Mass Communication Program

The Mass Communication program offers students a liberal arts background in mass media and prepares students for graduate school or an entry-level position in the media industry. One of the most attractive features of the Mass Communication program is its flexibility -- students have choices and options in both the courses they take and the careers they seek. Department graduates are employed in radio, television, newspapers, education, government, business and community service. Several have gone on to law school, while others have pursued advanced degrees in political science, business administration and international relations. Almost every field needs good communicators. Each student learns the basics of radio and television production, and the fundamentals of writing for print and broadcast media. Students are also given a strong foundation in communications theory, law, and media management.

Mass Communication Course Descriptions

Mass Communication majors can concentrate in one of three areas:

Print: The Communications Department is the home of the Xavier Herald. This student newspaper is the only paper from a historically Black college included in the Collegiate Newspaper Hall of Fame.

Broadcast: Xavier Television (XTV) broadcasts on the local cable public access channel. Mass Communication students produce professional style telecasts during the school year and air them over cable television.

Public Relations: Public Relations students are involved in a variety of PR activities which serve community interests. PR interns work around the city in varied businesses and organizations where they can receive academic credit and/or a salary. These activities increase their skills and interest in environmental and public interest communication.

Speech Pathology Program

Xavier's Speech-Language Pathology program offers pre-professional study and training. It also provides students with the background needed for entrance into a graduate program. The majors take a variety of courses, including normal language development, articulation disorders, anatomy and physiology of the speech and hearing mechanism, and are provided with supervised training while working with children and adults with communication disorders. The Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic is a well-equipped teaching laboratory used for assessing and treating clients' needs and for training future Speech-Language and Hearing professionals. The work in the laboratory is supervised by faculty members who are licensed and certified members of these professions.

Speech Pathology Course Descriptions

Speech pathology majors can concentrate in one of two areas:

Speech-language Pathology: an allied health profession, is the study of human communication -- its normal development and its disorders. Working with children and adults, the pathologist can determine whether communication problems exist and decide the best method of treating them. Some seeking the help of a speech- language pathologist may have problems with language, articulation, stuttering and/or voice. Communication disorders may be caused by head trauma, stroke, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, laryngeal cancer, cleft palate or birth defects. There is a great need of these professionals in public and private schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, health departments, research laboratories, colleges and universities, and in private practice. Although they work closely with other professionals such as physicians, teachers, psychologists, and social workers, the speech-language professional is independent and does not work under direct medical supervision.

Audiology: a discipline closely related to speech-language pathology. It is the study of normal and defective hearing. The audiologist strives to prevent hearing loss, aids in diagnosing problems, and recommends rehabilitation techniques that range from the use of hearing aids to lip reading and/or manual communication (sign language).  Audiologists are often hired by industry and the public sector to initiate hearing conservation programs. They also serve as consultants and give expert testimony on environmental noise and occupational noise-induced hearing loss. Additionally, audiologists provide services in hospitals, college and university clinics, rehabilitation centers and in private practice. Xavier's program affords students the opportunity to have supervised, hands-on experience working with children and adults in diagnosing and recommending solutions to hearing problems. The student with a high aptitude in science and mathematics and a sincere interest in helping people is encouraged to consider the field of audiology and to consider pursuing that field at Xavier!  

Majors are required to pass a comprehensive examination and are expected to attend all departmental meetings. In order for a departmental offering to be counted for degree credit, a student must earn a grade of "C" or better. Any student who has to repeat more than two major required courses because of a grade of "D" or "F" will be advised to change his/her major.

Minor in Mass Communication - This program consists of 18 hours of course work in Mass Communication, including:

• MSCM 1100 (Introduction to Mass Communication)
• MSCM 1200 (Principles of Visual Media)
• MSCM 2500 (Writing for Radio/TV), or
• MSCM 2222 (Writing for the Print Media), and
• Nine hours of electives can be chosen from any Mass Communication courses.

Minor in Speech Communication - This program consists of 18 hours of course work in Speech Communication, including:

• SPCM 2180 (Advanced Public Speaking)
• SPCM 2070 (Interpersonal Communication)
• SPCM 2500 (Intercultural Communication)
• SPCM 3040 (Small Group Communication)
• Six additional semester hours may be chosen from any of the courses offered in Speech Communication, Mass Communication, and Speech Pathology, with exception of SPCM 1010 or 1011H.

Speech Communication Course Descriptions

Minor in Speech Pathology/Audiology - This program consists of 19 hours in Speech Pathology/Audiology, including:

• SPTH 1320 (Introduction to Communication Disorders)
• SPTH 2310 (Phonetics)
• SPTH/BIOL 2340 (Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism)
• Nine hours must be taken from any of the other courses offered in Speech Pathology/Audiology with the exception of the clinical practicum courses. Students minoring in SP/A are not eligible for the practicum courses.