Department of Communication and Media

This decision is largely up to you! Here are some differences between the two programs. You can also major in one and minor in the other very easily. 

B.A. In Communication Studies (often referred to as COM): Effective communication is consistently one of the most sought after skills by employers across industries. At WCU, we’ll prepare you with the talent, knowledge, and understanding to be a leader in our rapidly changing world. The Communication Studies (COM) major at West Chester University teaches students to observe, interpret, and evaluate human communication in a wide variety of contexts. Students explore the “how” of human interaction and focus on oral communication as a skill transferable across all careers. Our students are highly sought after in many fields when they graduate.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Students can study communication as a generalized degree, or can take focused electives leading to a specialization in: Public Communication, Relational Communication, or Organizational Communication.

BENEFITS OF MAJORING IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES
As a COM major, your will develop:

• skills for relationship building, leadership, and persuasion
• expertise in effective message design
• the ability to negotiate and resolve conflict
• experience working in teams
• a professional portfolio to show employers

B.A. In Media and Culture (often referred to as MDC): The Bachelor of Arts in Media & Culture (MDC) is for undergraduate students who seek to work in media professions, or prepare for graduate school. With a focus on mediated communication, 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

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: MDC students choose one of three concentrations:

• Media Production: focuses on production and performance in media industries like TV, radio, film, and web
• Strategic Media: integrates advertising, marketing, and public relations in digital and online contexts
• Media and Culture: builds intercultural competence needed to operate in media organizations and produce messages in various cultural contexts

BENEFITS OF MAJORING IN MEDIA AND CULTURE
As a MDC major, your will develop:

• expertise in related media industries
• skills in using the latest media technologies
• experience creating real-world media content
• a portfolio of creative work to show employers
• the ability to work with diverse cultures 

We also have minors in each of these, so if you major in Communication Studies you can minor in Media and Culture, and vice versa.

B.S. In Marketing is a business degree that focuses on promoting products or services to increase sales, while the COM and MDC degrees are more broadly applied to the use of communication and media to address a wide variety of organizational and societal challenges through messaging and engaging with audiences. 

Yes! COM majors are encouraged to minor in MDC and MDC majors are encouraged to minor in COM. These two programs complement each other and can give you a wider set of knowledge, skills and abilities to enter fields related to human communication.

Many fields are looking for graduates with strong communication skills and abilities. Here is a partial list of careers after graduation:

To declare a COM or MDC major, visit RamPortal and submit a Plan Change form . Selection for admission will be made at the conclusion of the semester in which you completed the prerequisite core, after grades are posted.

For more information regarding our undergraduate program, please contact our Department Chair, Dr. Lisa Millhous.

Once you get into the major, you will be assigned a permanent advisor. Until then, you will need to continue to meet your current advisor scheduling.

You should consult your Degree Audit. From there you will see which courses are required, which are satisfied, and which need to be taken. The Degree Audit is the university’s way to document what each student needs to complete and what they have completed toward the completion of the degree. You can find it on RamPortal.

COM and MDC advisors use advising forms to help you plan your courses. Please choose from the following options to download your major or minor advising form:

MDC

• Advising form for MDC Majors
• Advising form for MDC Minors

COM Majors Advising Forms

• Advising Form for Communication Studies Majors

COM Minors Advising Forms

• Advising Form for Communication Studies Minors

You should fill out the form and bring it to your meetings with your advisor.

The purpose of the applied area is to give students some flexibility in their schedule and in their career exploration. The courses should be strategically selected by students to explore their areas of interest. These courses also help students reach the 120 required credit hours for a Bachelor’s degree. Essentially these courses are electives that can lead to another credential like a minor or certificate, or be a mix of courses in and outside the major program the meet the student’s needs and interests.

Step 1: visit your Degree Audit on RamPortal.

Step 2: Look at the report and make a list of everything you have left to complete. You can use an advising form if you want to have a checklist. See question above for link to the forms.

Step 3: Then, decide generally what courses you’d like to take (such as – a culture cluster, a COM elective, a minor course, a science course, etc.). Come with this list to discuss with your advisor.

Step 4: Contact your advisor to discuss your plans. You can find your advisor and their email address through RamPortal in the MyAdvisors tab. If you have a minor, you will also have a minor advisor listed. Some advisors use the Navigate student success system to communicate with you as well.

You can see this information on the Degree Audit. You can also use the department’s advising forms. The advising forms are created by the Dept. of Communication and Media to help students keep track of their degree progress. It captures the same information as noted on the Degree Audit and provides a way to double-check all the requirements. You can use your Degree Audit to complete your major or minor advising form. To do this, pull up the Degree Audit from RamPortal, and then use the form to mark off the courses you’ve completed successfully and the courses you still need to complete. Most advisors use these forms with students during advising meetings. The Department of Communication and Media also has advising forms on the advising page: https://www.wcupa.edu/arts-humanities/communicationStudies/undergraduateAdvising.aspx

When you are searching through the schedule, you should use the drop down box named “Attributes.” There you can select the type of course you want to take such as Writing Emphasis, Diversity, Science, etc. 

Refer to the Degree Audit and/or the advising checklist to see your choices for language. And, yes, you do need to take a language, but there are two options to fulfill this requirement.  One option is based on language fluency. For this option, you need to take 101, 102, 201, and 202 in the language. The second option is a mixture of language and culture. For this option, you need to take 101, 102 and then three courses that are called culture clusters – these are classes taught in English about the culture of the language you are taking. You should discuss this with your advisor and see the catalog for more information. i) If you speak a language fluently you may check to see if you qualify to test out of the requirement.

If you speak a language beyond English fluently you may check to see if you qualify to test out of the requirement. If you took a foreign language in high school, you wish to continue in that language, and you think you remember some of what you learned, it may be worth your time to take the free online foreign language placement exam (about 20 minutes long, multiple choice). The results will help you determine at what level you should start your foreign language sequence (e.g., 101, 102).

Essentially this means you might be able to skip one or more classes. Although you will not earn academic credit for those courses you skip, it frees up some credit hours for you to take more electives. See if you qualify

The capstone requirement is an experience that brings together the learning you have completed in your program and looks to the future. In COM, the capstone is a dedicated course that focuses on career readiness and synthesis of your COM program knowledge. In MDC, the capstone is either an internship or a capstone course. In both programs, the capstone is meant to get you ready for your next steps.

You should look at your Degree Audit and fill out the advising checklist. This will help you know what courses you have left to take. Look at the answers to Q1, 2, 3, and 4 above for more details.   

This is very important to remember – you need to complete at least 120 credits to graduate. You can calculate this on your own. First, you can look at your Degree Audit to see how many total credits you’ve completed. You can subtract that total amount from 120 (the total credits you need to graduate). That will give you a general idea of how many credits you need, and then you can split that up across the number of sessions/semesters you want to finish in. Some students need to take more than 120 credits depending on their personal degree progress. So, in addition to doing the math above, you should look at your Degree Audit and the advising checklist and make a list of the courses you have left to take. You don’t need exact names. You can just make a list that includes types of classes (such as upper-level communication, language culture cluster, etc.) You will need to take electives above and beyond your general education and major courses to reach 120 credits.

Keep in mind that summer/winter classes are generally financed out of pocket because they are generally not covered by financial aid. You should talk to your financial aid contact about this. As noted in the undergraduate catalog, you cannot take more than 7 credits in an individual summer/winter session without special permission. The most credits possible in a summer/winter session are 10 credits.

You can calculate this on your own. First, you can look at your Degree Audit to see how many total credits you’ve completed. You can subtract that total amount from 120 (the minimum total credits you need to graduate). That will give you a general idea of how many credits you need, and then you can split that up across the number of sessions/semesters you want to finish in. Some students may need to take more than 120 credits depending on their personal degree progress. So, in addition to doing the math above, you should look at your Degree Audit and the advising checklist and make a list of the courses you have left to take. You don’t need exact names. You can just make a list that includes types of classes (such as upper-level communication, language culture cluster, etc.) From that list, you can make a tentative schedule by semester/schedule that fits your plans. As noted in the undergraduate catalog, you cannot take more than 18 credits in spring/fall without special permission, and you cannot take more than 7 credits in an individual summer/winter session without special permission. The most credits possible in spring/fall is 24 credits, and in a summer,/winter session, it is 10 credits.

Students may apply and view their application status for graduation in RamPortal. They may do this by searching the “Graduation Application & Status” tab. Within this tab, there is a button to “apply for graduation” and another to “update degree name”. Also in this tab, there are links for commencement information, graduation timeline, and graduation requirements policy.

There are a lot of informative resources for you on advising. First is the Department of Communication and Media advising page: https://www.wcupa.edu/arts-humanities/communicationStudies/undergraduateAdvising.aspx. Second, is the University’s Advising page: https://www.wcupa.edu/_academics/advising/

An academic advisor is someone who can help you navigate the requirements of your degree. The academic advisor is expected to know the requirements of your degree and help you troubleshoot any issues you are having with academic progress. As a reminder, students are ultimately responsible for knowing what courses they need to take and when they need to take them. Per the undergraduate catalog: “The ultimate responsibility for satisfying all graduation requirements is the student’s. Students are encouraged to check their Degree Audit on RamPortal regularly, so they maintain a thorough understanding of all outstanding requirements. Faculty academic advisors are expected to provide accurate, helpful information to students, and students are expected to be knowledgeable about the academic policies and procedures governing the completion of their degrees.” Advisors can also help you explore minors, certificates, and career readiness.

You can meet with your advisor as much or as little as helps you. However, you should meet with your advisor at least once per semester prior to course registration. 

Your advisor can help discuss things with you like: 

• What classes are being offered next spring/fall/summer/winter
• Changing your graduation date after you apply
• Good minors/certificates/second majors/grad programs to consider
• Good electives to take
• Types of internships to look for
• Help navigating issues with current classes

Your Degree Audit report in RamPortal shows you the courses that were transferred into WCU and how they transferred into your degree program. Your academic advisor can help you understand the report. Make sure you discuss with your advisor any courses that transferred in as 199 level courses as these may need to be further evaluated..

Your Degree Audit report in RamPortal shows you how the courses from your previous major count toward progress in your current major program. Your academic advisor can help you understand the report.

West Chester University offers dozens of minors and certificates that help you pursue your interests. Minors commonly added to COM and MDC major programs are COM and MDC minors, digital marketing, technical writing, and language minors. We also offer a sports media certificate. Your academic advisor can help you explore these options. The list of all the minors and certificates available is listed here in the Program Index, which you can sort by major, minor, and certificate.

To add a minor, certificate, or second major, you submit a Plan Change Form on RamPortal

You have options within the Dept. Of Communication and Media, including an accelerated BA to MA in Communication Studies. Details can be found on the Department webpage. A list of all the graduate options at WCU can be found here.

In the Department of Communication and Media, you should contact the Graduate Coordinator, whose contact information can be found here. Within the University, you should contact the Graduate Office. For programs outside of WCU, you should discuss the process with your academic advisor.

You should contact Dr. Edward Lordan (elordan@wcupa.edu), the internship coordinator for the Department of Communication and Media. He can talk to you about the internships available and how you can sign up.

In addition, you should take advantage of the University’s Career Development Center’s resources. They may know about other types of opportunities. They can also help you with your resume, cover letter, and interviewing skills. You should also sign up for Handshake, the University’s career search platform. You can find a lot of information and instructions on Handshake on the Career Development Center website.

If you are an MDC major, you need to take either an internship course or a practicum course as your capstone. In COM, you are not required to complete an internship. Internships are highly encouraged in both programs, though, as a great way to learn about the field.

Yes, there are many other ways you can get hands-on experience in COM AND MDC. The practicum course is an option where students do work for clients as part of the class. Many other electives in the major have project-based learning that helps you get hands-on experience. You can also get involved in campus groups such as the Radio Station, TV studio, and newspaper. 

Here is a selection of clubs related to the COM and MDC majors:

91.7FM WCUR: A student-run college radio station broadcasting in West Chester, PA, and everywhere online at wcur.org. Established in the 1960s as a closed-circuit AM station, we expanded our horizons and began broadcasting on FM at 91.7 MHz on September 1st, 1999. 

Forensics Speech and Debate Team of WCU: An elite group of intercollegiate speakers, debaters, actors, and future leaders. Throughout the year, they travel all over the country to compete against a bounty of prestigious schools. 

Her Campus at West Chester: An online magazine written by college women about different varieties of topics. Our direct mission is to work every day to empower college women with the tools, passion, confidence, and training they need to succeed. This is done through writing, creating content, social media presence, and much more.

Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society: The official communication honor society of the National Communication Association (NCA). This organization recognizes outstanding student scholars studying Communication. 

PRSSA: Aspires to advance the public relations profession by developing ethically responsible pre-professionals who champion diversity, strive for an outstanding education, and advocate for the profession. 

The Quad: The student news service of West Chester University of Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, and one of the largest universities in the Philadelphia region. Since 1932, the Quad has provided quality journalism to the West Chester University community. 

WCUPA Life: An online magazine that captures the life on campus experience for West Chester University of Pennsylvania students. A platform for students to share their experiences, with the aim of fostering community, building relationships, and enhancing the college experience. 

WCU Poetry Club: You DO NOT have to be a poet or English major to join this group. If you are interested in learning more about craft and having some fun writing, consider joining. This organization's goal is to create a safe, welcoming environment for students to share and create poetry. If you are new to poetry, they hope to give students an opportunity to enjoy experimenting with the genre. 

WCU Studios: A student-run organization, serves as a communication channel for West Chester University of Pennsylvania’s student body. WCU Studios will allow club members to experience all aspects of video production, internet video streaming, and television broadcasting. 

WCU Weekly: The student-run news show of West Chester University, produced by WCU-TV. You can watch it online at wcupa.edu, on YouTube, on campus TVs, or in your WCU email every Tuesday. Do you have any news you would like to be featured on WCU Weekly? Email wcuweekly@wcupa.edu.

The university provides many resources to help you prepare for internships, job searches, and graduate study. The Career Center offers career fairs, networking opportunities, and resume and interviewing help. You should also activate your account on the University’s networking systems of Handshake and RamNation. More information on these and other resources can e found on the Career Center website. The Department of Communication and Media also offers career readiness in project-based learning, capstone experiences, and alumni networking on our LinkedIn pages.

Alumni from the Department of Communication and Media are successful in a myriad of jobs and fields. To hear some of their stories, you can view video interviews at the spotlight website. Alumni Speaker Series from the College of Arts and Humanities.

The University offers many resources to support many aspects of your life. Some of the resources include success coaching, tutoring , wellness center, counseling center , and resource pantry.