Media & Culture (MDC) Major Requirements and Course Equivalencies
In Fall 2018 the Department of Communication Studies will begin offering a new major, Media & Culture (MDC). We will continue to offer the COM degree (which will be revised during the coming year). The COM degree will encompass rhetoric, interpersonal, small group and organizational communication. The MDC degree will encompass broadcast, public relations, intercultural communication, and media-related fields. In addition, the name of our department will change from Communication Studies to the Department of Communication and Media in order to reflect both major/minor offerings.
The MDC major will have the same total number of credits required for graduation as the COM major: 18 lower level credits and 21 upper level credits. The 21 credits of upper level elective courses for the MDC major will consist of 18 credits of elective courses plus 3 credits of internship (MDC 494) or practicum (MDC 495).
Lower Level Course Equivalencies
This document explains course equivalencies to help students who wish to switch to the MDC major from COM. As always, please reach out to your advisor with any specific questions you might have about which option is best for you.
The following chart shows which of the lower level COM courses you may have taken that will count toward the MDC major. For instance, if you have taken COM 212 – Mass Communication, you can count that course as MDC 253 – Media Literacy. If you’ve already taken COM 224, or plan to in the Fall, you can count that toward MDC 255.
| COM equivalent | MDC course | |
|---|---|---|
| COM 212 – Mass Communication COM 219 – Communication Theory COM 224 – Communication Research |
MDC 253 – Media Literacy |
Upper Level Course Equivalencies
The chart below shows the upper level COM courses and their MDC equivalencies. For example, if you have already taken COM 355 – Intro to Public Relations, you can count that course as MDC 355. If you’ve already taken COM420 – Media & Protest, you can count that as MDC 420.
Note: In recent semesters, some MDC courses were offered as COM499s and some of these courses have become permanent courses and are listed below. You cannot retake a course you have already taken. For instance, if you took Media & Protest as a COM499 in Spring 2018 you cannot take MDC420 in a future semester. Please check with your advisor if you have questions or concerns about courses you would like to take.
| COM (original) course | MDC | |
|---|---|---|
| COM 311 (Com in Sports) COM 314 (Games Culture & Theory) COM 316 (Internet, Culture, & Society) COM 317 (Advanced Video) COM 320 (Com on TV & Radio) COM 321 (SEO Optimization) COM 322 (Culture & Orgs) COM 323 (Media Audiences) COM 325 (Strategic Social Media) COM 350 (Advanced Intercultural) COM 355 (Intro to PR) COM 360 (African American Culture and Communication) COM 370 (Event Production Using Media) COM 420 (Media & Protest) COM 421 (Content Strategy) COM 422 (Consulting for Careers in Media and Culture) COM 423 (Media Campaigns) COM 455 (PR Management) COM 460 (Comm & Advertising) COM 470 (Intercultural Communication Training) COM 499 (Seminar section not listed above) |
MDC 311 MDC 314 MDC 316 MDC 317 MDC 320 MDC 321 MDC 322 MDC 323 MDC 325 MDC 350 MDC 355 MDC 360 MDC 370 MDC 420 MDC 421 MDC 422 MDC 423 MDC 455 MDC 460 MDC 470 MDC 490; MDC 491; MDC 492 |
At some point in the future, COM classes and MDC classes will be separate in terms
of fulfilling major requirements; however during the initial period for adding a second
major the equivalencies listed above serve to help students transition from one major
to the other while minimizing any “lost” credit hours to complete the major.