The media studies major is designed to combine media criticism and media production to prepare students to integrate communication principles in media arenas. Students in media studies take courses in mass communication, aesthetics, criticism, media law, and media production.

Major requirements (42 hours)

Prerequisite requirements (9 hours):

COMM 101 Introduction to Communication Studies
COMM 200 Public Speaking
COMM 202 Writing for Communication (this course meets the university writing-intensive requirement)

Core requirements (15 hours):

COMM 210 Digital Media Production
COMM 250 Communication Theory
COMM 320 Communication Research
COMM 401 Communication Seminar
COMM 495 Communication Capstone

Media Studies Concentration (18 hours)

COMM 343 Mass Communication
COMM 309 Media Aesthetics or COMM 311 Media Criticism

One course in Global or International Media (COMM 325 or COMM 346)

COMM 364 Media Law

6 elective hours of courses with COMM prefix

About the Communication Major

The Knight School of Communication offers coursework leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree. The Major in Communication provides students with a solid liberal arts education, enabling them to become better consumers, critics, and creators of communication in a variety of settings.

All Knight School of Communication students choose to focus their studies in relational communication, organizational communication, sports communication, journalism, or media studies. Students interested in the development, analysis, and critique of compositions in various media forms may elect media studies; students interested in how news and public affairs messages are developed for and by the media may elect journalism; students interested in how communication occurs within organizations or between organizations and their publics may elect organizational communication; students interested in sports agency, teams, management, and publicity may elect sports communication; and students interested in the way that interpersonal, intercultural, nonverbal, and gender communication play out across public and private contexts may elect relational communication.

Evening Programs

The Knight School of Communication is committed to ensuring that major programs are available in the both the day and evenings. Students wishing to complete a major in Communication by taking classes solely in the evening and on Saturdays should choose a track of study in either relational communication or organizational communication.

Those wishing to minor in Communication taking courses only in the evening should elect a minor in communication studies, relational communication, or organizational communication. Students choosing other major or minor programs of study should note that some day classes will likely be required. 

Admission to the Knight School of Communication

Students wishing to major in communication must apply to the Knight School of Communication. Applications are available online and through the Knight School of Communication Dean's office. The School of Communication student qualifications committee reviews applications to the major and approves students for the major. Acceptance to the Knight School of Communication major programs requires a minimum GPA of 2.2 with no grades below C- in the prerequisite courses.

Requirements for a major in Communication:

Requirements for the major in Communication are completion of the prerequisite requirements (9 hours), the core requirements (15 hours), and one communication concentration (18 hours) for a total of 42 hours toward the communication major. Required courses for the major are typically based upon a student's academic catalog of entry.