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2023-2024

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

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Arts (Richard Bland College of William and Mary)
Richard Bland College
Richard Bland College
Associate degree

Associate of Arts

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.

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
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
  • 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
VCU Major Maps

View VCU Major Map for Mass Communications with concentration in Advertising/Creative, Advertising/Strategic, Journalism/Broadcast, Journalism/Digital, Media Production, 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
2023-2024

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

Richard Bland College of William and Mary (Associate of Arts)

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 cultural events at RBC and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU's annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Familiarize yourself with the career services offered at RBC and VCU and explore career pathways on the VCU Career Services website.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
Experience Year 2
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU Robertson School.
  • Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
  • Apply to VCU.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Continue learning a foreign language or make a plan for undertaking that study at VCU.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or VCU Robertson School-related events.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs at RBC or VCU to explore your interests.
  • Plan to complete at least two internships or job experiences before your senior year of college.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • 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.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend cultural events at RBC and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU's annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Familiarize yourself with the career services offered at RBC and VCU and explore career pathways on the VCU Career Services website.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU Robertson School.
  • Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
  • Apply to VCU.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Continue learning a foreign language or make a plan for undertaking that study at VCU.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or VCU Robertson School-related events.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs at RBC or VCU to explore your interests.
  • Plan to complete at least two internships or job experiences before your senior year of college.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • 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.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2023-2024

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

Richard Bland College of William and Mary (Associate of Arts)

Richard Bland College of William and Mary courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
Students who earn this associate degree before enrolling at VCU will be eligible for a waiver of VCU's general education requirements.
ENGL 101 Rhetoric and Research I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENGL 102 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education
ENGL 102 Rhetoric and Research II UNIV 200 3 General education
MATH 217 Introductory Statistics STAT 210 3 Major (Ancillary)
French or Spanish Two Courses in Foreign Language as per Placement VCU equivalent 6 to 8 Major (Ancillary)
ECON ECON 201 Principles of Economics (Macro) and ECON 202 Principles of Economics (Micro) ECON 210-211 6 Major (Ancillary)
Literature Select an approved ENGL literature class VCU equivalent 3 Major (Ancillary)
GOVT 201 American Government POLI 103 3 Major (Ancillary)
Complete general education and elective requirements for associate degree VCU equivalents 33 General education
Richard Bland credits transferred to VCU 60
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Your GPA Doesn't Transfer With You Although you worked hard to earn your grades at your current institution, they will only be considered by VCU for an admission decision. Once you enroll at VCU, your GPA will reset to 0.0, and your new GPA will be determined by your level of success in your classes at VCU.
Mass Communications, Bachelor of Science (B.S.) with a concentration in public relations
MASC 101 Mass Communications (take at VCU in the summer prior to fall enrollment) 3 Major
MASC 203 Journalism Writing 3 Major
MASC 210 Public Relations 3 Major
MASC 274 Diversity in the Media 3 Major
MASC 300 Technical Prowess 3 Major
MASC 380 Media and Culture 3 Major
MASC 390 Ethical Problems in Mass Media 3 Major
MASC 408 Communications Law 3 Major
MASC 493 Fieldwork/Internship 3 Major
MASC 499 Career Minded 3 Major
MASC 333 Public Relations Technical Writing and Media Relations 3 Major
MASC 336 Social Media for Public Relations 3 Major
MASC 337 Public Relations Strategy 3 Major
MASC 425 Public Relations Research Methods 3 Major
MASC 439 Agency 3 Major
MASC Select public relations electives from the approved list. 6 Major
ENGL 304 Persuasive Writing 3 Major (Ancillary)
MGMT 310 Managing People in Organizations 3 Major (Ancillary)
MKTG 301 Marketing Principles 3 Major (Ancillary)
POLI (300-level or higher) or upper-level writing (ENGL 310, ENGL 367 or ENGL 393) 3 Major (Ancillary)
Literature course (300-level or higher) except ENGL 386/TEDU 386 or TEDU 387 3 Major (Ancillary)
Credits completed at VCU 66
Minimum credits required for bachelor's degree 120