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2025-2026

Mass Communications (journalism/broadcast), Bachelor of Science (NEXT STEP Pathway)

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Science in Mass Communications (Brightpoint Community College)
Brightpoint Community College
Associate degree

Associate of Science in Mass Communication

Completing the associate degree will waive VCU's general education requirements.

Program description

The Robertson School of Media and Culture prepares effective and skilled communicators through quality instruction, advising, and student services based on real-world applications. Through research, professional service and scholarship in applied communications, the school advances the knowledge, and practice of a multidisciplinary and evolving media environment. The School values truth, ethics, creativity, innovation, collaboration, cultural diversity, shared governance, and community engagement.

Career opportunities

The concentrations in advertising prepares students for careers at advertising agencies, marketing departments of corporations or service organizations, and media companies. These concentrations are a training ground that prepares students to join the world community of media practitioners and are centered on professional practice, studio intensive coursework, and experimental collaboration.


The concentrations in journalism train alumni for competitive careers in print and video media and in such places as print and video newsrooms, digital news, magazines, and special interest publications. The concentrations in journalism are transferable to many other fields like law, business, or government service. 


The concentration in media production prepares graduates to work as content creators in in film and television, sports media, local or national production studios, and online productions.


The concentration in public relations prepares graduates to successfully enter the public relations field. Graduates can be found representing professional sports teams, global clothing manufacturers, Hollywood production studios, energy companies, hospitals, international non-profits and small businesses. The public relations profession calls for professional communicators; all organizations, big and small, must communicate with audiences to succeed.

Bachelor-level job titles
  • Art Director
  • Broadcast News Analyst
  • Development/Fundraising Manager
  • Digital Specialist
  • Grant Writer
  • Media Relations Coordinator
  • Nonprofit Communications Manager
  • Radio and Television Announcer
  • Videographer
  • Visual Effects (FX) Artist
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Copywriter
  • Creative Brand Manager
  • Director of Digital Media
  • Experience Designer
Contact information

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638

Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.

Guaranteed transfer admission requirements

Students are guaranteed admission to this degree program with:

  • Completion of the associate degree
  • Minimum GPA of 2.5
  • All courses completed with a "C" grade or better
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
  • STAT 208
Science required
  • Natural Sciences requirement only
Foreign language requirements
  • Yes
Additional tuition/fees
  • No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.5+ cumulative GPA, 2.5+ major GPA
VCU Major Maps

View VCU Major Map for Mass Communications with concentration in Advertising/Creative, Advertising/Strategic, Journalism/Broadcast, Journalism/Digital, Media Production, Public Relations

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2025-2026

Mass Communications (journalism/broadcast), Bachelor of Science (NEXT STEP Pathway)

Brightpoint Community College (Associate of Science in Mass Communications)

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Schedule an advising appointment with your Brightpoint advisor.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes and use tutoring to get ahead.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Explore financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
  • Attend cultural events at community college and VCU to celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
Experience Year 2
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing options for next year.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU Richard T. Robertson School of Communication, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Check out the VCU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) and follow @vcuomsa.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or department-related events.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Schedule an advising appointment with your Brightpoint advisor.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes and use tutoring to get ahead.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Explore financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend cultural events at community college and VCU to celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing options for next year.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU Richard T. Robertson School of Communication, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Check out the VCU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) and follow @vcuomsa.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or department-related events.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2025-2026

Mass Communications (journalism/broadcast), Bachelor of Science (NEXT STEP Pathway)

Brightpoint Community College (Associate of Science in Mass Communications)

Brightpoint Community College courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
SDV 100 College Success Skills UNIV 101 1 Elective
ENG 111 College Composition I UNIV 111 3 General education
CST 100 OR CST 110 Principles of Public Speaking or Intro to Human Communication SPCH 221 or SPCH 121 3 General education
HIS 121 United States History to 1877 HIST 103 3 Major
MTH MTH 154 Quantitative Reasoning preferred (other options: MTH 161 or 263) VCU equivalent 3 General education
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
Art or Humanities Select one: ART 101, ART 102, CST 151, CST 130, MUS 121, MUS 226, PHI 100, PHI 111, PHI 220, REL 100, REL 230 VCU equivalent 3 General education
CST 114 Survey of Mass Media MASC 101 3 Major
ECO 150 Economic Essentials (preferred: substitutes for the ECON 203 requirement at VCU). Another option is to take both ECO 201 and ECO 202. ECON 1XX 3 Major
MTH 245 Statistics I STAT 210 3 Major
ENG 246 American Literature (other options: ENG 255, 258, 225, 245, 275) ENGL 205 3 Major
CST 201 Introduction to Communication Theory SPCH 2XX 3 Elective
Lab Science Select one: ENV 121, PHY 100, BIO 101, CHM 111, PHY 201 VCU equivalent 4 General education
CST 221 Public Relations MASC 210 3 Major
MASC 228 Writing Across Media MASC 203 3 Major
HIS 122 United States History Since 1865 HIST 104 3 Major
PLS 135 U.S. Government and Politics POLI 103 3 Major
Approved transfer electives VCU equivalents 10 Elective
Brightpoint credits transferred to VCU 60
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Concentration in journalism/broadcast
MASC 274 Diversity in the Media 3 Major
MASC 300 Technical Prowess II 3 Major
MASC 380 Media and Culture 3 Major
MASC 390 Ethical Problems in Mass Media 3 Major
MASC 408 Communications Law 3 Major
MASC 493 Fieldwork/Internship 3 Major
MASC 499 Career Minded 3 Major
MASC 303 Advanced News Writing 3 Major
MASC 363 Audio/Visual Writing 3 Major
MASC 367 Media Production I 3 Major
MASC 415 Media Production II 3 Major
MASC 460 Advanced Multimedia Storytelling 3 Major
MASC 465 InSight News Show 6 Major
MASC MASC electives (300-400 level) 6 Major
History course (300-level or above) 3 Major
POLI or URSP course (300-level or higher) 3 Major
Literature course (300-level or above) except ENGL/TEDU 386 or ENGL 387 3 Major
Open electives 6 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 60
Minimum credits required for bachelor's degree 120