Department of Media and Communication

Dr. LaDoris McClaney School of Performing Arts and Communication Building
Office: #315
386-481-2708

Mission:

The mission of the Department of Media and Communication is to advance the academic, professional, and personal development of undergraduate students through select, state-of-the-art programs of teaching, research, and public service that combine strong liberal arts with professional preparation for the media, graduate studies, and other career outlets geared toward ideas reaching large numbers of people through several mechanisms.

Program Overview:

The Department of Media and Communication offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications. Departmental course offerings are arranged in three concentrations: Digital Broadcast Production, Multimedia Journalism, and Public Relations/Advertising. A student, with the consultation of an academic student success coach or a Mass Communications faculty member, will identify an emphasis area and design a course of study to complete the 120-semester-hour degree requirements. Student majors may select one of three emphasis areas in the department. Each emphasis area is designed to expose students to the theories, techniques, and practices used by media professionals in their concentration areas.

Admissions Requirements:

• Meet the admission requirements of Bethune-Cookman University as described in the Admissions and Enrollment Services section of this catalog.

• Meet the admission requirements of the School of Performing Arts as described in that section of the catalog.

Program Descriptions:

The Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications with Concentrations in:

Digital Broadcast Production

The Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications-Digital Broadcast Production is designed to train students interested in television and radio production careers. Students learn about the use of production equipment, operations, visual-aural aesthetics, producing and directing, as well as editing, scriptwriting, research, and management of telecommunications facilities. Students are encouraged to gain experience through professional internships and at on-campus facilities, including: WM&G-TV, a modern television production studio with Adobe Premiere nonlinear editors; one radio station, WELE-FM, with Mac and Windows-based digital audio workstations. Basic course instruction is based in the Mass Communications Digital Broadcast Production Lab. Additionally, students have access to the audio production lab for podcasting, mixing music, and creating promos with voice-generated AI. Hands-on real-life exposure to industry standards is emphasized.

Multimedia Journalism

The Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications-Multimedia Journalism is designed for students who are interested in print, radio, television, and digital media careers. The concentration is designed to provide students with hands-on instruction and to develop skills in fact gathering, news and feature writing techniques, editorial judgment, publication design, principles and practices of print and digital media outlets, and radio and television. Students are encouraged to gain experience through professional internships and with two on-campus publications: the award-winning Voice of the Wildcats student newspaper and UniverCity magazine, both with print and digital versions. Course instruction is based in the Mass Comm Multimedia Lab located in the LaDoris McClaney School of Performing Arts and Communication building.

Public Relations/Advertising

The Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications-Public Relations/Advertising is designed to prepare students interested in public relations careers in the creation, management, and production of persuasive communication messages (written and spoken). Students acquire competencies in developing and writing public relations and advertising campaign materials, as well as learning and practicing the fundamentals of media sales. Also, they sharpen their skills by producing ads, brochures, flyers, newsletters, PSA, and promotional messages for clients on and off campus.

Programs

Major

Minor

Communication Studies Minor