School of Communication and Journalism
MacLean Hall 260, (218) 477-2983
Chair: Colan T. Hanson
Faculty: Jason Anderson, Liz Conmy, Rebecca Gardner, Deneen Gilmour, Martin Grindeland, Theresa Hest, Merrie Sue Holtan, Jody Mattern, Anthony Ocana, Aaron D. Quanbeck, Camilla Wilson
The School of Communication and Journalism offers majors in Advertising, Integrated Advertising & Public Relations, Broadcast Journalism, Communication Studies, Documentary Journalism, English & Mass Communications, Multimedia Journalism, Photojournalism, and Public Relations. Minors are offered in Advertising, Broadcast Journalism, Communication Studies, Leadership Studies, Mass Communications, Media Analysis, Photojournalism, Public Relations, and Sports Communications. A certificate is offered in Publishing.
Today's world demands professionals who can communicate clearly and work effectively with others. Today's world requires that we evaluate messages and make good decisions based on what we see and hear. Today's world needs leaders who have clear visions for the future and an ability to make those visions into a reality.
Each of the majors offered in the School of Communication and Journalism balances the breadth of the liberal arts and sciences curriculum with the depth of a program specific curriculum to provide a student with a well-rounded education. Graduates complete a total of 120 credits with a minimum of 40 credits in coursework at the 300 to 400 levels. Distribution of the total credits needed to complete the baccalaureate degree include 42 credits in the liberal arts and sciences curriculum; 39 to 69 credits in a selected major; and the remaining credits earned through internship credits, restricted and/or unrestricted elective credits.
Each of the professional majors include coursework designed to enhance a student's verbal and visual storytelling skills, as well as the technical skills needed to effectively share a message(s) using multimedia platforms. Additionally, each of the professional majors includes theory-based coursework that addresses contemporary issues involving rhetorical theories of communication, principles of effective communication, communication ethics, and communication law. The goal of each major is to prepare the graduate for a professional communication career.
Additionally, the major in Communication Studies is a professional major whose goal is to provide career preparation designed to be applicable in numerous industries as well as providing the research background needed for advanced degree work. Within the Communication Studies major, students may choose one of the following emphases: 1) Career-Adaptive Communication, 2) Event Planning and Promotion, 3) Communication Training and Development, 4) Sales Communication, or 5) Sports Communication.
Similarly, with its liberal arts base, the dual major in English and Mass Communication provides career preparation applicable in numerous industries, and the publishing industry in particular, as well as providing the research background needed for advanced degree work.
Internships, service learning projects, as well as other work experiences, are strongly encouraged as a means of acquiring additional career preparation. Transfer and Tri-College University credits, applied to the professional major, must be approved using MSUM's course exception document, appear in an articulated agreement between MSUM and another university, or appear as a declared course equivalent in the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.
Overarching Learning Outcomes
Overarching learning outcomes for the programs involved in the School of Communication and Journalism are, by the very nature of the discipline, rhetorical in their roots. While each program major identifies learning outcomes based upon its own professional standards, practices, and evolving trends in the industries and careers served by the program major, all still find their roots in classical rhetorical communication theory. Each of the School's program majors is inclusive of the following learning outcomes:
- To develop an ability to critically analyze a communication situation to discover its salient issues for purposes of developing an appropriate response.
- To develop an ability to identify and evidence responsive talking points that provide a critical response for the public(s) involved in the communication situation.
- To develop an ability to effectively partition the response as a means of maximizing the impact of the messaging on those involved in the communication situation.
- To develop an ability to strategically select the media platform(s) to be employed as the communication vehicle(s) to engage the public(s) involved in the communication situation.
- To develop an ability to effectively employ the use of visual and verbal symbols, motion and sound as a means of adding an appropriate level of clarity and emphasis to one's messaging.
- To develop the skill set(s) needed to effectively deliver one's message to those involved in the communication situation.
- To develop an understanding and commitment to upholding the ethical standards of communication that is a part of the situation being addressed.
- To demonstrate an ability to work collaboratively as a member of a group or team.
- To demonstrate the ability to create publication documents/productions that meet industry-based standards.