Media and Communication - Bachelor of Arts
Students in the Media and Communication program examine how media products, practices, industries, and technologies allow us to communicate and connect with others and shape how we experience the world. MAC majors will develop expertise in up to three areas:
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Researching and analyzing media representations, technologies, industries, and practices to assess their impacts on individuals, cultures, and society.
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Gaining the skills and experiences necessary for success in a wide range of media and related industries.
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Producing high-quality audio, video, and film content in our professional grade studios.
Program Requirements
(minimum 36 semester hours, plus 12 related hours)
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Courses | ||
| MJF 105 | Media, Culture and You | 3 |
| MJF 146 | Foundations of Production | 3 |
| Core Courses | ||
| MAC 202 | The Smartphone and Society | 3 |
| MAC 212 | Media, Representation, and Society | 3 |
| MJF 205 | Communication and Technology | 3 |
| Major Electives | ||
| Complete six courses from the Major Electives category (listed below). Major Electives are grouped into Specialization Areas to assist you in finding courses that align with your interests and goals. A minimum of four Major Electives must be designated with a MAC or MJF prefix. | 18 | |
| Senior Experience Courses | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Capstone Pictures: Project in Digital Narrative Film Production | ||
| Electronic Media Policy and Regulation | ||
| Senior Seminar in Applied Media Analysis | ||
| Complementary Coursework | ||
| Complete a minor, co-major, second major, OR take any four courses from the Complementary Coursework category (listed below). | 12 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 48-49 | |
Major Electives: Specialization Areas
Six Major Electives may be taken from Specialization Areas in any combination. A minimum of four Major Electives must be designated with a MAC or MJF prefix. Courses that appear under more than one area of specialization may only count once toward the completion of the requirement.
Film, Video and Audio Production
Learn professional production techniques to create films, television shows, multi-camera live broadcasts, documentaries, and podcasts
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MJF 209 | Documentary Production | 3 |
| MAC 211 | Film & TV Production Techniques | 3 |
| MAC/ENG 213 | Writing for Film and TV | 3 |
| MAC 311 | Advanced Fiction Film and TV Production | 3 |
| MAC 312 | TV Studio Production | 3 |
| MAC 343 | Advanced Audio Production | 3 |
| MAC 344 | Creative Listening and Podcast Production | 3 |
| MAC 350 | Special Topics in Media and Communication (Writing the Short Screenplay) | 3 |
| MAC 422 | Advanced Creative Writing: Screenwriting Workshop | 3 |
| MAC 450 | Topics in Communication | 3 |
| JRN 202 | Reporting and News Writing II | 3 |
| JRN 313 | True Stories in Sound: Digital Audio Journalism | 3 |
Media, Technology + Social Change
Understand how media representations and communication technologies shape culture and affect social change
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MAC 310 | Topics in Media History | 3 |
| MAC 325 | Social Media Cultures | 3 |
| MAC 351 | Media Ethnography | 3 |
| MAC 353 | Audience Studies | 3 |
| MAC 355 | Media Technology & Culture | 3 |
| MAC 446 | Media Globalization | 3 |
| MAC 461 | Gender, Sexuality and Media | 3 |
| MJF 405 | Practicum in Media Literacy and Leadership | 3 |
| FST 282 | Sexualities and Film | 3 |
| STC 236 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| STC 311 | Communication in Everyday Life | 3 |
Advertising + Consumer Culture
Analyze advertising’s professional practices, economic power, and cultural significance
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MAC 258 | Copywriting for Digital Media | 3 |
| MAC 309 | Advertising in Consumer Culture | 3 |
| MAC 310 | Topics in Media History | 3 |
| MAC 353 | Audience Studies | 3 |
| MAC 362 | Advertising and the Attention Economy | 3 |
| STC 259 | Foundations of Campaign Design | 3 |
| STC 422 | Trendsetters & Coolchasers | 3 |
| STC 431 | Persuading Audiences | 3 |
The Business of Media
Learn how media companies operate, compete, and grow in local and global markets
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MAC 358 | Working in Media | 3 |
| MAC 362 | Advertising and the Attention Economy | 3 |
| MAC 425 | Inside Hollywood | 3 |
| MAC 426 | Inside Washington | 8 |
| MAC 443 | Media Industries and Economics | 3 |
| MAC 445 | Electronic Media Policy and Regulation | 3 |
| MAC 446 | Media Globalization | 3 |
| MJF 301 | Media Law and Ethics | 3 |
| MJF 478 | Inside New York City | 3 |
| STC 482 | Inside Chicago | 3 |
Media Art + Aesthetics
Examine how creative production, design and storytelling shape audience experiences and create unique styles
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MAC 310 | Topics in Media History | 3 |
| MAC 344 | Creative Listening and Podcast Production | 3 |
| ART/FST 407 | Moving Image Art | 3 |
| FST 201 | Film History and Analysis | 3 |
| FST/ENG 236 | Experimental Film | 3 |
| FST 301 | Film Theory | 3 |
| FST 360 | Film Genres | 3 |
| FST 407 | Moving Image Art | 3 |
| MUS 206 | Cinematic Listening: Film Music | 3 |
Complimentary Coursework
Complete a minor, co-major, second major, OR take four courses from the Complementary Coursework category. These courses cannot overlap with other major requirements.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AMS 206 | Approaches to American Culture | 3 |
| AMS 216 | Introduction to Public History | 3 |
| AMS/ITL 222 | Italian American Culture | 3 |
| AMS 301 | American Identities | 3 |
| AMS 303 | Consumer Culture | 3 |
| AMS 305 | American Icons | 3 |
| ART 149 | Beginning Digital Photography | 1.5 |
| ART 155 | Beginning Drawing | 1.5 |
| ART 201 | Popular, Media, and Visual Culture | 3 |
| ART 285 | Writing and the Visual Arts | 3 |
| ART 317 | The Arts of Colonial Latin America | 3 |
| ART 389 | The History of Photography | 3 |
| ART 487 | Art of the Early 20th Century | 3 |
| ART 489 | Postwar to Postmodern, 1945-1980 | 3 |
| ATH 301 | Intercultural Relations | 3 |
| ATH 337 | Play, Game & Design: The Anthropology of Creativity and Innovation | 3 |
| ATH 345 | Global Media Ethnography | 3 |
| ATH 388 | Culture, Art, and Artifacts | 3 |
| CLS 121 | Greek and Roman Mythology | 3 |
| CRE/SJS 287 | Anti-Racism Social Movements: From ideas to action | 3 |
| CRE 381 | Afro-Brazilian Diaspora Through Film and Arts | 3 |
| DST 272 | Exploring Disability Studies | 3 |
| DST/WGS 278 | Women and (Dis)ability: Fictions and Contaminations of Identity | 3 |
| DST/SOC 375 | (Dis)Ability Allies: To be or not to be? Developing Identity and Pride from Practice | 3 |
| DST 378 | Media Illusions: Creations of "The Disabled" Identity | 3 |
| ENG 226 | Introduction to Creative Writing: Short Fiction and Poetry | 3 |
| ENG/WGS 237 | LGBTQ+ Literature | 3 |
| ENG 246 | Native American Literature | 3 |
| ENG 248 | Asian American Literature | 3 |
| ENG 249 | Asian & Asian American Cinema | 3 |
| ENG 264 | Environmental Literature | 3 |
| ENG 276 | American Literature 1900 to the Present | 3 |
| ENG 411 | Visual Rhetoric | 3 |
| FRE 131 | French Masterpieces | 3 |
| FST 201 | Film History and Analysis | 3 |
| FST 204 | Brazilian Culture Through Music and Film | 3 |
| FST 206 | Diversity and Culture in American Film | 3 |
| FST 220 | Literature and Film | 3 |
| FST 221 | Shakespeare and Film | 3 |
| FST 222 | Italian American Culture | 3 |
| FST 235 | Classical Hollywood Cinema | 3 |
| FST 236 | Experimental Film | 3 |
| FST 249 | Asian & Asian American Cinema | 3 |
| FST 250 | History and Popular Culture | 3 |
| FST 252 | History at the Movies | 3 |
| FST 261 | German Film in Global Context | 3 |
| FST 262 | Italian Cinema | 3 |
| FST 264 | Chinese Film in Global Context | 3 |
| FST 266 | Japanese Cinema: Critical Viewing in a Global Context | 3 |
| FST 269 | Global French Cinema | 3 |
| FST 282 | Sexualities and Film | 3 |
| FST 301 | Film Theory | 3 |
| FST 330 | Film Auteurs | 3 |
| FST 350 | Topics in Film | 3 |
| FST 356 | Women and Gender in Film | 3 |
| FST 360 | Film Genres | 3 |
| FST 362 | Mafia and Cinema | 3 |
| FST 400 | Topics in Film | 3 |
| FST 407 | Moving Image Art | 3 |
| FAS 101 | Introduction to the Fashion Industry | 3 |
| FAS 281 | Contemporary Fashion History | 3 |
| GER 231 | Enchanted Worlds: Folk and Literary Fairy Tales | 3 |
| HST 304 | History, Memory, Tradition | 3 |
| IMS 202 | Information Studies and Digital Citizenship | 1 |
| JRN 101 | Journalism and American Life | 3 |
| JRN 201 | Reporting and News Writing I | 3 |
| JRN 202 | Reporting and News Writing II | 3 |
| JRN 303 | Multimedia Journalism | 3 |
| JRN 310 | Topics in Journalism Studies | 3 |
| JRN 313 | True Stories in Sound: Digital Audio Journalism | 3 |
| JRN 314 | Digital Video Reporting | 3 |
| JRN 316 | Editing and Design | 3 |
| JRN 318 | Advanced Storytelling in Journalism | 3 |
| JRN 333 | International Journalism | 3 |
| JRN 343 | Sports Reporting and Writing | 3 |
| JRN 412 | Data Journalism | 3 |
| JRN 418 | Critical Writing in Journalism | 3 |
| MAC 177 | Independent Studies | 0-6 |
| MAC 211 | Film & TV Production Techniques | 4 |
| MAC 213 | Writing for Film and TV | 3 |
| MAC 258 | Copywriting for Digital Media | 3 |
| MAC 309 | Advertising in Consumer Culture | 3 |
| MAC 310 | Topics in Media History | 3 |
| MAC 311 | Advanced Fiction Film and TV Production | 3 |
| MAC 312 | TV Studio Production | 3 |
| MAC 325 | Social Media Cultures | 3 |
| MAC 343 | Advanced Audio Production | 3 |
| MAC 344 | Creative Listening and Podcast Production | 3 |
| MAC 350 | Special Topics in Media and Communication | 3 |
| MAC 351 | Media Ethnography | 3 |
| MAC 353 | Audience Studies | 3 |
| MAC 355 | Media Technology & Culture | 3 |
| MAC 358 | Working in Media | 3 |
| MAC 362 | Advertising and the Attention Economy | 3 |
| MAC 422 | Advanced Creative Writing: Screenwriting Workshop | 3 |
| MAC 425 | Inside Hollywood | 3 |
| MAC 426 | Inside Washington | 1-8 |
| MAC 443 | Media Industries and Economics | 3 |
| MAC 446 | Media Globalization | 3 |
| MAC 450 | Topics in Communication | 3 |
| MAC 461 | Gender, Sexuality and Media | 3 |
| MUS 221 | Music and Sound Technologies | 3 |
| MUS 225 | And the Beat Goes On. . . The History of Rock and Roll | 3 |
| MUS 285 | Introduction to African American Music | 3 |
| MUS 304 | Electronic Music Production | 3 |
| PHL 312 | Contemporary Moral Problems | 4 |
| POL 241 | American Political System | 3 |
| POL 356 | Mass Media and Politics | 3 |
| POL 359 | U.S. Campaigns and Elections | 3 |
| PSY 221 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 271 | Survey of Perception, Action, and Cognition | 3 |
| SLM 279 | Race, Nation, and Sport | 3 |
| SLM 273 | Sport Communication & Media | 3 |
| SLM 378 | Sport, Power and Inequality | 3 |
| SOC 203 | Sociology of Gender | 3 |
| SOC 221 | Sexualities | 3 |
| SOC 262 | Research Methods | 3 |
| SOC 318 | Social Forces and Aging | 3 |
| SPA 312 | American Deaf Cultures | 3 |
| STC 135 | Principles of Public Speaking | 3 |
| STC 236 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| STC 259 | Foundations of Campaign Design | 3 |
| STC 262 | Research Methods | 3 |
| STC 285 | Professional Communication for Data Analytics | 3 |
| STC 311 | Communication in Everyday Life | 3 |
| STC 331 | Branding in Politics | 3 |
| STC 421 | Managing Crisis & Reputation | 3 |
| STC 422 | Trendsetters & Coolchasers | 3 |
| STC 431 | Persuading Audiences | 3 |
| STC 437 | Media, Advocacy & Social Change | 3 |
| STC 450 | Topics in Communication | 3 |
| STC 482 | Inside Chicago | 3 |
| THE 123 | Acting for the Non-Major: Text and Performance | 3 |
| THE 131 | Principles of Acting | 3 |
| THE 152 | Backstage Magic: The Art and Craft of Production | 3 |
| THE 191 | Experiencing Theatre | 3 |
| THE 201 | Production and Performance Practicum | 0.5-2 |
| THE 257 | Stagecraft and Theatre Technologies | 3 |
| THE 351 | Dance as Culture | 3 |
| WGS 201 | Living in a Gendered World | 3 |
| WGS 202 | LGBTQIA+ Lives: Resistance, Resilience, and Community | 3 |
Notes on Curriculum
MAC Internships (MAC 340) do not fulfill any specific Media and Communication curriculum requirement.
MAC Independent Studies (MAC 177, MAC 277, MAC 377, MAC 477) may count toward the major as complementary coursework. To count as a major elective requires the permission of the Lead Departmental Advisor.
No more than nine credit hours may be counted toward both the completion of the MAC major and the completion of a co-major or 2nd major. No more than six credit hours may be counted toward both the completion of the MAC major and the completion of a minor.