GUIDE TO MAJORS AND PROGRAMS
College of Arts & Sciences
Journalism and Mass Communications
Overview
The study of journalism and mass
communications provides students with the
tools to function effectively in an informationintensive society, both as creators and
consumers of information.
Society communicates through multiple media
platforms, including newspapers, magazines,
radio, television, public relations, advertising,
photojournalism, the Internet, social media and
other evolving technologies.
The A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass
Communications at Kansas State University is
an excellent place to prepare for such careers.
The nationally accredited program — one of the
nation’s oldest — began in 1910 and now has
more than 5,000 alumni around the world.
The School of Journalism and Mass
Communications is named for the late
A.Q. Miller, a pioneer Kansas journalist. His
son, Carl Miller, gave a significant gift to the
school in 1988 in memory of his father. A
K-State journalism graduate, Carl Miller was the
founding editor of the Pacific Coast edition of
the Wall Street Journal.
The school has established the Huck Boyd
National Center for Community Media
and serves as the national headquarters of
the Journalism Education Association, the
professional association for high school media
teachers.
Professional options
Job experience
The A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and
Mass Communications offers opportunities
for students to gain practical experience
in contemporary media practices through
internships and practicums. For-credit
Points of pride
The Princeton Review has named K-State one
of the best universities in the nation. K-State
is a national leader among state-supported
universities in its total Rhodes, Marshall,
Truman, Goldwater and Udall scholarship
winners.
internships are usually conducted off campus
with private and public firms. For-credit
practicums are conducted on campus with
university media outlets and units, such as The
Collegian, the daily student paper; The Royal
Purple, the yearbook; KSDB-FM, the studentoperated radio station; KKSU-LP Channel 8,
the community local TV channel; the American
Advertising Federation, or AAF; the Public
Relations Society of America, or PRSSA; the
Society of Professional Journalists; or SPJ;
and TakeFlight, a newly formed and studentoperated advertising and public relations
agency in the Division of Communications and
Marketing at Dole Hall.
A difference between our program in the A.Q.
Miller School and other programs in the state
and across the nation is that our students can
begin gaining practical experience from their
first day on campus. Experience in reporting,
editing, photography, video, audio, writing,
creating and managing is available to students
in campus media outlets and agencies. “Studentoperated” media means students are allowed
and encouraged to get hands-on experience in
producing news and information, along with
using a variety of media and techniques, in realworld professional settings on campus.
The school has a formal internship program
that enables students to earn academic credit
for work in professional settings in business
firms, not-for-profit organizations, and local and
national media outlets. Students have recently
interned at CNN, MSNBC, the Chicago Bandits,
the Kansas City Chiefs, the Wichita Eagle, KAKETV, VML Advertising, Manhattan Broadcasting
and the Overland Park Convention Center.
Recently hired graduates have reported that
the hands-on experience gained through
internships and practicums, as well as what they
learned in the classroom, helped them land their
first job.
Alumni
The list of A.Q. Miller School graduates from
K-State reads like an honor roll. It includes
a United States senator, the official White
House photographer for Presidents Reagan
and Obama, the White House press secretary
for both President Reagan and President
G.H.W. Bush, the director of public relations for
General Motors, a producer for C-SPAN, a senior
producer for CNN, the national editor for the
Los Angeles Times, a vice president at Optimedia
Advertising Agency, a vice president at DraftFCB
k-state.edu/admissions/academics
Advertising Agency, account executives at
Fleishman-Hillard Public Relations Agency and
many other communication outlets.
Our graduates have a strong hiring record
because employers know K-State graduates
have received rigorous education and training in
an atmosphere of professionalism.
Academics
Students follow a general curriculum in the
College of Arts & Sciences and a specialized
professional curriculum in the A.Q. Miller School.
The college curriculum prepares students to
be knowledgeable and to think critically in
a complicated world, and the professional
curriculum provides students with specialized
courses combined with an emphasis on media
communication concepts and theory in such
areas as law, history, social and global effects,
and ethics.
Degree options
The A.Q. Miller School offers specific sequences
in advertising, journalism and digital media,
and public relations. Students can enroll in
certain professional skills courses early in their
university experience and participate in student
media operations, practicums and internships,
allowing them to advance and develop their
skills.
K-State offers a Master of Science degree in mass
communications. This degree provides studies
in research methods and in communication
process and theory, while allowing professional
specialization.
Accreditation
The A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and
Mass Communications is accredited by the
Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism
and Mass Communications.
Financial assistance
Scholarships
The school awards about 95 scholarships
averaging $1,500. All current and incoming
JMC students are eligible to apply by completing
the K-State scholarship application available
from the student financial assistance office in
104 Fairchild Hall or at k-state.edu/sfa.
Mail a copy to JMC with an application letter,
media portfolio, recommendation letter and
transcript. The scholarship committee will use
your application to judge your eligibility. The
deadline is Feb. 1.
Suggested course work
The A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and
Mass Communications offers training in the
gathering, communicating and interpreting of
information for mass and specialized audiences.
The curriculum is a mixture of skills and theory
courses. The major requires a minimum of 39
credit hours in the school and at least 72 hours
outside the school, as required by JMC’s national
accrediting agency, for a minimum total of
120 hours. A student must fulfill the general
requirements of the College of Arts & Sciences
for either the B.A. or B.S. degree, in addition to
completing a 15-hour outside concentration
in another department. In the major, students
must complete at least one of the school’s
sequences.
Advertising
The advertising sequence prepares students
for careers in creative, sales, media planning
and management roles in advertising agencies,
business firms, the media, and in-house
advertising and marketing departments.
Hrs. Courses
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
24
MC 110
Mass Communication in Society
MC 120
Principles of Advertising
MC 221
Advertising Strategy Writing
MC 396Strategic Communication
Research
MC 446
Advertising Media Planning
MC 466
Law of Mass Communications
MC 480
Ad/PR Design and Production
MC 640
Advertising Campaigns
Select one of the following 3-hour courses:
MC 557
Advertising Portfolio
MC 623
Global Advertising
MC 665Managing Integrated Strategic
Communication
3 MC 670Advertising and Social
Responsibility
12Electives (3 hours must be 500-level or above)
39 hours required
Public relations
The public relations sequence prepares students
to manage communication programs of public
and private organizations. The curriculum
emphasizes writing, techniques, communication
theory and managerial course work.
Hrs. Courses
3
3
MC 110
Mass Communications in Society
MC 180Fundamentals of Public
Relations
3 MC 200
News and Feature Writing
3 MC 280
Public Relations Writing
3 MC 380Public Relations Research,
Strategy and Planning
3 MC 382
Public Relations Case Studies
3 MC 396Strategic Communications
Research
3 MC 466
Law of Mass Communications
3 MC 480
Ad/PR Design and Production
1–3 MC 491Mass Communications Internship
3 MC 645
Public Relations Campaigns
31–33
Select one of the following 3-hour courses:
MC 625
Media Relations
MC 662International and Intercultural
Public Relations
MC 665Managing Integrated Strategic
Communications
3 MC 682
Seminar in Public Relations
Journalism and digital media — print focus
Students who are interested in more traditional
print media can adopt a focus in classes that
teach newspaper and magazine reporting and
production skills.
Hrs.Courses
3 MC 110
Mass Communications in Society
3 MC 200
News and Feature Writing
3 MC 241
Editing
3 MC 251
Digital News
3 MC 303
Advanced News Writing
3 MC 316
Computer Assisted Reporting
2 MC 385
Media Practicum
3 MC 416
Photojournalism
or
MC 426
Magazine and Feature Writing
3 MC 466
Law of Mass Communications
1 MC 491Mass Communications Internship
3 MC 580
Convergence Reporting
30
Select one of the following 3-hour courses:
MC 564
History of Mass Communications
MC 572
Global Communication
MC 573
Ethics in Mass Communications
MC 585
Media Management
3 MC 612
Gender Issues and the Media
6Electives (3 hours must be 500-level or above)
39 hours required
3-5 Electives (any MC course or courses)
39 hours required
Journalism and digital media — electronic
focus
Courses in this sequence prepare students for writing,
reporting and producing in various electronic
production formats.
Hrs.Courses
3 MC 110
Mass Communications in Society
3 MC 200
News and Feature Writing
3 MC 251
Digital News
3 MC 316
Computer Assisted Reporting
2 MC 385
Media Practicum
3 MC 406
Advanced Digital News
3 MC 408
Producing Digital News
or
MC 471
Audio/Video Production
3 MC 461
Web Techniques
3 MC 466
Law of Mass Communications
1 MC 491Mass Communications
Internship
3 MC 580
Convergence Reporting
30
Select one of the following 3-hour courses:
MC 564History of Mass Communications
MC 572
Global Communications
MC 573
Ethics in Mass Communications
MC 585
Media Management
3 MC 612
Gender Issues and the Media
6Electives (at least 3 hours at 500 level or above)
39 hours required
For more information about
journalism and mass
communications, contact:
A.Q. Miller School of Journalism
and Mass Communications
Kansas State University
105 Kedzie Hall
828 Mid-Campus Dr South
Manhattan, KS 66506–1501
785-532-6890
journalism@k-state.edu
jmc.k-state.edu
For more information about
Kansas State University, contact:
Office of Admissions
Kansas State University
119 Anderson Hall
919 Mid-Campus Dr North
Manhattan, KS 66506–0102
1-800-432-8270 (toll free) or
785-532-6250
k-state@k-state.edu
k-state.edu/admissions
Notice of nondiscrimination
Kansas State University prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color,
ethnicity, national origin, sex (including sexual harassment and sexual violence),
sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, ancestry, disability, genetic
information, military status, or veteran status, in the University’s programs and
activities as required by applicable laws and regulations. The person designated
with responsibility for coordination of compliance efforts and receipt of inquiries
concerning nondiscrimination policies is the University’s Title IX Coordinator: the
Director of the Office of Institutional Equity, equity@k-state.edu, 103 Edwards Hall,
Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, (785) 532-6220. The campus
ADA Coordinator is the Director of Employee Relations, charlott@k-state.edu, who
may be reached at 103 Edwards Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
66506, (785) 532-6277.
2016