Beyond the courses required by the department, students select—in consultation with advisors—the specific courses that best meet their goals and interests. Generally, students with non-communications undergraduate majors will be expected to concentrate on communications electives. Those with a communications baccalaureate are encouraged to seek broadening electives outside the department.

The Mass Communications degree is offered by the Brigham Young University.

Understanding The Role of Media in Society

Students will be able to correctly explicate theories from the fields of communication, sociology, psychology, and cultural anthropology and correctly apply them to significant media questions and issues facing individuals, families, and broader social institutions.

Conducting Scientific Research

Students will be able to produce valid and reliable research in the form of theses, projects, conference papers, and peer-reviewed journal articles. Students will be able to use appropriate quantitative and qualitative research methods to answer significant and relevant questions. Students will be able to formulate testable research questions and hypotheses and select the appropriate methodological design to answer their research questions and test their hypotheses. Students will be able to analyze their data using approporiate multivariate statistical tests and arrive at the appropriate conclusions based on those tests. Students will be able to explain the basic ontologoical and epistemological differences that undergird the quanitative and qualitative research paradigms. Students will be able to develop and execute rigorous qualitative research strategies leading to the application and development of grounded theory.

Communicating Effectively

Students will learn to plan communication that serves audience needs and advances the goals of the organizations served by our graduates. Students will be able to apply theory and research to the needs of their employers. Students will increase their capacity to be competent professional communicators.

Developing Scholar-Disciples

Students will understand the nexus between faith. scholarship and character. This program follows the AIMS of a BYU Education, to offer an educational experience that is spiritually strengthening, intellectually enlarging, character building, and that leads to lifelong learning and service.