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2020-2021

Bachelor of Science: Mass Communications with a concentration in public relations

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Science: General Studies (Tidewater Community College (program specific pathway))
Tidewater Community College
Tidewater Community College
Associate degree

Associate of Science: 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

Public Relations is a broad field that spans all industries and businesses. PR graduates can be found representing professional sports teams, global clothing manufacturers, Hollywood production studios, energy companies, hospitals, international non-profits and small businesses. This wide variety of opportunities is due to the fact that PR people are professional communicators, and all organizations, big and small, must communicate with a variety of audiences in order to succeed.    

The Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture’s undergraduate program in PR prepares graduates to successfully enter the public relations field.

Bachelor-level job titles
  • Campaign Manager
  • Campaign/Audience Researcher
  • Community/Public Affairs Specialist
  • Development/Fundraising Manager
  • Employee Relations Specialist
  • Event Planner
  • Grant Writer
  • Investor Relations Manager
  • Marketing Manager
  • Media Relations Coordinator
  • Nonprofit Communications Manager
  • Risk and Crisis Communications Coordinator
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Consultant
  • Director of Corporate Communications
  • Public Diplomacy Officer
  • Public Relations Manager
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 208
Science required
  • 1-2 additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
  • Yes
Additional tuition/fees
  • No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.5
VCU Major Maps

View VCU Major Map for Mass Communications with concentration in Public Relations

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 public relations

Tidewater Community College (program specific pathway) (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
Explore Year 1
  • Attend New Student Orientation.
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Use Navigate to schedule an appointment with your advisor.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Start your math sequence and pass ENG 111-112.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Attend cultural events at community college and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Browse careers related to Public Relations through the Virginia Wizard.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
  • Take a career assessment through the Virginia Wizard.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Familiarize yourself with the Career Services offered at Community College and VCU and explore Career Pathways on the VCU website.
Experience Year 2
  • Meet with your academic advisor.
  • 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.
  • Explore the 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.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the Robertson School and consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
  • 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 at community college or VCU to explore your interests.
  • Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
  • Create a draft resume and bring it to career services advisor or workshop for review.
  • Find out about VCU REAL.
  • 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.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Attend New Student Orientation.
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Use Navigate to schedule an appointment with your advisor.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Start your math sequence and pass ENG 111-112.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend cultural events at community college 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 Public Relations through the Virginia Wizard.
  • 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 Virginia Wizard.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Familiarize yourself with the Career Services offered at Community College and VCU and explore Career Pathways on the VCU website.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Meet with your academic advisor.
  • 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.
  • Explore the 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.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the Robertson School and consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • 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 at community college or VCU to explore your interests.
  • Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
  • Create a draft resume and bring it to career services advisor or workshop for review.
  • Find out about 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
Major map compass icon
2020-2021

Bachelor of Science: Mass Communications with a concentration in public relations

Tidewater Community College (program specific pathway) (Associate of Science: General Studies)

Tidewater Community College (program specific pathway) 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
Elective Select from list of Approved Electives VCU equivalent 3 Elective
Elective Select from list of Approved Electives VCU equivalent 3 Elective
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
History elective HIS 121 U.S. History I HIST 103 3 Major
Laboratory Science Select 1: BIO 101, BIO 106, CHM 111, GOL 105, PHY 201 VCU equivalent 4 General education
Elective MTH 245 Statistics I STAT 210 3 Major
Elective Select from list of Approved Electives VCU equivalent 3 Elective
CST 100 Principles of Public Speaking SPCH 121 3 Elective
Laboratory Science Select 1: BIO 101, BIO 102, BIO 106, CHM 111, CHM 112, GOL 105, PHY 201, PHY 202 VCU equivalent 4 General education
Humanities Select 1: PHI 101, 111, 220; ART 101, 102; MUS 121; CST 151; REL 230 VCU equivalent 3 General education
Social Science ECO 120 Survey of Economics ECON 203 3 Major
Elective Approved elective (foreign language 101 recommended; see note below about foreign language requirement) VCU equivalent 3 to 4 General education
History elective HIS 122 U.S. History II HIST 104 3 Major
Humanities ENG 200-level literature (ENG 241, 242, 243, 244, 251, 252) ENGL 3 General education
Social Science PLS 211 U.S. Government (for journalism and public relations) POLI 103 3 Major
Elective Approved elective (foreign language 102 recommended; see note below about foreign language requirement) VCU equivalent 3 to 4 General education
Elective Select from list of Approved Electives VCU equivalent 3 Elective
Tidewater credits transferred to VCU 60 to 62
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Foreign language through the 102 level (if not completed at TCC). (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
ENGL 304 Advanced Writing 3 Major
MGMT 310 Managing People in Organizations 3 Major
MKTG 301 Marketing Principles 3 Major
ENGL Upper-level ENGL literature course (300 or 400 level) 3 Major
POLI or ENGL Upper-level POLI (300- or 400-level) or ENGL writing course (ENGL 310, 393, 491) 3 Major
MASC 101 Mass Communications Note: this course is the prerequisite for all other MASC classes. 3 Major
MASC 203 Journalism Writing 3 Major
MASC 210 Public Relations 3 Major
MASC 333 Public Relations Technical Writing and Media Relations 3 Major
MASC 334 Visual Communications and Design for Public Relations 3 Major
MASC 336 Social Media for Public Relations 3 Major
MASC 337 Public Relations Strategy 3 Major
MASC 335 Multimedia production for Public Relations 3 Major
MASC 338 Public Relations Professionalism 3 Major
MASC 408 Communications Ethics and Law 3 Major
MASC 425 Public Relations Research Methods 3 Major
MASC 439 Agency (capstone) 3 Major
MASC 493 Fieldwork/Internship 3 Major
MASC Select two of the following MASC courses: MASC 423. 424, 433, 435, 438, 488 6 Major
Credits completed at VCU 60
Bachelor's degree total 120