Mass Communication Transfer Pathway Associate of Arts

Program Overview:

The Mass Communication Transfer Pathway AA offers students a powerful option: the opportunity to complete an Associate of Arts degree with course credits that directly transfer to designated Mass Communication bachelor’s degree programs at Minnesota State universities. The curriculum has been specifically designed so that students completing this pathway degree and transferring to one of the seven Minnesota State universities* enter the university with junior-year status. All courses in the Transfer Pathway associate degree will directly transfer and apply to the designated bachelor’s degree programs in a related field.

Program Outcomes:

Upon completion of the Mass Communication Transfer Pathway program at RCTC, students will achieve the following outcomes:

• Apply research methods to address a range of media practices.
• Evaluate mass communication methods and originally produced content.
• Create media content that demonstrates the principles and practices of media aesthetics.
• Exhibit professionalism, collaboration and ethical behavior consistent with mass communications standards.

Additional Information:

All courses in the Transfer Pathway associate degree will directly transfer and apply to the designated bachelor’s degree programs in a related field.

This transfer pathway degree will transfer to the following designated baccalaureate degree majors: Winona State University, Mass Communications, BA.

MASS COMMUNICATION TRANSFER PATHWAY AS

MINNESOTA TRANSFER CURRICULUM (MnTC)/GENERAL REQUIREMENTS (41 CREDITS)

GOAL 1: COMMUNICATION (11 CREDITS)

• COMM 1114 – Fundamentals of Public Speaking (3 cr)
• ENGL 1117 – Reading and Writing Critically I (4 cr)
• ENGL 1118 – Reading and Writing Critically II (4 cr)

GOAL 2: CRITICAL THINKING MAY BE MET BY ANY COURSES IN MnTC 1-10 GOALS

GOAL 3: NATURAL SCIENCES (6 CREDITS)

• A minimum of two courses with a lab from two different areas that meet MnTC Goal 3. Recommend that at least one of the courses also meet MnTC Goal 10.

GOAL 4: MATHEMATICS/LOGICAL REASONING (3 CREDITS)

• Any course that meets MnTC Goal 4

GOAL 5: HISTORY AND THE SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES (9 CREDITS)

• A minimum of two courses from three different areas that meet MnTC Goal 5.
• COMM 1337 – Social Media (3 cr)
• Recommended: POLS 1615 – Introduction to American Government (3 cr)

GOAL 6: HUMANITIES AND THE FINE ARTS (9 CREDITS)

• A minimum of two courses from three different areas that meet MnTC Goal 5.
• ART 1290 – Media Arts (3 cr)

GOAL 7: HUMAN DIVERSITY, RACE, POWER, AND JUSTICE IN THE UNITED STATES to be met by a course taken in MnTC Goal 3, 5, or 6

GOAL 8: GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE to be met by a course taken in MnTC Goal 3, 5, or 6

GOAL 9: ETHICS and CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY (3 CREDITS)

• COMM 1110 – Introduction to Mass Communication (3 cr)

GOAL 10: PEOPLE and THE ENVIRONMENT to be met by a course taken in MnTC Goal 3, 5, or 6

FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE (1 CREDITS)

FYEX 1000 – College Success Strategies (1 cr)

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS (3 CREDITS)

Any combination of Health courses (1110, 1111, 1114, 1132, 2126) and/or Physical Education courses (numbered 1100-1199)

PROGRAM CORE REQUIREMENTS (13 CREDITS)

• COMM 2130 – Team/Group Communication (3 cr)
• MCOM 1190 – TV/Media Production (3 cr)
• MCTM 1245 – Writing for Mass Media (3 cr)
• MCOM 2210 – Introduction to Public Relations (3 cr)
• MCOM 2294 – Internship (1-3 cr)

ELECTIVES (2 CREDITS)

Any course numbered above 1000

RECOMMENDED COURSE SEQUENCES

FULL-TIME

• Semester 1 – Fall (15 CREDITS)ART 1290, COMM 1114, ENGL 1117, FYEX 1000, HLTH/PHED, MnTC Goal 4
• Semester 2 – Spring (14 CREDITS)COMM 1110, COMM 2130, ENGL 1118, HLTH/PHED, MnTC Goal 3
• Semester 3 – Fall (16 CREDITS) HLTH/PHED, MCOM 1190, MCOM 1245, MnTC Goal 3 & 10, MnTC Goal 6 & 7, POLS 1615
• Semester 4 (15 CREDITS) COMM 1337, MCOM 2210, MCOM 2294, MnTC Goal 5 (not a COMM or ART class), MnTC Goal 8

Course descriptions can be found at: RCTC course descriptions