Admission to the major is gained through receiving permission to register for the department’s first core course, MASS 221 (Media Writing I).
Please Note: Because of space limitations, it is likely some students seeking admission will not be allowed to enter the program. Becoming an MSU mass communications major is usually a highly competitive endeavor.
Students seeking admission to the major must first complete these courses (or their equivalents) with a GPA of 3.0 or higher:
Students who have attained the 3.0 GPA for the above courses will then be considered for admission to MASS 221, but only after completing the department’s diagnostic exam, which is offered during particular dates and times each semester. The exam is a 50-minute long objective test over English grammar, punctuation, spelling and vocabulary. Refer to the Department's [PDF] Diagnostic Exam Study Guide (510 KiB). After all applicants have taken the exam in a given term, faculty choose who enter the program for the following term by considering each applicant’s diagnostic-exam score in conjunction with overall GPA and prerequisite grades.
To take the diagnostic exam, each student must submit to the department a current MSU unofficial transcript or other official evidence to verify GPA status and the satisfactory completion of prerequisite courses.
It is each student's responsibility to check with the chair or office staff about diagnostic-exam dates and times. Students who miss taking the exam at its scheduled times in a given semester will have to wait until the following semester to take the exam. Dates and times for taking the test will be posted in the department office and elsewhere on campus.
Students who wish to retake the test to improve their scores must wait at least one semester before retaking it. A student who has taken the test twice and who has not been accepted into the program will be required to show proof of having successfully completed remedial studies in English usage before being allowed to take the test again.
The Department of Mass Communications retains the right to waive these admission requirements in exceptional cases. Students who do not meet the minimum requirements as stated above may petition the faculty, in writing, to seek admission to the program.
Mass communications majors are required to take department courses for a letter grade (except for the internship, which is a P/NC course). To qualify for a mass communications degree, majors must earn a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better in all mass communications courses. In addition, they must earn the 2.0 overall GPA required by the university for graduation.
Required core courses, electives and prerequisites are detailed in other department handouts and in the MSU Undergraduate Bulletin. For further assistance, send an e-mail message to mass-communications@mnsu.edu or call the department office at 507-389-6417.
A pdf version of the Department Admission Requirements can also be found here: [PDF] Admission Requirements (78 KiB)
