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Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Mass Communications

College of Humanities and Sciences

Concentration(s):
Advertising/Creative, Advertising/Strategic, Journalism/Broadcast, Journalism/Digital, Media Production, Public Relations
Program description

The Robertson School of Media and Culture prepares effective and skilled communicators through quality instruction, advising, and student services based on real-world applications. Through research, professional service and scholarship in applied communications, the school advances the knowledge, and practice of a multidisciplinary and evolving media environment. The School values truth, ethics, creativity, innovation, collaboration, cultural diversity, shared governance, and community engagement.

Career opportunities

The concentrations in advertising prepares students for careers at advertising agencies, marketing departments of corporations or service organizations, and media companies. These concentrations are a training ground that prepares students to join the world community of media practitioners and are centered on professional practice, studio intensive coursework, and experimental collaboration.


The concentrations in journalism train alumni for competitive careers in print and video media and in such places as print and video newsrooms, digital news, magazines, and special interest publications. The concentrations in journalism are transferable to many other fields like law, business, or government service. 


The concentration in media production prepares graduates to work as content creators in in film and television, sports media, local or national production studios, and online productions.


The concentration in public relations prepares graduates to successfully enter the public relations field. Graduates can be found representing professional sports teams, global clothing manufacturers, Hollywood production studios, energy companies, hospitals, international non-profits and small businesses. The public relations profession calls for professional communicators; all organizations, big and small, must communicate with audiences to succeed.

Change of major requirements

Students must successfully complete both MASC 101 Mass Communications and MASC 201 Curiousness with a minimum grade of C, have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5+, and successfully complete the change of major module.

Bachelor-level job titles
  • Art Director
  • Broadcast News Analyst
  • Development/Fundraising Manager
  • Digital Specialist
  • Grant Writer
  • Media Relations Coordinator
  • Nonprofit Communications Manager
  • Radio and Television Announcer
  • Videographer
  • Visual Effects (FX) Artist
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Copywriter
  • Creative Brand Manager
  • Director of Digital Media
  • Experience Designer
Professional associations and resources
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
  • STAT 208 or STAT 210
Science required
  • Natural Sciences requirement only
Foreign language requirements
  • Yes
Additional tuition/fees
  • No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.5+ cumulative GPA, 2.5+ major GPA
Transfer Maps

Contact information

Department name:
Robertson School of Media and Culture
Building/room location:
Temple, 2nd floor
Phone:
(804) 828-2660
Email:
robertsonsmc@vcu.edu
https://robertson.vcu.edu/
Campus (where 75% of courses are taken):
Monroe Park
Major map compass icon
Major map

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Schedule an appointment with your advisor to explore minors, certificates, and plan your required REAL experience.
  • Get familiar with the research process with the VCU Libraries Research Basics Guide.
  • Talk to professors about your research interests, electives, and strategies for success in your classes.
  • Explore innovation and business/non-profit creation classes with the da Vinci Center.
  • Take UNIV 200, MASC 201 in fall, and MASC 204 in spring.
  • File request/petition to declare concentration in MASC 204.
  • Maintain 2.5+ major and cumulative GPAs.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Make friends with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Explore social issues, develop cultural competency skills, and engage with faculty through iExcel pop-up courses.
  • Investigate globally-focused courses in your major by pursuing language coursework or setting language proficiency goals with advisors and faculty.
  • Apply for the Critical Languages Scholarship.
  • Attend the OMSA Social Justice Conference.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Complete a gap analysis with your career advisor to identify key skills required for your professional field.
  • Seek out practical experience through independent skill-building, internships, shadowing, or part-time work.
  • Explore global career options with a career advisor to set goals for getting your dream job.
  • Organize examples of your academic and professional experiences, accomplishments, and reflections in an ePortfolio.
  • Attend career and internship fairs and other professional development events.
  • Pursue a digital badge to highlight the knowledge, skills, and experiences employers and graduate schools value.
  • Create a draft resume and come to drop-ins with Mass Communications' career development advisor.
  • Make things like CD covers, copy, logos, strategies, or client questions and post to a blog; compare brands.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Connect with alumni on VCULink for career advice, industry contacts, and meaningful professional relationships.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of professional interest.
  • Ask a faculty or staff member to be your academic and professional mentor and to provide future letters of recommendation.
  • Meet with a coach at The Money Spot to set financial goals, understand student loans, and create spending plans.
  • Gain practical experience related to career goals through internships, shadowing, part-time work, or independent skill building.
  • Check scholarship deadlines for your third year and plan when you will apply because many are due in January through March!

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • See your academic and career advisors to discuss graduation progress and career planning.
  • Enhance your business, software, technology, and creative skills using LinkedIn Learning.
  • If declaring the advertising/strategic concentration, take MASC 398 and MASC 399.
  • If declaring the advertising/creative concentration, take MASC 300 (fall), MASC 392 (spring), and MASC 394 (spring).
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Build language proficiency and cultural competence by carrying out your plans for study abroad, internships, and service-learning.
  • Get required REAL experience and effect community change by using iExcel’s Active Citizen’s Toolkit to vote and volunteer.
  • Explore new cultures at one of Richmond’s wide array of festivals.
  • Prepare for future work on multidisciplinary and multicultural teams by showcasing your interpersonal skills on your resume.
  • Take a course that links diversity to your field of study.
  • Join a cultural organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Take advantage of mock interview opportunities through InterviewStream or meeting with a career advisor.
  • Update your ePortfolio.
  • Apply for the Graduate School Mentorship Program to learn more about graduate school and the graduate student experience.
  • Seek research opportunities and apply for funding through VCU Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program.
  • Submit work to creative competitions.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Make a plan with your academic, career, and faculty advisors for applying to graduate school or land a micro-internship.
  • Study for and complete any standardized exams required for graduate school the summer before senior year. 
  • Prepare for job offer negotiation by researching salaries, benefits, and other opportunities for flexibility.
  • Talk to advisors, faculty, and VCU Career Services about graduate school versus a job.
  • Create a website.

Excel
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor the semester before you graduate to ensure that all graduation requirements will be met.
  • Choose REAL electives to diversify your skillset and round out your degree.
  • Attend a graduation workshop a semester before your anticipated graduation to ensure all graduation requirements will be met.
  • Take MASC 459, MASC 481, and your internship in your senior year.
  • Become a mentor to a freshman or sophomore Advertising major.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Carry out globally-oriented research projects with multilingual faculty and international partners.
  • Read scholarly articles about diversity in your field.
  • Master your answers to interview questions about your experience working with diverse populations.
  • Plan for how you will grow your cultural agility after graduation.
  • Attend the annual Portfolio Review event for graduating Advertising majors.
  • Build intercultural competence by engaging with international students on campus.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Meet with your academic or professional mentor and identify examples of your experiential learning to share with employers.
  • Publish your original research in Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creativity.
  • Consider becoming an educator through programs like RTR, which prepare graduates from a variety of majors to become teachers in high-need schools.
  • Gain feedback from professionals on your professional work.
  • Reflect on the experiential learning you have engaged in thus far, and discuss with current or potential mentors (peers, faculty, advisors, alumni, professionals).
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Prepare for graduation by making a plan to complete licensing exams, applications, and self-marketing activities.
  • Single out prospective employers and create a job or graduate school search strategy at least 8 months before graduation.
  • Have a personal statement or cover letter reviewed by Career Services. 
  • Connect with the Office of VCU Alumni Relations at Grad Fair, Grad Bash, and the VCULink Industry Network or alumni chapter.
  • Develop/incorporate side project/interests into portfolio.
  • Serve in a leadership role on campus or as a board member of a local community organization.
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Mass Communications

College of Humanities and Sciences

Concentration(s):
Advertising/Creative, Advertising/Strategic, Journalism/Broadcast, Journalism/Digital, Media Production, Public Relations
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
Experience Year 2
  • Schedule an appointment with your advisor to explore minors, certificates, and plan your required REAL experience.
  • Get familiar with the research process with the VCU Libraries Research Basics Guide.
  • Talk to professors about your research interests, electives, and strategies for success in your classes.
  • Explore innovation and business/non-profit creation classes with the da Vinci Center.
  • Take UNIV 200, MASC 201 in fall, and MASC 204 in spring.
  • File request/petition to declare concentration in MASC 204.
  • Maintain 2.5+ major and cumulative GPAs.
  • Make friends with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Explore social issues, develop cultural competency skills, and engage with faculty through iExcel pop-up courses.
  • Investigate globally-focused courses in your major by pursuing language coursework or setting language proficiency goals with advisors and faculty.
  • Apply for the Critical Languages Scholarship.
  • Attend the OMSA Social Justice Conference.
  • Complete a gap analysis with your career advisor to identify key skills required for your professional field.
  • Seek out practical experience through independent skill-building, internships, shadowing, or part-time work.
  • Explore global career options with a career advisor to set goals for getting your dream job.
  • Organize examples of your academic and professional experiences, accomplishments, and reflections in an ePortfolio.
  • Attend career and internship fairs and other professional development events.
  • Pursue a digital badge to highlight the knowledge, skills, and experiences employers and graduate schools value.
  • Create a draft resume and come to drop-ins with Mass Communications' career development advisor.
  • Make things like CD covers, copy, logos, strategies, or client questions and post to a blog; compare brands.
  • Connect with alumni on VCULink for career advice, industry contacts, and meaningful professional relationships.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of professional interest.
  • Ask a faculty or staff member to be your academic and professional mentor and to provide future letters of recommendation.
  • Meet with a coach at The Money Spot to set financial goals, understand student loans, and create spending plans.
  • Gain practical experience related to career goals through internships, shadowing, part-time work, or independent skill building.
  • Check scholarship deadlines for your third year and plan when you will apply because many are due in January through March!
Year 3
  • See your academic and career advisors to discuss graduation progress and career planning.
  • Enhance your business, software, technology, and creative skills using LinkedIn Learning.
  • If declaring the advertising/strategic concentration, take MASC 398 and MASC 399.
  • If declaring the advertising/creative concentration, take MASC 300 (fall), MASC 392 (spring), and MASC 394 (spring).
  • Build language proficiency and cultural competence by carrying out your plans for study abroad, internships, and service-learning.
  • Get required REAL experience and effect community change by using iExcel’s Active Citizen’s Toolkit to vote and volunteer.
  • Explore new cultures at one of Richmond’s wide array of festivals.
  • Prepare for future work on multidisciplinary and multicultural teams by showcasing your interpersonal skills on your resume.
  • Take a course that links diversity to your field of study.
  • Join a cultural organization.
  • Take advantage of mock interview opportunities through InterviewStream or meeting with a career advisor.
  • Update your ePortfolio.
  • Apply for the Graduate School Mentorship Program to learn more about graduate school and the graduate student experience.
  • Seek research opportunities and apply for funding through VCU Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program.
  • Submit work to creative competitions.
  • Make a plan with your academic, career, and faculty advisors for applying to graduate school or land a micro-internship.
  • Study for and complete any standardized exams required for graduate school the summer before senior year. 
  • Prepare for job offer negotiation by researching salaries, benefits, and other opportunities for flexibility.
  • Talk to advisors, faculty, and VCU Career Services about graduate school versus a job.
  • Create a website.
Excel Year 4
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor the semester before you graduate to ensure that all graduation requirements will be met.
  • Choose REAL electives to diversify your skillset and round out your degree.
  • Attend a graduation workshop a semester before your anticipated graduation to ensure all graduation requirements will be met.
  • Take MASC 459, MASC 481, and your internship in your senior year.
  • Become a mentor to a freshman or sophomore Advertising major.
  • Carry out globally-oriented research projects with multilingual faculty and international partners.
  • Read scholarly articles about diversity in your field.
  • Master your answers to interview questions about your experience working with diverse populations.
  • Plan for how you will grow your cultural agility after graduation.
  • Attend the annual Portfolio Review event for graduating Advertising majors.
  • Build intercultural competence by engaging with international students on campus.
  • Meet with your academic or professional mentor and identify examples of your experiential learning to share with employers.
  • Publish your original research in Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creativity.
  • Consider becoming an educator through programs like RTR, which prepare graduates from a variety of majors to become teachers in high-need schools.
  • Gain feedback from professionals on your professional work.
  • Reflect on the experiential learning you have engaged in thus far, and discuss with current or potential mentors (peers, faculty, advisors, alumni, professionals).
  • Prepare for graduation by making a plan to complete licensing exams, applications, and self-marketing activities.
  • Single out prospective employers and create a job or graduate school search strategy at least 8 months before graduation.
  • Have a personal statement or cover letter reviewed by Career Services. 
  • Connect with the Office of VCU Alumni Relations at Grad Fair, Grad Bash, and the VCULink Industry Network or alumni chapter.
  • Develop/incorporate side project/interests into portfolio.
  • Serve in a leadership role on campus or as a board member of a local community organization.