Degree Offered
- Associate of Arts
Nature of the Program
Are you curious? Are you interested in current events or passionate about advocating for social change? Or maybe you’re creative and like storytelling, using a variety of media (print, web, social media, streaming, television, radio, and more). Look no further – Media Studies is the perfect major for you.
The media studies major will develop strong communication skills and critical thinking skills while offering opportunities to engage in coursework connected to journalism, advertising, public relations, adventure media, and multidisciplinary focuses within media studies.
The major will prepare you for admission to a bachelor’s degree program in media studies offered by the Reed School of Media & Communications in Morgantown with emphasis on Advertising & Public Relations, Journalism, and Sports & Adventure Media.
Career Opportunities
A degree in media studies helps you be successful in many careers, such as news analysts, reporters, journalists, editors, communications teachers, web and digital interface designers, special effects artists and animators, media and communication workers, writers and authors, and public relations managers.
Faculty
Chair
- Cassandra Pritts - M.A. History
Year @ PSC (2011)
Admissions
Entering freshmen are admitted directly into the major.
Benchmark Expectations
Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA in all courses with the MDIA designator required in the major and a 2.0 overall GPA. All majors must meet with their advisor every semester. Students who do not meet these benchmarks may be removed from their major.
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required. A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required in all MDIA coursework. | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements (2, 6, and 7) | 10 | |
| WVUE 191 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
| ENGL 101 | Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric (GEF 1) | 3 |
| ENGL 102 | Composition, Rhetoric, and Research (GEF 1) | 3 |
| STAT 111 | Understanding Statistics (GEF 3) | 3 |
| MDIA 101 | Media and Society (GEF 4) | 3 |
| MDIA 215S | Media Writing | 3 |
| MDIA 225S | Media Tools & Applications | 3 |
| HIST 153 | Making of Modern America: 1865 to the Present (GEF 5) | 3 |
| POLS 102 | Introduction to American Government | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Psychology | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Introduction to Anthropology | ||
| English Literature or Creative Writing Course | 3 | |
| Foreign Language | 6 | |
| Elementary French 1 | ||
| Elementary French 2 | ||
| Elementary Spanish 1 | ||
| Elementary Spanish 2 | ||
| Intermediate Spanish 1 | ||
| Intermediate Spanish 2 | ||
--OR OTHER ADVISOR APPROVED LANGUAGE COURSE - | ||
| General Electives | 13 | |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| English Literature or Creative Writing Courses | ||
| English Literature | ||
| ENGL 131 | Poetry and Drama | 3 |
| ENGL 132 | Short Story and Novel | 3 |
| ENGL 156 | Literature of Native America | 3 |
| ENGL 226 | Non-Western World Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 232 | Poetry | 3 |
| ENGL 233 | The Short Story | 3 |
| ENGL 236 | The Bible as Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 241 | American Literature 1 | 3 |
| ENGL 242 | American Literature 2 | 3 |
| ENGL 252 | Appalachian Fiction | 3 |
| ENGL 254 | African American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 257 | Science Fiction and Fantasy | 3 |
| ENGL 258 | Popular American Culture | 3 |
| ENGL 261 | British Literature 1 | 3 |
| ENGL 262 | British Literature 2 | 3 |
| ENGL 263 | Shakespeare 1 | 3 |
| ENGL 272 | Modern Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 285 | Images of Women in Literature | 3 |
| Creative Writing | ||
| ENGL 111 | Introduction to Creative Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 212 | Creative Writing: Fiction | 3 |
| ENGL 213 | Creative Writing: Poetry | 3 |
| ENGL 214 | Creative Writing: Non-Fiction | 3 |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| MDIA 101 (GEF 4) | 3 | MDIA 215S | 3 |
| Foreign Language 101 | 3 | STAT 111 (GEF 3) | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | GEF 2B | 4 |
| Foreign Language 102 | 3 | ||
| WVUE 191 | 1 | ||
| General Elective | 1 | ||
| 14 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| MDIA 225S | 3 | HIST 153 (GEF 5) | 3 |
| POLS 102 | 3 | GEF 6 | 3 |
| English Literature or Creative Writing Course | 3 | GEF 7 | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total credit hours: 60 | |||
Major Learning Outcomes
Media Studies
At the completion of this program, students will be able to:
- apply appropriate communication skills across settings, purposes, and audiences.
- analyze resources and data to inform the critical thinking process.
- examine the connections among self, society and the environment.
- use targeted methodologies and problem-solving methods to reach solutions.