About | Academic Programs | Highlights | Career Opportunities | Student Organizations and Activities | Internships | Scholarships | Courses
About
Chair
Christopher White
Faculty
Janet Bridges, Marc Edge, Anthony Friedmann, Eric Hoffman, Robin Johnson,
Richard Kosuowei, Ruth Massingill, Mel Strait, Wanda Reyes Velazquez, Christopher
White, Patsy Ziegler
Mission
The mission of the Department of Mass Communication is to acquire, synthesize, and disseminate knowledge related to print, broadcast, and other forms of electronic communication for the purpose of producing media literate, socially aware, professionally competent graduates.
Program emphasis is on the preparation of ethical and technologically proficient communication professionals who are capable of making a positive impact on their environment and on society. Our graduates will acquire the skills for today’s media marketplace and also develop the broader, theoretical background for:
- Negotiating convergence in the communication fields;
- Communicating with and servicing diverse populations;
- Understanding the economic and political pressures on professional integrity; and
- Intelligently assessing and interpreting unfolding events.
Contact Information
936.294.1341
Dan Rather Communications Building 123
Website
http://www.shsu.edu/~com_www/
Academic Programs
The Department of Mass Communication currently offers only undergraduate degree programs. See the current undergraduate catalog for more details.
Highlights
The Department of Mass Communication offers a comprehensive blend of courses, including but not limited to global communication, media production and reporting, audience assessment, media sales, mass communication theory and history, writing for print, broadcast, and digital media, and other professional development areas. The curriculum introduces students to each of the five emphasis areas during their first year in the mass communication program. During the remaining three years, students can register for classes in digital audio and video editing, feature writing, research techniques, communication law, media marketing, scriptwriting, global communication, and broadcast journalism. Students with a major or minor in the MCM Department will have the opportunity to work with departmental media: KSHU-FM, Cable Channel 7, The Houstonian newspaper, student news, and Priority One PR as part of their college experience.
Career Opportunities
There are a variety of career opportunities in the Mass Communication field. Some graduates pursue traditional positions in the mass media marketplace (reporting/editing/writing for newspapers, television stations, radio stations, or magazines). MCM graduates may also pursue careers with public relations and advertising agencies, with corporate communication programs and within government, hospital, and other institutional settings. Graduates can affiliate with nonprofit agencies or move into sales and other promotional positions. Increasingly, graduates have been teaching in high schools, pursuing advanced graduate studies, and working in interactive media.
Student Organizations and Activities
The Department supports student chapters of the American Advertising Federation (AAF), the National Broadcasting Association (NBS), the Minority Multimedia Group (3MG), the Texas Association of Broadcast Students (TABS), the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), and the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).
Internships
Junior and senior level students who meet requirements may enroll in semester-long professional internships. MCM students have interned at national media outlets such as CBS News, Entertainment Tonight, ESPN, David Letterman, The Jerry Springer Show, MTV, and Disney World; regional media outlets including KTLA-TV in Los Angeles; media outlets in Texas such as KHOU-TV in Houston, The Conroe Courier, The Victoria Advocate, Pierpont Public Relations, the Houston Symphony; and at specialized institutional sites such as the Texas State Senate.
Scholarships
Scholarships are available for outstanding undergraduate students continuing in the program. Most scholarship deadlines are March 1 for the following academic year.
Please contact the Department of Mass Communication or visit: http://www.shsu.edu/~sfa_www/scholarship.html#masscommunication.
Courses
The Department of Mass Communication does not currently offer graduate courses. Please consult the current undergraduate catalog for course offerings.