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2020-2021

Bachelor of Science: Mass Communications with a concentration in journalism

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Arts and Sciences: General Studies (Germanna Community College)
Germanna Community College
Germanna Community College
Associate degree

Associate of Arts and Sciences: General Studies

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

Our program prepares journalism graduates to work as reporters and editors for newspapers, television newsrooms, news websites, radio news operations, magazines, news-oriented newsletters and other organizations. Moreover, these journalism skills transfer to many other fields, such as law, business, teaching and government service. 

Bachelor-level job titles
  • Audio & Video Equipment Operators
  • Broadcast News Analyst
  • Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Motion Picture
  • Multimedia Artists & Animators  
  • Proofreaders and Copy Markers
  • Public Relations Specialist  
  • Radio and Television Announcer
  • Reporters & Correspondents
  • Retail Sales Management
  • Search Marketing Strategists 
  • Social Science Research Assistant
  • Technical Writer
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Director of Digital Media
  • Editor
  • Radio or Television Producer
  • Senior Writer
Contact information

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

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)
  • 2.50
VCU Major Maps

View VCU Major Map for Mass Communications with concentration in Journalism/digital and journalism/broadcast

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2020-2021

Bachelor of Science: Mass Communications with a concentration in journalism

Germanna Community College (Associate of Arts and Sciences: 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
Explore Year 1
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges and utilize tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester to discuss progress in your degree program.
  • Find and connect with a faculty mentor.
  • Log into Navigate and view its features to help you on your pathway.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Get involved with a professional or student organization.
  • Visit career services to begin cultivating your own virtual brand across all social media profiles.
  • Browse careers related to journalism through the career coach.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Create Linkedln profile.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Use SDV 100 to create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Work with career services to build resume.
  • Take a career assessment through the career coach.
Experience Year 2
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
  • Use Navigate to remain on your pathway.
  • Visit the VCU Robertson School website to become familiar with upcoming course offerings, syllabi, and professors.
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing for next year.
  • Join a professional organization related to mass communications: Society of Professional Journalists.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU Robertson School, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
  • Get involved with service-learning opportunities.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or Robertson School-related events.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs 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 about VCU REAL.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • 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.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges and utilize tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester to discuss progress in your degree program.
  • Find and connect with a faculty mentor.
  • Log into Navigate and view its features to help you on your pathway.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Get involved with a professional or student organization.
  • Visit career services to begin cultivating your own virtual brand across all social media profiles.
  • Browse careers related to journalism through the career coach.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Create Linkedln profile.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Use SDV 100 to create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Work with career services to build resume.
  • Take a career assessment through the career coach.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
  • Use Navigate to remain on your pathway.
  • Visit the VCU Robertson School website to become familiar with upcoming course offerings, syllabi, and professors.
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: Society of Professional Journalists.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU Robertson School, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Get involved with service-learning opportunities.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or Robertson School-related events.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs 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 about VCU REAL.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • 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.
Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2020-2021

Bachelor of Science: Mass Communications with a concentration in journalism

Germanna Community College (Associate of Arts and Sciences: General Studies)

Germanna Community College courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
SDV 100 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
MTH 154 Quantitative Reasoning MATH 131 3 General education
HIS 121 U.S. History I HIST 103 3 Major
ENG 112 College Composition  II UNIV 200 3 General education
MTH 155 Statistical Reasoning STAT 208 3 General education
HIS 122 U.S. History II HIST 104 3 Major
CST 100 Public Speaking (or CST 110 or CST 126) SPCH 121 3 General education
Laboratory Science Laboratory Science (select one): BIO 101, CHM 101, GOL 105, or PHY 201 VCU equivalent 4 General education
ENG Any 200-level ENG literature course (select 1): ENG 241, 242, 243, 244, 251, 252 ENGL 3 General education
Humanities Humanities: select from ART 101, 102, 106, REL, or HUM 100 VCU equivalent 3 General education
Social Science PLS 135 American National Politics (or PLS 211) POLI 103 3 Major
Laboratory Science Laboratory Science (select one): BIO 101, 102, CHM 101, 102, GOL 105, 106, or PHY 201, 202 VCU equivalent 4 General education
Humanities Humanities elective (select 1 from ART, ENG (literature), HUM, MUS, PHI, REL. VCU equivalent 3 General education
Social Science ECO 120 Survey of Economics ECON 203 3 Major
Transfer elective Foreign Language 101 (the VCU foreign language requirement is waived if the student completed up through the third level of a foreign language in high school; select alternate humanities elective if foreign language is waived) VCU equivalent 3 to 4 General education
Transfer elective Foreign Language 102 (the VCU foreign language requirement is waived if the student completed up through the third level of a foreign language in high school; select alternate elective if foreign language is waived) VCU equivalent 3 to 4 Elective
Transfer elective Transfer elective VCU equivalent 3 Elective
Transfer elective Transfer elective VCU equivalent 3 Elective
Transfer elective Transfer elective VCU equivalent 3 Elective
Germanna credits transferred to VCU 60
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Bachelor of Science: Mass Communications with a concentration in journalism/broadcast
MASC 101 Mass Communications (this is the prerequisite for all other MASC classes; consider completing this class during the summer) 3 Major
ENGL ___ Upper-level ENGL literature course (300 or 400 level) 3 Major
HIST ___ Upper-level HIST course (300 or 400 level) 3 Major
POLI or URSP ___ Upper-level POLI or URSP course (300- or 400-level) 3 Major
MASC 203 Journalism Writing 3 Major
MASC 261 History and Development of Journalism 3 Major
MASC 303 Reporting for Print and Web 3 Major
MASC 363 Introduction to Broadcast Writing 3 Major
MASC 367 Audion and Video Journalism 3 Major
MASC 396 Mobile and Social Media Journalism 3 Major
MASC 408 Communications Ethics and Law 3 Major
MASC 415 Advanced Video Journalism 3 Major
MASC 460 Advanced Television Newsgathering 3 Major
MASC 461 The Documentary (or MASC 465 Newscasting) 3 Major
MASC 474 Diversity in the Media 3 Major
MASC 493 Fieldwork/Internship 3 Major
MASC MASC upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses) 3 Major
Open electives 9 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 60
Bachelor's degree total 120
Bachelor of Science: Mass Communications with a concentration in journalism/digital
MASC 101 Mass Communications (this is the prerequisite for all other MASC classes; consider completing this class during the summer) 3 Major
ENGL ___ Upper-level ENGL literature course (300 or 400 level) 3 Major
HIST ___ Upper-level HIST course (300 or 400 level) 3 Major
POLI or URSP ___ Upper-level POLI or URSP course (300- or 400-level) 3 Major
MASC 203 Journalism Writing 3 Major
MASC 261 History and Development of Journalism 3 Major
MASC 301 Graphics for Journalism 3 Major
MASC 303 Reporting for Print and Web 3 Major
MASC 305 Copy Editing 3 Major
MASC 363 Introduction to Broadcast Writing 3 Major
MASC 367 Audion and Video Journalism 3 Major
MASC 396 Mobile and Social Media Journalism 3 Major
MASC 408 Communications Ethics and Law 3 Major
MASC 474 Diversity in the Media 3 Major
MASC 493 Fieldwork/Internship 3 Major
MASC Select two of the following MASC courses: MASC 403, 404, 475 6 Major
Select one upper-level elective (300- or 400-level course) 3 Elective
Open elective 6 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 60
Bachelor's degree total 120