Minors, Certificates, and Special Degrees
The School of Journalism and Mass Communication offers two minors: in Mass Communication and New Media. In addition, there are a number of minors which advisers often suggest for SJMC students, including the minors in design, leadership, and management.
SJMC students also have the opportunity to participate in a number of special programs at the University, including special degrees and certificates. Visit the links below to find out more about these opportunities.
Minor in Mass Communication
Interdisciplinary Minor in New Media Studies
Minor in Design
Minor in Leadership
Minor in Management
Special Degrees ( B.I.S, IDIM, and ICP)
Direct Marketing Certificate
Students seeking a minor in mass communication must consult with an adviser in Room 110 Murphy Hall. The qualifications for admission are:
- B average
- A “C” or higher grade in JOUR 1001
When these criteria have been met, an adviser in Room 110 Murphy Hall will approve a minor program plan. The mass communication minor consists of 18 credits, including:
- JOUR 1001
- JOUR 3004W or 3004V
- JOUR 3101 or 3201 or 3202
- Three context courses, one of which must be at the 4xxx or 5xxx level.
Interdisciplinary Minor in New Media Studies
SJMC is the host academic unit for the University's interdisciplinary
minor in new media studies, and the School administers this minor on
behalf of the College of Liberal Arts. This minor is open to all
undergraduates and provides students an opportunity to supplement any
major field of study by exploring how information is created in new
media and the role and impact of those media on human communication.
Students explore how emerging digital technologies change the ways in which various types of content can be created, managed and distributed and, in so doing, potentially change the content itself.
Content of the Minor: The course content of the minor is divided into two groups. “Core” courses provide opportunities to view these changes and their consequences from four perspectives: cultural, political, legal/ethical, and economic. “Elective” courses examine the core issues from different disciplines (e.g., history, geography or art) and incorporate the study of a number of closely related issues. These include how the Internet affects the dissemination of scientific and technical information and how it adds a new dimension to art.
Core Courses: The School of Journalism and Mass Communication offers four courses that comprise the core for this minor. Each of these courses enables students to look at new media from a different perspective of mass communication. Students are encouraged to take those core courses that best complement their major field of study. At least one of these core courses is offered each semester. The four core courses are:
Jour 3551 Economics of New Media
Jour 3552 Internet and Global Society
Jour 4551 New Media Culture
Jour 5552 Law and Ethics of Internet Communication
Elective Courses: Elective courses may be courses from any department other than Journalism and Mass Communication that focus on new media from a particular perspective. These courses must be at the 3000 or 4000 level and can have no more than one prerequisite (for students enrolled in the minor). Currently the following courses have been approved for inclusion in the minor:
*ARTS 3601 Interactivity: Digital Processes
CSCL 3173 The Rhetoric of Everyday Life
CSCL 3461 Monsters, Robots, Cyborgs
ENGL 3351W Voices from the Gaps: Writing and Art by Women of Color
ENGL 4722 Alphabet to Internet: History of Writing Technologies
GEOG 3561 Principles of Geographic Information Science
GEOG 5588 Multimedia Cartography
HSCI 3331 Technology and American Culture
HSCI 3715 Technology and Civilization: Waterwheels to the Web
HSCI 4321 History of Computing
HIST 3705 From Printing Press to Internet: Media, Communications and History
MUS 5591 Electronic Music: History, Literature, Principles
MUS 5592 Digital Music Synthesis and Processing Techniques
SCMC 3001 History of Cinema and Media Culture
*TH 4554 Graphics and Animation for Video
*TH 4555 Audio Technology
*TH 4556 Digital Audio and MIDI for Performance
*TH 5551 Editing and Post Production for Video and Film
*TH 5554 Multi-media for Live Performance
WRIT 3371 Technology, Self and Society
*WRIT 3401 Internet Communication: Tools and Issues
WRIT 3577 Rhetoric, Technology and the Internet
*WRIT 4501 Usability and Human Factors in Technical Communication
* Courses preceded by an asterisk are designated as “technical” courses
Minor Requirements: The minor requires a minimum of 15 credits. Courses required include: 2-3 core courses (minimum of 6 credits) and 2-3 elective courses (minimum of 6 credits), and at least one course at the 4xxx level or above. No more than 8 credits of elective courses may be earned from a single department.
A grade point average of 2.0 or above in the minor courses is required for successful completion of the minor.
To Register for the Minor: The new media minor is open to undergraduates in all majors. Students wishing to enroll in the minor should print and complete the New Media Minor program plan (PDF) and obtain a signature from the SJMC Undergraduate Studies Office in 110 Murphy Hall.
Note: Students are encouraged to consult with their principal academic advisor before submitting a plan. Students may also consult with Nora Paul, Director of the Institute for New Media Studies in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, or with Dan Sullivan, who is chair of the faculty steering committee for this program.
The SJMC Student service staff will make a copy of this plan, which must be submitted to 49 Johnston Hall to declare the minor.
Minor in Design
The design minor is an interdisciplinary program open to all Twin Cities undergraduates. For students who are not majoring in a design field, the minor requires completion of at least 18 credits, including two Level 1 core courses (one 1xxx-level course; Design Minor Seminar) and two Level 2 core courses (each 3 credits). Students may choose their Level 2 core courses from the following:
ARCH 3611 Design in the Digital Age
KIN 3505/5055 Introduction to Human-Centered Design/Applied Topics in Human Centered Design
ME 2011 Introduction to Engineering
JOUR 4551 New Media Culture
Student in the Design minor are also required to take two additional elective courses from a list of approved courses. For more information about the design minor, visit the program Web site at
http://www.design.umn.edu/prospective_students/programs/designminor.html
If you plan to complete this minor program, check with your CLA adviser to make sure you will meet the 65 CLA credit requirement in order to comply with accreditation standards.
Minor in Leadership
The leadership minor is a 16-credit interdisciplinary, multidimensional, experimental, and multi-cultural program designed to help students explore and experience multiple frameworks of leadership. The program prepares students for real-life leadership experiences by combining social change theories of leadership with authentic service to the community.
The leadership minor is a collaboration of the College of Education and Human Development, the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, and the Office for Campus Life. For more information about the leadership minor, visit the program website at http://www1.umn.edu/lead/.
If you plan to complete this minor program, check with your CLA adviser to make sure you will meet the 65 CLA credit requirement in order to comply with accreditation standards.
Minor in Management
The Carlson School of Management offers a management minor, which is an interdisciplinary program open to all Twin Cities undergraduates. This minor provides an excellent opportunity for students to gain a broad exposure to the basic elements of business and management and to enhance their preparation for professional school (such as law or business school) or for entering a career upon graduation.
Applications for admission to the management minor are accepted in the fall or spring semester. Deadlines are April 1 for fall semester and November 1 for spring semester.
For more information about the management minor, visit the program website at http://www.csom.umn.edu/Page546.aspx. Questions may also be directed to the management minor adviser at 612-624-3313. Applications are available in the Carlson School Undergraduate Studies office, Room 1-105 Carlson School of Management, or online at http://www.csom.umn.edu/Assets/2741.doc.
If you plan to complete this minor program, check with your CLA adviser to make sure you will meet the 65 CLA credit requirement in order to comply with accreditation standards.
Special Degrees
The University of Minnesota offers a number of individualized degree programs, which provide the opportunity for students to combine the study of mass communication with the study of related disciplines such as marketing, political science, psychology, art history or English. These special degree programs include the Bachelor of Individualized Studies (B.I.S.), the Individually Designed Interdepartmental Major, (IDIM), the Inter-College Program (ICP), and the Program for Individualized Learning (PIL).
Students wishing to emphasize journalism in the IDIM, B.I.S., or ICP program must have a B average and a grade of C or better in Jour 1001. Individualized program students must include Jour 3004W in their programs. With adviser approval, 1-3 professional (skills) courses are permitted, but not required.
To learn more about the IDIM or B.I.S., visit the program website at http://idp.class.umn.edu/. For more information about the ICP program, visit http://www.cce.umn.edu/degrees/icp/.
A B average is required for students in the PIL (Program for Individualized Learning) who wish to include journalism courses in their programs. For more information about the PIL, visit the program website at http://www.cce.umn.edu/degrees/pil/.
Direct Marketing Certificate
The College of Continuing Education at the University of Minnesota offers an undergraduate certificate in Direct Marketing in partnership with the Midwest Direct Marketing Association (MDMA).
By using general marketing theory and skills as its base, the Direct Marketing Certificate Program examines what integrated direct marketing is and what it can do for an organization. Students will gain an understanding of prospect and consumer marketing and the specifics of business-to-business and business-to-consumer target marketing.
A minimum of 60 credits and a 2.20 grade point average are required for admission.
For more information about the certificate in Direct Marketing, visit the program website at http://www.cce.umn.edu/certificates/mgmt/marketing/.