Academic Catalog 2023-2024

The School of Communication

The primary mission of the School of Communication is to prepare students who declare majors and minors in departmental curricular offerings for entry into the workforce and graduate study. A secondary mission is to ensure that all students matriculating through the university understand the impact of communication skills on all aspects of society.

The School of Communication offers courses in the following academic disciplines:

  • Communication Studies (COMM)
  • Entertainment and the Recording Industry Management (ERIM)
  • Journalism (JOUR)
  • Radio, Television, and Film (RTF)

In addition to course offerings, four baccalaureate degrees are offered in the School. They are the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Communication Studies, Entertainment and the Recording Industry Management,  Journalism, and Radio, Television, and Film. For students who major in disciplines in which the declaration of a minor is required, the School offers the following minors: 

  • Communication Studies
  • Entertainment and the Recording Industry Management
  • Journalism
  • Radio, Television, and Film

It offers two graduate degrees: the Master of Arts (MA) in Communication and the Master of Arts (MA) in Profesional Communication and Digital Media. Please refer to The Graduate School Bulletin of Texas Southern University for detailed information on the MA in Communications.

In pursuing a BA in Communication Studies, students are required to have a concentration. They may select from three different curriculum concentrations:

  • Media Studies
  • Rhetoric, Culture, and Performance
  • Organizational and Health Communication

Students pursuing a BA in Journalism may select from three concentrations:

  • Advertising-Public Relations (minor required)
  • Broadcast Journalism (no minor required)
  • Print Journalism (minor required)

Students pursuing a BA in Radio, Television, and Film may select one of three specialties: radio, television, or film. However, selecting a specialty is not required because students, in consultation with an academic advisor, may choose a combination of radio, television, and film courses (RTF electives only) that are available in the current inventory of courses. In addition, degree plans with and without a minor are available for students interested in Radio, Television, and Film.

In pursuing a BA in Entertainment and Recording Industry Management, students are required to have a concentration. They may select from five different curriculum concentrations: 

  • Sound & Audio Production Concentration
  • Multimedia Creation Concentration
  • Entrepreneurship & Entertainment Management Concentration
  • E-sports & Sports Entertainment Concentration
  • Sport Management Concentration

Students are cautioned that grades less than “C,” including “C-,” are unacceptable in courses designated as major or minor courses in the pursuit of degrees in the School of Communication.

In selecting a minor for undergraduate degrees, students should seek detailed advisement from a faculty advisor within the department offering the minor. An undergraduate student cannot qualify for graduation with fewer than 120 semester credit hours satisfactorily completed.

Requirements for the BA in Entertainment and the Recording Industry Management; Journalism; Radio, Television, and Film; and Communication Studies are summarized in the degree plan. In addition, the list delineates the requirements and semester credit hours needed for graduation, according to the concentration selected for the respective degree.