Media Literacy Certificate Details

The Certificate is a five-course, 18-20 credit program of study. The 18-20 credits are comprised of three required courses and two elective courses, chosen from a pre-approved list of Communication courses (see course list below). All undergraduate students matriculated at the University and all 5-College students will be able to pursue the Certificate in conjunction with their major course of study. Nonmatriculated students will also be able to pursue the Certificate. It is possible to fulfill all courses for the Certificate entirely online, which allows interested students beyond the immediate geographic area to enroll.

Enrollment and Advising

Interested students are encouraged to apply for enrollment in the Certificate course of study while enrolled in any of the required courses (Comm 121: Introduction to Media and Culture, Comm 335: Media and Education, or Comm 427: Media Literacy) and must complete their application no later than enrollment in the fifth and final course. Students must meet with the Media Literacy Certificate Program Director to develop a plan of study. In order to be awarded the Certificate, students must fulfill all criteria and submit a signed form to the Registrar's office upon certificate course completion.

Please Note: If a student who has completed a certificate seeks clearance for a degree program that overlaps with that certificate program, the Registrar will note on the transcript that the certificate has been superseded by the degree.

All advising questions should be directed to Prof. Allison Butler at @email

Requirements

Students who complete five eligible courses will receive a Certificate of Media Literacy, noted on their transcript. Students who work towards a Certificate in Media Literacy will complete five approved courses, focused on and complementary to media and youth, within the Department of Communication. Students must enroll in Comm 121: Introduction to Media and Culture as a pre-requisite for the Certificate; Comm 427: Media Literacy and Comm 335: Media and Education are the other two required courses in the certificate. In addition, students must complete two certificate electives, drawing from the defined list of Comm courses relevant to media literacy (see below). No pass/fail courses will be counted towards the five courses.

If Communication students are interested in the Certificate, they must take three of the approved courses beyond the 45/46 credits required for a BA/SM in Communication. In other words, a maximum of two courses may “double dip” for both the Certificate and the Communication major.

Curriculum

Please Note: The following courses are typically offered as in-person classes during the fall and spring semesters and online during the summer term.

Core Courses:

All three of the following courses:

• Comm 121: Introduction to Media and Culture (3 cr)
• Comm 335: Media and Education (4 cr)
• Comm 427: Media Literacy (4 cr)

Elective Courses:

Any two of the following courses:

• Comm 287: Advertising as Social Communication (4 cr)
• Comm 288: Gender, Sex and Representation (4 cr)
• Comm 289: Media, PR and Propaganda (4 cr)
• Comm 336: Consumer Culture (3 cr)
• Comm 338: Children, Teens and Media (3 cr)
• Comm 394DI: Youth, Democracy and the Entertainment Industries (3 cr)
• Comm 349: Sports, Culture and Advertising (3 cr)