COURSE CURRICULUM

The Mass Communications Advertising and Public Relations program at SEMO is a 45-hour major designed to prepare students for dynamic careers in advertising, public relations, digital media, and strategic communication by combining creative production skills with analytical, strategic, and managerial training. The core curriculum builds a strong foundation in media studies through courses such as Media and Society, Digital Media Production, Media Analytics, Media Diversity, Media History, and Media Law, enabling students to understand how media systems function, how audiences consume and interact with content, and how communication is influenced by ethical, legal, and cultural frameworks. Students also complete elective coursework that allows them to customize their academic experience based on specific interests within media and communication fields. The program places strong emphasis on applied learning through its required option courses, where students gain hands-on experience in Arrow Lab and develop advanced competencies in media analysis, strategic planning, media design, public relations fundamentals, strategic writing, promotional campaign development, and media management. These courses integrate creative execution with strategic decision-making, preparing students to design and implement effective communication campaigns across traditional and digital platforms. In addition to core and applied coursework, students complete a support course in mathematics or statistics, such as mathematical reasoning and modeling or statistical reasoning, which strengthens their ability to interpret data, evaluate audience insights, and measure media effectiveness in a data-driven industry environment. This analytical training complements creative and strategic skills, ensuring students can make informed, evidence-based communication decisions. Overall, the program integrates theory, creativity, technology, and strategy to develop well-rounded communication professionals. Graduates are prepared for careers in advertising agencies, public relations firms, corporate communications departments, digital media production, media planning, content strategy, and brand communication, equipped with both practical experience and analytical expertise to succeed in the rapidly evolving media and advertising industry.