Department of Mass Communication

Dr. Tracy Standley, Department Head

Mission

The mission of the Department of Mass Communication is to provide education that will enable graduates to improve media and professional communication activities as well as the quality of life in the multicultural community of Southwest Louisiana. Graduates value lifelong learning and are able to enhance communication professions through focus on:

• Critical thinking in a variety of contexts throughout the world;
• Service to the University and community in assessing and improving oral and written communication skills;
• Professionalism and ethical understanding; and
• Technology proficiency and mass media understanding.

Fundamental to this mission is the faculty commitment to excellence in teaching, community service, faculty practice, student success, creative scholarly activity, and research in communication.

The Department of Mass Communication offers a Bachelor of Science in mass communication with concentrations in journalism, new media, public relations, and sales communication. The department also offers minors in communication studies and mass communication.

Majors in the Department of Mass Communication who will seek admission to law school should see the Preparation for Law School section of the College of Liberal Arts  page for course recommendations and should ask their academic advisor to integrate the recommended courses into their curricula.

The department encourages majors to participate in extracurricular activities such as Debate Council, Public Relations Student Society of America, and Society of Professional Journalists, as these organizations provide students with valuable pre-professional experiences.

Graduation Requirements

Students in the Department of Mass Communication must meet all graduation requirements listed in the Degree and Graduation Requirements  section of the Academic Regulations page. Students must earn a grade of C or better in all COMM and MCOM courses to be used as prerequisites or applied toward degree requirements. Courses transferred to McNeese State University from another institution must satisfy the same requirements. Students in the Department of Mass Communication must also earn a grade of C or better in ENGL 101 and ENGL 102.

Programs

• Mass Communication, Journalism Concentration, BS
• Mass Communication, New Media Concentration, BS
• Mass Communication, Public Relations Concentration, BS
• Mass Communication, Sales Communication Concentration, BS

• Communication Studies, Minor
• Mass Communication, Minor

• Strategic Corporate Communication, PBC