School of Arts & Humanities · Bachelor’s degree
Mass Communication: Broadcast
Get behind the camera and the mic.
Video and audio are everywhere: live streams, podcasts, marketing and brand video, corporate communications, and the news. Built on the foundations of television and radio, MVU’s broadcast concentration teaches you to produce professional video and audio for all of it, with hands-on production, newsgathering, broadcast writing, editing, and an internship.
120
credit hours to graduate
36–39
credit hours in the major
On campus
in Marshall, Missouri
4 years
at a full-time pace
Why broadcast at MVU
Learn by producing
Write, shoot, record, and edit with broadcast-quality equipment.
Video and audio
Start with TV and radio production, then go further in advanced courses. The same skills carry into live streams, podcasts, and brand video.
Write for broadcast
Write and script news stories, public service announcements, commercials, and promos.
Build your reel
Upper-level work centers on building your reel, and you’ll complete an internship in radio or television.
Is this program for me?
This program may be a great fit if you want to…
- Create video and audio: live streams, podcasts, news, or brand and marketing content.
- Write and produce stories for broadcast.
- Run cameras, audio boards, and editing software.
- Build a reel before you graduate.
What will I learn to do?
Skills you’ll practice and grow
- Write broadcast news copy in active voice.
- Script readers, VOs, VO/SOTs, and packages for TV, and voicers and wraps for radio.
- Produce news stories, PSAs, commercials, and promos.
- Operate broadcast-quality video and audio equipment.
- Edit with digital audio and video systems.
- Apply journalism and broadcast ethics.
How the degree works
How your 120 credit hours add up
Here’s how the degree is built. Your advisor helps you choose courses each term.
01
General education core
At least 42 credit hours across writing, speaking, math, science, social science, and the humanities.
02
Mass communication core
15 credit hours: media and culture, broadcasting, news reporting, media law and ethics, and a senior portfolio.
03
Broadcast courses
Broadcast writing, radio and TV production, broadcast news, social networking, advanced production, and an internship.
04
Electives or a minor
Use the rest of your 120 hours for electives, a minor, or even a second major.
Good to know: You don’t have to wait to get involved. Anyone can volunteer on broadcast productions at any point in college. As a senior, you’ll put together a portfolio of your best work, including your reel, student media, and internship work, and take an in-house exam.
Explore the curriculum
What you’ll study
Here are the courses in the major. Your advisor helps you plan the order.
Mass communication core (15 credit hours)
- MASC 150 Introduction to Media & Culture
- MASC 205 Introduction to Broadcasting
- MASC 210 Basic News Reporting
- MASC 400 Media Law and Ethics
- MASC 485 Senior Portfolio
Broadcast courses
- MASC 215 Writing for Broadcast
- MASC 230 Radio Production
- MASC 300 Television Production
- MASC 330 News Reporting for Broadcast
- MASC 385 Social Networking
- MASC 390 Advanced Television Production
- MASC 391 Advanced Radio Production
- MASC 401 or MASC 402 Internship: Radio, or Internship: Television
General education core (at least 42 credit hours)
- Social and behavioral science (9 hours) from at least two subjects, including one constitution course: HIST 104, HIST 105, or POLS 100
- Written communication (6 hours): ENGL 130 Rhetoric and Composition, plus ENGL 160 or HONR 190
- Oral communication (3 hours), such as COMM 100 Public Speaking & Introduction to Communication
- Natural science: 7 hours from at least two subjects, including a lab (BS); 3 hours (BA and BFA)
- Mathematics (3 hours)
- Humanities and fine arts: 9 hours (BS) or 12 hours (BA and BFA) from at least three subjects, covering the arts and creativity, ethics, and culture and society
- Additional general education from any area, to reach at least 42 hours
- Plus one Writing Intensive (WI) course and one Service Learning (SL) course, which can overlap with other requirements
Graduation requirements
- Complete at least 120 credit hours with a GPA of 2.0 or higher.
- Earn a major GPA of 2.0 or higher, with no grade below C and no pass/fail grades in the major.
- Complete at least 36 credit hours of upper-division (300- and 400-level) courses.
- Complete your last 30 credit hours, and at least 12 hours of your major, at MVU.
- Complete the major assessment requirement.
- Apply for graduation and pay the $100 graduation fee.
Getting started
Three steps to begin
Applying to MVU is free, and most students finish the application in a few minutes.
02
Send your transcripts
Send your high school transcript, plus official transcripts from any college or dual credit courses. Transferring? See the transfer steps.
03
Plan how you’ll pay
Explore scholarships, grants, and loans on Tuition & Financial Aid, or request information for current tuition.
How do the mass communication concentrations differ?
All three share the same core. Broadcast focuses on video and audio production, built on radio and television skills, journalism focuses on print and web publications, and multimedia journalism covers every platform.
Can I work on broadcasts before I’m a senior?
Yes. Anyone can volunteer on broadcast productions at any point in college, so you can start building hands-on experience long before your senior reel.
Can I add a minor or a second major?
Yes. A minor is optional and appears on your transcript; it must be in a different subject than your major. You can also double major by completing all the requirements for both majors. You’ll receive one diploma.
What do I need to graduate?
- At least 120 credit hours with a GPA of 2.0 or higher.
- A C or higher in every major course.
- At least 36 upper-division credit hours.
- Your last 30 credit hours at MVU.
- An application for graduation and the $100 graduation fee.
Talk with the Dean
Have questions about courses, internships, or how to plan your degree? Reach out. We’re happy to talk through your goals.
Mass Communication: Broadcast
