Mass Communication Major, B.S. (Public Relations Concentration)

General Program Information

For the baccalaureate degree, 120 credit hours of credit must be earned and all students are required to take a discipline-specific major field test. In addition to meeting all department requirements, majors must meet the College of Arts and Sciences requirements for B.A. and B.S. degrees.

The concentrations in Advertising and Broadcasting consist of prescribed sequences of 33 credit hours of coursework. The Journalism and Public Relations concentrations require 36 credit hours in mass communications, and public relations also requires six credit hours in speech. In addition, public relations requires students to take SPCH 2300  to satisfy the university core.

In the Mass Communication major, 80 credit hours must be completed outside of mass communication courses, and at least 65 of those 80 credit hours must be in traditional liberal arts subjects.

No more than 12 credit hours of transfer credit may be applied to the requirements in mass communication concentrations.

Specialized minors of 21 credit hours may be designed for individual students in Broadcasting with the prior approval of the department. The Journalism minor consists of 24 credit hours of prescribed coursework. No minor is available in Public Relations.

Students must consult regularly with a departmental advisor to avoid problems in scheduling. For other problems, see one of the career advisors listed below.

ETSU Academic Proficiency Requirements

Writing: Students must complete a minimum of four writing-intensive courses. At least two of these courses must be in the major field of study. At least two of the four courses must be at the  3000-4000 level.

Oral Communication: Students must complete a minimum of two oral communication-intensive courses. At least one of these courses must be in the major field of study.

Using Information Technology: Students must pass the information technology proficiency exam or successfully complete CSCI 1100 - Using Information Technology  during their first calendar year or prior to accumulating 33 semester credits at ETSU. In addition, students must complete at least one using information technology-intensive course in the major field of study.

Transfer students may be subject to reduced number of intensives.

See ETSU Academic Proficiency Requirements for details.

Public Relations Concentration

TBR General Education Requirements: 41-42 Credit Hours

• ENGL 1010 - Critical Reading and Expository Writing (3 credits)
• ENGL 1020 - Critical Thinking and Argumentation (3 credits)
• Communication: Oral Communication (3 credits) *
• Mathematics (3-4 credits) *
• Natural Sciences (8 credits) *
• HIST 2010 - The United States to 1877 (3 credits)
• HIST 2020 - The United States since 1877 (3 credits)
• Literature (3 credits) *
• Fine Arts (3 credits) *
• Humanities (3 credits) *
• Social/Behavioral Sciences (6 credits) *

Public Relations Concentration: 42 Credit Hours

• MCOM 1030 - Introduction to Mass Communications (3 credits)
• PUBR 2700 - Introduction to Public Relations (3 credits)
• JOUR 2120 - Writing for Print Media I (3 credits)
• PUBR 2770 - Writing for Public Relations (3 credits)
• RTVF 2630 - Writing for Radio/TV (3 credits)
• JOUR 3150 - Copy Editing (3 credits)
• ADVR 3240 - Advertising Principles (3 credits)
• RTVF 3602 - Video-Film Techniques (3 credits)
• PUBR 3770 - Public Relations Publications (3 credits)
• MCOM 4037 - Communications Law (3 credits)
• PUBR 4730 - Public Relations Practices (3 credits)
• PUBR 4080 - Public Relations Internship (3 credits)

B.S. Requirements: 6 Credit Hours

• PHIL 2640 - Science and the Modern World (3 credits)

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• PHIL 2030 - Practical Reasoning (3 credits) or
• SPCH 2320 - Argumentation and Debate (3 credits)

Minor: 18-27 Credit Hours

Electives: 4-23 Credit Hours

Total Hours Required for Degree: 120 Credit Hours