Department of Mass Communication

Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Xavier South Suite 110 (504) 520-5092  https://www.xula.edu/department/department-of-mass-communications.html

Xavier’s Department of Mass Communication is a distinguished and expansive part of the University’s academic profile that provides opportunities to study in two different areas of Mass Communication: Multimedia and Strategic Communication/Public Relations. Students receive practical experience in addition to a theoretical foundation. Dedicated and engaged faculty help prepare students for employment in various fields of Mass Communication and for success in graduate and professional schools. Students can major or minor in Mass Communication. While each concentration has its own goals, the Department has established a common mission to:

• prepare students to become effective and ethical mass communication professionals in a diverse and global society;
• train students in problem solving and higher-level critical thinking skills;
• amplify students’ proficiency in the discipline and industry languages of mass communication professions; and
• prepare students to become competitively marketable practitioners or proficient in professional/graduate school.

Learning Outcomes

In addition to satisfying the department’s mission, the Mass Communication (MSCM) major is designed to:

• develop students who have the flexibility and adaptability to compete in a changing job market;
• develop students who demonstrate responsible, ethical attitudes toward the role of media and toward media/strategic communications professions, and
• prepare students to ultimately move into management and leadership positions in the media and in public relations/strategic communications.

Hands-on Training

The Department houses several student-run media outlets under the XUMedia umbrella:  including Xavier Television (XUTV), Xavier Web Radio (XRadio), and for the University: The Xavier Herald Newspaper. The Department also sponsors two nationally recognized student professional associations in mass communication - the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). In addition, the Department offers students a myriad of opportunities in service learning and undergraduate research via Xavier’s Annual Festival of Scholars and XULAneXUS -Xavier’s Online Undergraduate Scholarly Journal. All MSCM student media outlets and organizations are open to participation to all Xavier students. These groups provide students with opportunities to strengthen leadership, writing, speaking and production skills outside of the classroom.

Practicum classes that provide students in-house opportunities to understand a segment of the Mass Communication industry are available for academic credit for majors and non-majors in all concentrations. Additionally, the Department has a structured and closely monitored Internship Program for credit that matches Xavier majors with first-rate industry practitioners in the city of New Orleans, throughout the United States, and abroad.

The University mandates that all majors attend all departmental meetings in order to keep abreast of changes within the University, the Department, and the student’s discipline of study. The Department of Mass Communication takes this directive very seriously and strongly encourages all of its majors to comply.

Concentrations in Mass Communication

Mass Communication majors take Mass Communication core courses during their freshman and sophomore years. At the end of the spring semester in the sophomore year, each major must declare an area of concentration: multimedia or strategic communication/public relations. Students will follow the program for their area of concentration until they complete the major.

Programs

• Mass Communication - Multimedia Concentration, B.A.
• Mass Communication - Strategic Communication/Public Relations Concentration, B.A.

• Health Communication Certificate

• Mass Communication Minor