2020-2021
Bachelor of Science: Mass Communications with a concentration in advertising
VCU
Community college:
Associate of Science: General Studies (Northern Virginia Community College)
Associate degree
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.
The school offers a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications with specialization in one of three concentrations: advertising, journalism and public relations. The school also awards the Master of Science in Mass Communications, with concentrations in the areas of integrated PR and advertising, multimedia journalism, and strategic public relations.
Career opportunities
The concentration in advertising prepares students for careers at advertising agencies, marketing departments of corporations or service organizations and media companies.
Bachelor-level job titles
- Advertising Sales Agent
- Graphic Designer
- Illustrator
- Marketing Research Analyst
- Multimedia Artists & Animators
- Public Relations Specialist
- Retail Sales Management
- Search Marketing Strategists
- Social Science Research Assistant
- Software Developer
- Technical Writer
- Web Developer
Graduate and professional level job titles
- Advertising & Promotions Manager
- Advertising/Marketing Firm Executive
- Consultant
- Copywriter
Contact information
Telephone: (804) 827-1349
Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu
VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist
Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638
Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.
Guaranteed transfer admission requirements
Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
- STAT 210
Science required
- Core only
Foreign language requirements
- Yes
Additional tuition/fees
- No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
- 2.5
Transfer major map
2020-2021
Bachelor of Science: Mass Communications with a concentration in advertising
Northern Virginia Community College (Associate of Science: General Studies)
| MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING | GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY | DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY | EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS | PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE | ||
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| Explore | Year 1 |
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| Experience | Year 2 |
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Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Get involved with student clubs and organizations.
- Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
- Learn about the admissions process by speaking with the VCU Transfer Admissions representative at NOVA.
- Visit the VCU Transfer Admissions webpage.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Attend cultural events at NOVA and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
- Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Browse careers related to advertising through the NOVA career planning system.
- Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
- Build a LinkedIn profile.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Take a career assessment through the NOVA career planning system.
- Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
- Familiarize yourself with the Career Services offered at Community College and explore VCU's Career Pathways.
- Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
- Understand how you will fund your education by taking advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Meet with your academic advisor or counselor.
- Complete requirements for the associate’s degree. Earn at least a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.
- Continue to use tutoring resources to get ahead.
- Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
- Research housing for next year.
- Join a professional organization related to mass communications: Advertising Educational Foundation, American Association of Advertising Agencies.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Continue to partner with diversity leader/ facilitator/ mentor to move towards cultural competence.
- Get involved with service-learning opportunities.
- Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
- Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options at VCU.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Speak with employers that visit campus throughout the year.
- Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
- Run for leadership in your student organization.
- If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
- Find out VCU REAL.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
- Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
- Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
- Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
- Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
Recommended courses
2020-2021
Bachelor of Science: Mass Communications with a concentration in advertising
Northern Virginia Community College (Associate of Science: General Studies)
| Course | Title | Equivalent course | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDV 100 (or SDV 101) | College Success Skills | UNIV 101 | 1 | Elective |
| ENG 111 | College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. | UNIV 111-112 | 3 | General education |
| CST Elective | Select 1: CST 100 Principles of Public Speaking OR CST 110 Introduction to Communication OR CST 126 Interpersonal Communication | SPCH 121 | 3 | Elective |
| MTH 154 | Quantitative Reasoning | MATH 131 | 3 | General education |
| Humanities/Fine Arts | Select 1: ART 101 History and Appreciation of Art I OR MUS 121 Music Appreciation I OR PHI 101 Introduction to Philosophy I | VCU equivalent | 3 | General education |
| ENG 112 | College Composition II | UNIV 200 | 3 | General education |
| HIS Elective | HIS 121 U.S. History I | HIST 103 | 3 | Major |
| Physical or Life Science w/ Lab | Select 1: BIO 101 General Biology I OR CHM 101 Introductory Chemistry I OR GOL 105 Physical Geology OR PHY 101 Introduction to Physics I OR PHY 150 Elements of Astronomy | VCU equivalent | 4 | General education |
| ITE 115 (or ITE 119) | Introduction to Computer Applications and Concepts (or ITE 119) | INFO 160, 161, 162 | 3 | Elective |
| Social/Behavioral Science Elective | HIS 122 U.S. History II | HIST 104 | 3 | Major |
| Humanities/Fine Arts Elective | Select 1: CST 151 Film Appreciation I OR ENG 241 Survey of American Literature I OR ENG 242 Survey of American Literature II OR ENG 243 Survey of English Literature I OR ENG 244 Survey of English Literature II OR ENG 251 Survey of World Literature I OR ENG 252 Survey of World Literature II | VCU equivalent | 3 | General education |
| Physical or Life Science w/ Lab | Select 1: BIO 101 General Biology I OR BIO 102 General Biology II OR CHM 101 Introductory Chemistry I OR CHM 102 Introductory Chemistry II OR GOL 105 Physical Geology OR GOL 106 Historical Geology OR PHY 101 Introduction to Physics I OR PHY 102 Introduction to Physics II OR PHY 150 Elements of Astronomy | VCU equivalent | 4 | General education |
| Social/Behavioral Science Elective | Select 1: PLS 135 American National Politics OR PLS 211 US Government I | POLI 103 | 3 | Major |
| Open elective | ART 102 History and Appreciation of Arts II | ARTH 104 | 3 | Major |
| Open Elective | MTH 245 Statistics I | STAT 210 | 3 | Major |
| Open Elective | ECO 120 Survey of Economics | ECON 203 | 3 | Major |
| Open Elective | Select 1: PLS 241 International Relations or REL 231 Religions of the World | POLI 105 or RELS 311 | 3 | General education |
| Open Elective | CST 114 Introduction to Mass Media (Shared Services Distance Learning (SSDL) through John Tyler CC) | MASC 101 | 3 | Major |
| Open Elective | Select 1: HIS 241 History of Russia I OR HIS 251 History of Middle East Civilization I OR HIS 281 History of Virginia I | HIST 3XX | 3 | Major |
| Open Elective | Select 1: GEO 220 World Regional Geography OR GEO 230 Political Geography | URSP 3XX | 3 | Major |
| Northern Virginia Credits Transferred to VCU | 60 | |||
| Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Science: Mass Communications with a concentration in advertising/creative | |||
| Foreign language through the 102 level. (This requirement can be fulfilled by means of completion of the 102-level of a language or waived if the student completed up through the third level of a foreign language in high school. Additionally, language waiver and placement testing options are available for native or heritage speakers of a non-english language.) | 0 to 8 | General education (not waived by associate degree) | |
| MKTG 301 | Marketing Principles | 3 | Major |
| ENGL ___ | Upper-level ENGL literature course (300- or 400-level) | 3 | Major |
| MASC 201 | Curiousness | 3 | Major |
| MASC 204 | Story (or MASC 203 Journalism Writing) | 3 | Major |
| MASC 300 | Technical Prowess | 3 | Major |
| MASC 380 | History of Advertising | 3 | Major |
| MASC 392 | Perspicuousness | 3 | Major |
| MASC 394 | Imagination | 3 | Major |
| MASC 409 | Truth and Honor (or MASC 408 Communications Ethics and Law) | 3 | Major |
| MASC 450 | Style | 3 | Major |
| MASC 451 | Invention | 3 | Major |
| MASC 481 | Completeness | 3 | Major |
| MASC 499 | Career Minded | 3 | Major |
| MASC ___ | Upper-level MASC electives (300- or 400-level) | 6 | Major |
| Upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses) | 6 | Elective | |
| Open electives | 0 to 6 | Elective | |
| Credits Completed at VCU | 60 | ||
| Bachelor's degree total | 120 | ||
| Bachelor of Science: Mass Communications with a concentration in advertising/strategic | |||
| Foreign language through the 102 level. (This requirement can be fulfilled by means of completion of the 102-level of a language or waived if the student completed up through the third level of a foreign language in high school. Additionally, language waiver and placement testing options are available for native or heritage speakers of a non-english language.) | 0 to 8 | General education (not waived by associate degree) | |
| MKTG 301 | Marketing Principles | 3 | Major |
| ENGL ___ | Upper-level ENGL literature course (300- or 400-level) | 3 | Major |
| MASC 201 | Curiousness | 3 | Major |
| MASC 204 | Story (or MASC 203 Journalism Writing) | 3 | Major |
| MASC 380 | History of Advertising | 3 | Major |
| MASC 398 | Awareness | 3 | Major |
| MASC 399 | Empathy | 3 | Major |
| MASC 409 | Truth and Honor (or MASC 408 Communications Ethics and Law) | 3 | Major |
| MASC 459 | Judgment | 3 | Major |
| MASC 481 | Completeness | 3 | Major |
| MASC 493 | Fieldwork/Internship | 3 | Major |
| MASC 499 | Career Minded | 3 | Major |
| MASC ___ | Upper-level MASC electives (300- or 400-level) | 9 | Major |
| Upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses) | 6 | Elective | |
| Open electives | 0 to 6 | Elective | |
| Credits Completed at VCU | 60 | ||
| Bachelor's degree total | 120 | ||