Curriculum changes are designed to create more tailored majors, allow students to determine their sequences and begin taking specialized MASC courses earlier in their college career. Students will enter VCU as MASC majors in the Foundation instead of being classified as “pre-majors.” After three semesters in the Foundation, students will petition for a Sequence.
The curriculum update includes a number of cutting-edge courses; updated names and descriptions, and changes in MASC collateral courses.
The most significant changes are in the advertising curriculum, which faculty members said they “blew up” and rebuilt from the ground up.
“Our new advertising curriculum focused on the attributes of those who perform successfully in a variety of advertising roles,” said Dr. Judy VanSlyke Turk, the School’s director. “Our old curriculum focused on the skills we taught in our courses – like courses in copywriting and art direction, for instance. Our new curriculum focused on the attributes copywriters and art directors need to be successful – “Perspicuousness” for copywriting, and “Imagination” for art direction.”
The Mass Comm updates are being introduced at the same time as when VCU is evaluating its core and general-education requirements.
Mass Comm adviser Natasha Long says the School’s new curriculum will offer more choices from a wider variety of courses to better meet the needs of students and the changing media industries.
Should students need guidance or assistance in understanding the curriculum changes, they are encouraged to seek advising either with their
