Mass Communications, AS

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

PURPOSE: This two-year degree prepares students to transfer to a four-year college and major in communications with a focus on media, advertising, or public relations.

CREDENTIALS: An Associate of Science (AS) degree is a major related to an area such as business administration, engineering, science, and social sciences that takes 2 years for full time students to complete. Students receiving an AS degree intend to transfer to four-year colleges.

TRANSFER INFORMATION: This program is designed for transfer. Students should consult with their advisors to ensure that they select general electives that best prepare them for the specific requirements of their intended transfer college or university programs of study. More information can also be found at www.jtcc.edu/academics/transfer/

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIAL CONDITIONS: Students must meet JTCC admission requirements. Students may need to complete placement tests in English and mathematics. Visit www.jtcc.edu/placement for all course placement options. If students have deficiencies in English and/or mathematics, JTCC offers developmental and prerequisite courses to prepare students for the curriculum. New students should visit the Advising Center and returning students their faculty advisor for more information.

PROGRAM OUTCOMES: By the completion of this program, students will be expected to demonstrate an intermediate level of competency in the following skills:

Show introductory knowledge of information literacy in the context of mass media.
Communicate effectively in written and oral contexts, and using credible sources.
Demonstrate introductory knowledge of public relations.
Prepare a public relations campaign to include research, planning, design, and implementation.
Conduct a journalistic interview.
Write different types of news stories, adapting for content to context, medium, and audience.

Required Courses

SDV 100 - College Success Skills 1 credit
ENG 111 - College Composition I 3 credits
MTH 154 - Quantitative Reasoning 3 credits Additional Course Options: MTH 161 MTH 263 .
CST 100 - Principles of Public Speaking 3 credits
HIS 121 - United States History I 3 credits
SPA 101 - Beginning Spanish I 4 credits Additional Course Options: FRE 101 , (Approved Transfer Elective- see options below)
ENG 112 - College Composition II 3 credits
MTH 245 - Statistics l 3 credits
CST 114 - Survey of Mass Media 3 credits
HIS 122 - United States History II 3 credits
SPA 102 - Beginning Spanish II 4 credits Additional Course Options: (FRE 102 , Approved Transfer Elective- see options below)
CST 228 - Writing Across Media 3 credits
PLS 135 - American National Politics 3 credits
ENG 241 - Survey of American Literature I 3 credits Approved Course Option: ENG 242 .
BIO 101 - General Biology I 4 credits Approved Course Options: CHM 101 , ENV 121 , PHY 101
ART 180 - Introduction to Computer Graphics 3 credits Approved Course Options: ART 208 , PHT 164 .
CST 221 - Public Relations 3 credits
ECO 120 - Survey of Economics 3 credits Approved Course Option: ECO 201 .
BIO 102 - General Biology II 4 credits Approved Course Options: BIO 101 , CHM 101 , ENV 121 , PHY 101 .
PHI 220 - Ethics 3 credits Approved Course Options: ACC 211 , ECO 202 , HLT 160 , ITE 115 , ITE 119 , PSY 200 , REL 230 , SOC 200 .

Total Minimum Credits to Complete: 60-62

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Pre-requisite and co-requisite requirements can be found in course details.

Students are strongly encouraged to complete their ENG, MTH, and SDV requirements first.

Students should regularly meet with their faculty advisor and check their advisement report by accessing the Student Information System (SIS) through the myTyler portal.

Students with good computer skills may seek to satisfy the ITE 115 requirement by taking the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or the John Tyler Community College ITE 115 Test Challenge Exam.

Students who completed three years of the same foreign language in high school have met the foreign language requirement and must take two courses from the Approved Electives list instead of SPA or FRE 101 -FRE 102 . Heritage or conversationally fluent speakers may enroll directly into SPA or FRE 102 . Please check with your advisor to determine the best option(s) for course substitution or if you wish to take a foreign language other than Spanish or French.

Students taking ECO 201 may also be required to take ECO 202 . Meet with faculty advisor.

Transfer institutions may have computer competency or health/physical education requirements. Students must consult with their faculty advisor to determine the best options for transfer.