours of humanities and fine-arts courses; 30 hours of social and behavioral sciences, history, and business courses; 18 hours of natural sciences, numerical reasoning, and foreign language courses; and 18 hours of minor courses. You must also complete up to three hours of non-journalism electives. All journalism and mass communications majors must also complete six core courses, including Survey of Mass Communications, Law and Ethics of the Mass Media, and Principles of Journalism.
Of Special Interest
The School of Journalism and Mass Communications creates a professional environment for our students, and we enhance that environment by serving as the headquarters for the South Carolina Broadcasters Association, the South Carolina Scholastic Press Association, the South Carolina Scholastic Broadcasters Association, and the Southern Interscholastic Press Association. We are recognized as one of the leading journalism programs in the nation, offering the first nationally accredited degree program and the only nationally accredited graduate degree program in mass communications in South Carolina. You can gain practical experience through numerous opportunities, including The Gamecock newspaper, Garnet and Black Quarterly magazine, and The Carolina Reporter. Professional organizations for students include the Public Relations Student Society of America, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Student Advertising Federation (SAF), and the National Association of Black Journalists. Our SAF chapter has received 10 years of national recognition from the American Advertising Federation. Our facilities include television studios, digital stereo radio control rooms and studios, and the Associated Press broadcast news service, plus complete photojournalism studios and print production facilities for electronic editing, graphics, and photocomposition. We also jointly operate Newsplex, a $2 million multimedia newsroom of the future, with Ifra, a German-based consortium of news publishers and news technology vendors. Our nationally known media professionals will work closely with you to advise you on course selections, career options, and extracurricular activities. As part of the capstone course, JOUR 564 - Advanced Visual Communications, students will be required to produce a portfolio that demonstrates the broad range of visual communication skills and projects they have completed during their time in the major. A faculty panel reviews this portfolio, and students must pass the portfolio review in order to graduate.
Visual Communications Department's Web site