Degree Requirements and Course Descriptions
Visual communications majors will take a variety of courses including Carolina Core, SJMC core courses, major specific courses and courses to fulfill minor or cognate requirements. See the current year Undergraduate Studies Bulletin for the complete outline of all the visual communications degree course requirements and regulations. It also contains course descriptions, as well as learning outcomes for the major. Archived Bulletins are also online.
In order to stay on track towards graduation, the university offers an online program "DegreeWorks." DegreeWorks, which is accessible in Self Service Carolina, is kind of like your personal automated advisor because it displays the coursework you have already taken and shows how and where it applies to your major and/or minor requirements. It also allows you to hypothetically change majors or minors to see how changes would impact your expected graduation date.
Please note:
DegreeWorks is only available for students who enrolled in Fall 2014 or later.
If you started at USC before Fall 2014, please see your assigned academic advisor for specifics regarding your degree plan.
Capstone Experience
As you enter your final semester you will learn advanced techniques of graphic and multimedia design and their application to problem-solving situations in the mass media. You will develop your portfolio which will allow you to showcase your work in three unique ways — a printed book, a website and responsively for tablet platforms.
Your Capstone Experience will include the following course:
JOUR 560 - Capstone Portfolio Development
The visual communications major consists of three courses that prepare you for your Capstone Experience. Those prerequisite courses include:
- JOUR 446 - Informational Graphics
- JOUR 447 - Photovisual Communications II: Advanced Photography
- JOUR 449 - Design of Online Content
Other courses required for the visual communications major include:
- JOUR 203 - Principles of Visual Communications
- JOUR 346 - Graphics for Visual Communications
- JOUR 347 - Photovisual Communications I: Photography
- JOUR 448 - Photovisual Communications III: Video for Mass Communications
- One Visual Communications special topics course (see academic advisor for specifics)
- One SJMC concept/lecture course (see academic advisor for specifics)
- Three SJMC electives (see academic advisor for specifics)
Sequence Head
Dr. Tara Mortensen is the head of the visual communications sequence and helps make decisions about course scheduling and content.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this major or your sequence progression, please contact your assigned academic advisor.
Want to change your major to visual communications?