B. A. in Media and Culture
The Bachelor of Arts in Media & Culture (MDC) major is for undergraduate students who seek to work in media professions, or prepare for graduate school in the area of media and culture.
As an MDC student, you will develop:
- expertise in the latest media technologies and software
- specialized skills like media performance, production, strategic messaging, research, and analysis
- the ability to use media in a strategic, critical way, in diverse cultural contexts
MDC students specialize in one of three concentrations:
Media Production - focuses on production and performance in various media environments, such as TV, radio, film, and online content;
Strategic Media - integrates advertising, marketing, and public relations in digital and online contexts;
Media and Culture - builds students’ expertise on changing media industries, technology, as well as intercultural competence needed to operate successfully in media organizations.
Your dedicated program advisor will assist you throughout the duration of your study to help you choose the best coursework for your career path. Read more about program requirements.
Careers after Graduation
The MDC major program taps into key attributes that employers are looking for in graduating students. As our graduate, you will begin your career with a versatile skill set and a professional portfolio of your work developed through hands-on coursework, internships, and practicum experiences.
MDC graduates are prepared to enter a wide range of fields in the global workforce including media production, broadcasting, advertising, strategic communication, social media & PR, international media, diversity training and development, and others.
Our curriculum will help you build specialized technology know-how, communication skills , teamwork, a strong work ethic, analytical skills, and flexibility to succeed in various professional positions.
Program Requirements
Required lower-division courses (18 semester hours)
The required lower-level curriculum focuses on the media and culture components that are essential to the education of every student. These six core courses emphasize media literacy, culture, theory & research, technological proficiency and writing skills.
| Course | Notes |
|---|---|
| MDC 250: Intercultural Communication | Prerequisite to all MDC upper level courses |
| MDC 251: Media Technology | Prerequisite to all MDC upper level courses |
| MDC 252: Writing for Broadcast and Public Relations | |
| MDC 253: Media Literacy | |
| MDC 254: Media and Culture Theory | |
| MDC 255: Research Methods |
Upper-division courses (18 semester hours)
Work with your advisor to select six appropriate courses at the 300 and/or 400 level from the list of MDC elective course offerings. At least 3 courses must be from your chosen concentration Every semester, a listing of the courses that the department plans to offer will be posted and distributed to advisors. This listing will project two years into the future and will be updated at the beginning of each academic year.
Click here to view the complete list of MDC courses.
Internship / practicum capstone (3 semester hours)
Choose 3 credits of internship (MDC 494) or practicum (MDC 495).
| Course | Notes |
|---|---|
| MDC 494: Internship | Prerequisites: MDC 250 & MDC 251 plus one upper level MDC course along with instructor consent |
| MDC 495: Practicum | Prerequisites: MDC 250 & MDC 251 plus at least 15 credits of MDC coursework, instructor consent and minimum GPA of 2.8 |
Applied area (24-27 semester hours)
With help from your advisor, you will select additional courses that meet your career objectives. These may include additional courses offered by the Department of Communication and Media or by other departments. As part of your applied area, you may complete a minor of your choice.
Foreign language/culture requirement (0-15 semester hours)
Students must fulfill the foreign language/culture requirements of the Bachelor of Arts degree as specified in the West Chester University Undergraduate Catalog. You can complete four courses in a language of your choice (101, 102, 201, and 202), or two courses in the language (101, 102) and three culture cluster courses. Culture clusters are courses taught in English that focus on the culture of the language you’ve been studying. If you already speak some foreign language, you may be able to satisfy some of the course requirements by taking a language placement test.
A grade of C or better is required in WRT 120 and 121, and a grade of C- or better is required in the 202-level course of a foreign language. If you choose the culture cluster option to fulfill your language requirement, you must earn C- or better in the 102 level of the language course and in all the culture cluster courses.
General education (48 semester hours)
All majors must satisfy the general education requirements, as specified in the West Chester University Undergraduate Catalog.
Grade Requirements
A grade of C or better must be earned in a MDC course in order for it to meet a department requirement. Also, a 2.5 average or better must be earned in the aggregate of lower- and upper-division courses before graduation will be recommended.
Students who exhaust their course repeat options and have not earned a grade of C or better in all the prerequisite communication courses will be advised that they will not be able to complete the requirements for a B.A. in Media and Culture. The department chair will offer an exit interview and help them to identify available alternatives.
Advising
Each student majoring in Media and Culture is assigned to a faculty advisor. Students are encouraged to meet with their advisors on a regular basis to plan and monitor their degree progress.
Switching into Media and Culture
For more information about the program requirements, see your Degree Progress Report or the MDC Advising Sheet .
For more information regarding our undergraduate program, please contact our interim department chair Dr. Lisa Millhous at ComMediaChair@wcupa.edu. You can also download our Undergraduate Handbook here .
Minor Programs
The Department of Communication Studies offers two minor programs:
Minor in Communication Studies: This six-course (18-credit) program makes an excellent complement to nearly any B.A. or B.S. degree offered at WCU. Take this program to build understanding of human communication and develop strong communication skills.
Minor in Media and Culture: This six-course (18-credit) program is a great choice for anyone preparing for a career in fields like broadcasting, public relations, or social media.