School of Journalism and Mass Communications
Tom Reichert, Ph.D., Dean
Andrea Hickerson, Ph.D., Associate Dean and Director, School of Journalism and Mass Communications
Karen Gavigan, Ph.D, Interim Director, School of Library and Information Science
The School of Journalism and Mass Communications offers the Master of Mass Communication, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. It also offers the Certificate of Graduate Study in Health Communication in cooperation with the School of Library and Information Science and the Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior of the Arnold School of Public Health. There are no separate departments, as such, within the school, although course work is offered in electronic and print journalism, advertising, public relations, integrated communications, visual communications, and a wide range of other subjects dealing with the processes and effects of mass communications.
The general regulations of The Graduate School regarding admission, residency, theses and dissertations, admission to candidacy, and comprehensive examinations apply to all graduate work in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Beyond that, the school may request additional writing samples or other evidence of creative work.
Graduate study at the certificate, M.M.C, M.A., and Ph.D. levels in the school is designed to meet the needs of three categories of students:
- graduates of approved colleges and universities who have little or no undergraduate work in journalism and mass communications but desire to complete a program of intensive academic and professional preparation for work in the mass communications field;
- graduates in journalism and mass communications from accredited programs of journalism and mass communications and graduates of approved colleges or universities who have received a bachelor’s degree in any field and who have one or more years of professional experience in journalism and mass communications;
- graduates of approved master’s degree programs who preferably have two or more years of professional experience in journalism and mass communications and who wish to obtain a doctoral degree.
Proficiency examinations may be required of applicants. Any deficiencies in an applicant’s academic or professional background for the study of journalism and mass communications may require remedial course work that may not count toward the graduate degree.
Applicants for a graduate degree in journalism and mass communications who do not have professional experience or educational background for the field may be required to complete up to 15 semester hours of undergraduate work in journalism and mass communications. Camp Carolina, an intensive summer experience, can be used to satisfy many of these requirements. Each applicant’s case will be evaluated individually to determine the amount, if any, of remedial work required. These remedial courses are usually designated as prerequisites for more advanced courses, numbered 500 or above, which will become part of the student’s plan of graduate study. Graduate students may, with approval of the associate director for graduate studies, enroll for some of these undergraduate courses at the same time they are enrolled in graduate courses. For example, a student enrolled in a 700-level seminar in media law may also be enrolled in an undergraduate skills course in basic news reporting; the student would earn graduate credit for the 700-level seminar but not for the 300-level news reporting class.
Applicants who cannot demonstrate a basic knowledge of statistics (e.g. successful completion of undergraduate basic statistics course) must complete a course from an approved list before registering for JOUR 701 or JOUR 801. Such a course should be completed early in the student’s program and may count toward the graduate degree only if it is 500-level or above.
Courses
Historical development of freedom, responsibility, and ethics in the mass media, including communication theories, pressures, ownership.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Diversity and Social Advocacy, GLD: Professional and Civic Engagement Leadership Experiences
A comparative study of world mass communications media, with particular attention to press systems, the sources and flow of international news, and the problems and implications of world communications.
Development of critical thinking skills for analyzing mass media.
Explores the role of journalism in shaping perceptions of scientific issues and task. Emphasis on methods of effectively communicating about science, health, and the environment.
Faith and values influence the media. An examination of the influence, why it happens, and of religious diversity and the increased public presence of religions, including Hinduism and Islam.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Diversity and Social Advocacy
Development of writing styles for print and broadcast advertising.
The development of a complete, well coordinated integrated communications plan that incorporates research and analysis techniques, critical thinking, team work, creative and tactical skills.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Research
Application of advertising techniques and skills in preparation of full scale campaign.
The development of a complete, well-coordinated integrated communications plan that incorporates research and analysis techniques, critical thinking, team work, creative and tactical skills.
The dynamics of leadership and management in the creative industries.
Theories of leadership as applied to creative industries. Students will engage and interact with community-based organizations to assess needs, plan communications strategies, lead student teams in developing those ideas, and present to clients. Junior standing or permission of instructor.
Development of public relations campaigns for business and social institutions. Case studies of public relations campaigns and programs.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Community Service, GLD: Research
Researching, programming, staff, budgeting, and planning public-relations programs by business, government, or consulting firms.
Publication writing and design as well as internal or constituent communications, specifically focused on an internal audience. Production of InterCom, the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies’ alumni magazine.
Introduction to crisis communications and management from a strategic, theory-based approach using research from historical and current case studies.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Professional and Civic Engagement Leadership Experiences
Participation in a functioning communications agency working for actual clients in a student-directed environment. Opportunity to both lead and be a part of a team servicing the communication needs of various clients.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Community Service, GLD: Professional and Civic Engagement Leadership Experiences
Self-directed development and implementation of a public relations campaign as part of a national competition: PRSSA’s Bateman Competition.
Review of the analytical process of resolving complex ethical issues and cases in public relations; study of the philosophical approaches to communication ethics.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Professional and Civic Engagement Leadership Experiences
Theory and practice of persuasive communication and the role of persuasion in shaping public opinion.
Writing techniques used in the preparation and marketing of major nonfiction articles for national, regional, and local publications.
Advanced techniques of graphic and multimedia design and their application to problem-solving situations in the mass media. Emphasis on portfolio development.
To gain an understanding of theory and practice of public/civic journalism, seen by its advocates as socially responsible journalism that attempts to build civic participation and empower communities.
Researching, organizing, writing, and marketing articles for publication in general and specialized publications.
Content and style; writing of editorials, analyses, and commentaries.
Acquiring, analyzing and presenting data using spreadsheets and other tools to uncover stories and provide depth and context to journalism.
Production of public affairs programs.
Concentrated analyses of reporting in special fields, particularly in the South, including coverage of government, business, labor, the arts and sciences.
Theory and practice of professional broadcast announcing. Lecture-demonstration-laboratory course in principles underlying professional performance before microphones and cameras and the various broadcast performance functions.
Professional practice in meeting daily newscast deadlines through work on the Carolina News television newscast. Focus on polished reporting, performance and production techniques and demonstration of advanced television reporting skills under deadline pressure.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Research
Exposure to the evolving variety of journalism techniques, software programs and equipment to effectively tell compelling stories and convey information in multiple visual and interactive forms. Emphasis on extending professional skills while reinforcing current best practices.
Advanced instruction on how to assume leadership roles in a real life agency setting through tactical planning updates, interdepartmental management, budgeting, and client reviews.
Domestic study away course will focus on topics in journalism and mass communications and will be taught away from the University of South Carolina Columbia campus. Individual topics will vary by title. Prerequisites to be announced in class schedule.
Study abroad course will focus on topics in journalism and mass communications and will be taught as a study abroad experience. Individual topics will vary by title. Prerequisites to be announced in class schedule.
Supervised professional experience. Maximum of three hours credit. Contract approved by instructor, advisor, and department head is required.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Professional and Civic Engagement Internships
Experiential Learning: Experiential Learning Opportunity
Individual mass media projects. Contract approved by instructor, advisor, and department head is required for undergraduate students.
Advanced topics in journalism and mass communications. Individual topics and prerequisites to be announced by title in class schedule.
Recent ideas, procedures, and techniques that aid in the conduct of professional and scholarly work in mass communication.
Methods and techniques of quantitative mass communications research: content analysis; survey research applications; media effects studies.
Theoretical approaches to the study of mass communication including empirical, interpretive, and critical perspectives.
Social issues and responsibilities affecting the management of the mass media.
Integration of advertising, public relations, and marketing communication within an organization or agency.
General legal philosophy and law affecting the mass media.
Current issues in mass communication including control, ownership, and conflicts affecting the media.
A comprehensive overview of data science basics and applications for communications. Introduces basic concepts, applications, and tools of data science for communication purposes. Includes basic theories and approaches in communications.
Cross-listed course: SLIS 709
Communication within organizations including theories, research, and current issues of concern in the field.
Methods and techniques for designing, conducting, and analyzing research related to mass communication.
The strategic planning process applied to integrated communication principles.
Introduction to content analysis for communication topics. Quantitatively analyze communication content of many kinds from newspaper articles to social media and online content.
Periods, movements, and developments in mass communication.
Literary and creative aspects of journalism and mass communication as exemplified in the works of English and American prose and verse writers.
New technologies related to the mass media.
History, nature, production-performance, evaluation, and means of improvement of educational/instructional broadcasting.
Independent study in an area of journalism and mass communications relevant to the student’s professional and/or research goals.
Methods for locating, evaluating, and abstracting information from literature relevant to the study of mass communication.
Course is designed to teach the foundations of multimedia journalistic storytelling. It will expose students to core concepts and practices associated with news gathering, news writing and field production.
Current management-related issues confronting the media, including management of creative people, budgeting, time management on deadline.
Media organizations as economic institutions, including microeconomic analysis, basic trends in revenues and expenditures, evaluation of financial health, and performance in covering business and economics.
The media representation of issues in science, technology and environment from a social science perspective, with emphasis on consequences in areas such as public opinion, public policy, public understanding attitude formation, persuasion and behavior change.
The critical examination of classic and contemporary empirical research on risk communication as it pertains to health and environment issues, as well as emerging technologies.
An analysis of the theoretical foundation and issues relevant to the practice of public relations.
Theories of persuasion, principles and best practices of strategic communication, as applied to health and cause communication campaigns. Recognize, and develop effective, persuasive communications for social and health topics.
Seminar that examines the social uses and impacts of interactive / emerging media technologies.
Seminar and supervised professional management experience in a media organization.
Discussion of competing theories that attempt to explain current issues in global communication.
Selected readings course designed to facilitate student’s specialized research interest. Permission of instructor required.
Specialized topics in mass communication, individual topics to be announced by title. May be repeated for credit.
Individualized scholarly activity to develop and execute special projects relevant to the study of mass communication.
Principles and applications of quantitative and qualitative communication research designs.
Ethical reasoning approaches in production and consumption of media messages.
Meta-theoretical issues relevant to building theory in mass communication, concept explication, and forms of theory.
Application of historical research methods to the study of mass communication.
Teaching and learning methodologies and theories appropriate to mass communication instruction.
Application of legal research methods to the study of mass communication.
Advanced methods and techniques for analyzing empirical data for communication research.
Designing and conducting critical, cultural and naturalistic research.
Issues involving the governmental protection and regulation of speech, and how that affects those involved in mass communication.
Working closely with a faculty member, a student will design, and conduct a research project, with the objective of submitting the final report for publication or for presentation at an academic conference in the discipline. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours.