Change of Major

Thinking of changing your undergraduate major to mass communications?

Changing your major requires a lot of thought and thorough research. Your major is an investment in your future.

First...

Carefully read the "Admission guidelines and requirements" in the VCU Bulletin for the mass communications major in the Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture.

Foundation vs. concentration

If you change your major to mass communications you are first placed into one of these four mass communication foundation concentrations:

• Advertising Foundation
• Journalism Foundation
• Public Relations Foundation
• Mass Communications (no foundation concentration)

Just as the name suggests, this is a base you build on before entering the degree-seeking major. So, you can't earn a baccalaureate degree in a foundation concentration.

Once you successfully complete foundation requirements, you'll petition into one of the following degree-seeking concentrations:

• Creative Advertising
• Strategic Advertising
• Broadcast Journalism
• Digital Journalism
• Public Relations

Eligibility

As a current VCU student changing your major to mass communications, before it can be official you must:

1. Complete MASC 101 with a minimum grade of C;
2. Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5. (Sorry, no exceptions);
3. If planning to major in advertising, complete MASC 201 with a minimum grade of C;
4. If planning to major in public relations, complete MASC 210 with a minimum grade of C;
5. If planning to major in journalism, complete MASC 261; and
6. Attend a change of major workshop (see below).

You can meet one-on-one with a Robertson School advisor only after attending a change of major workshop and successfully declaring the mass communications major.

Change of major workshops

Attending one of these is really important to understand how to change your major to mass communications. We typically hold at least one per month, with more at the beginning of each semester during the add/drop period.

Note: The change of major workshop is NOT an exploratory session for the major. If you are interested in learning more about studying mass communications contact our faculty and visit VCU Career Services to find out about career opportunities and more.

You're eligible to attend a workshop if:

• For students who want to study advertising you've successfully completed or are currently enrolled in both MASC 101 Mass Communications and MASC 201 Curiousness;
• For students who want to study journalism you've successfully completed or are currently enrolled in both MASC 101 Mass Communications;
• For students who want to study public relations you've successfully completed or are currently enrolled in MASC 101 Mass Commuications and MASC 210 Public Relations; and
• You have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.

During these workshops we'll create a specific, tailored academic plan just for you and we'll review the specific Robertson School requirements and policies. The workshops are designed to educate you on your responsibilities and to provide an accurate graduation timeline given the Robertson School's unique, sequential curriculum.

These workshops fill fast. Plan ahead and attend a workshop to ensure timely registration. To register for a workshop:

Contact: Roy Roach, rfroach@vcu.edu.