Students may attend a variety of excellent institutions of higher learning that offer Bachelor’s in Communications programs in Mississippi. From small colleges that provide classes to just a few hundred students to universities with several thousand students, Mississippi provides many choices for students in public, private, secular, and religiously-affiliated campuses. The state is also home to several historically black colleges with histories stretching back to the 19th century. Studying mass communications is an excellent way to enter a job in film, broadcast journalism, or writing, as well as to prepare the student for entry into graduate school or professional school after graduation.
See our ranking of the Top 20 Best Online Communications Degree Programs.
Alcorn State University
School of Arts and Sciences
Alcorn State University is a private school and his a historically black institution of higher learning. As it was established in 1871, the school exists as the oldest black college in the United States. The rural campus covers 1,700 acres and is located about 80 miles southwest of the city of Jackson. Around 3,700 students attend Alcorn State University, which was once the academic home of civil rights activist Medgar Evers. The school is also part of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. The school’s Braves and Lady Braves participate in NCAA Division I games, and the school’s official colors are purple and gold.
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communication
The mission of the department in which this Bachelor’s in Communications program in Mississippi is offered is to prepare students to become expert critical thinkers. Graduates will become successful media practitioners who are masters of language and understand the techniques and skills required for effective writing and communication within a variety of media. Not only can graduates enjoy work in jobs that require knowledge of media and communications, but they can also enter jobs in the areas of public relations, business, sales, writing, and visual media as reporters, producers, and news anchors. Students in Mass Communications also get to participate in a student-run online newspaper published on a bi-monthly basis.
Accreditation
- Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
Alcorn State University
1000 ASU Drive
Lorman, MI 39096
1-601-877-6100
admissions@alcorn.edu
Millsaps College
Department of Communication
Millsaps College was established in 1890 by the United Methodist Church. Although the school remains affiliated with the Methodists, the curriculum offered to students enrolled in degree programs is secular. The college is private and has been labeled a best buy by the “Fiske Guide to Colleges.” The school has around 986 students enrolled with almost 100 full-time academic staff. The urban campus is located in Jackson and covers 103 acres. Students who participate in sports play in NCAA Division III games as the Majors and Lady Majors with a mascot named The Millsaps Major, and the school’s official colors are purple and white.
Major in Communication Studies
The communication major at Millsaps College is considered one that is conceptual rather than skills based. This bachelor’s in communication in Mississippi is one that can lead graduates to work in producing, speaking, and writing, as well as provide essential skills in listening, theory, philosophy, and ethics. Communications classes students must take to graduates include Literary and Cultural Theory, Introduction to Communication Studies, and History of the Media. During the senior year of study, students will take a Senior Seminar in Communications, which is worth four semester hours, as well as participate in a Communications Internship, which is also worth four semester hours.
Accreditation
- Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
Millsaps College
1701 North State Street
Jackson, MS 39210
1-601-974-1305
admissions@millsaps.edu
Mississippi College
Department of Communication
Mississippi College is affiliated with the Baptist denomination of Christianity and is located in Clinton, Mississippi. The school was founded in 1826 and is the second-oldest college affiliated with the Baptist Church. There are more than 5,100 students attending the college, which makes it the largest private college in the state. The school’s campus is 320 acres in a suburban area, and the school’s sports teams participate in NCAA Division II games as the Choctaws. There are sixteen varsity teams at the school, and the official colors of Mississippi College are blue and gold. Students, staff, and faculty regularly participate in local community service.
Bachelor of Arts in Communication
The communications program at Mississippi College is designed to offer instruction both inside and outside the classroom. Students will participate in an internship, as well as enjoy access to video recording equipment and editing machines. There are several concentrations within the communication major that include Journalism, Political Communication, Sports Media, Theater, Public Relations, Mass Media, and Interpersonal & Public Communication. Activities that a student may participate in while enrolled in this bachelor’s in communication program in Mississippi include broadcast events for the school’s sports teams, producing the weekly campus news program at Mississippi College, and acting as a reporter for the school’s newspaper, as well as many other communications-related activities.
Accreditation
- Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
Mississippi College
200 S. Capitol St.
Clinton, MS 39056
1-601-925-3457
fortenbe@mc.edu
Mississippi State University
Department of Communication
Established in 1878, Mississippi State University is a land-grant college located in the town of Starkville. The university is so large that mail is directed to “Mississippi State, Mississippi” rather than the unincorporated town in which it is located. The campus is rural and covers 4,200 acres with almost 22,000 students attending across the system. Sports teams at the university participate in NCAA Division I games, and the school’s mascot is named Bully. The nickname of the sports teams is the Bulldogs, and the official colors of the school are maroon and white. The Carnegie Foundation ranks the school as an R2: Doctoral University with “higher research activity.”
Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies
The Bachelor of Arts in Communication is available in several concentrations that include Broadcasting, Journalism, Theater, Public Relations, and Communication Studies. Students interested in getting a job in corporate or public communication will want to choose the Communication Studies concentration in this bachelor’s in communication program in Mississippi, which will prepare them for work in the industry or for entry into a graduate school program. Some of the classes students will take in the program include Introduction to Communication Theory, Introduction to Mass Media, and Fundamentals of Public Speaking. Students will also take Small Group Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Political Communication, and Nonverbal Communication when they choose to concentrate in Communication Studies.
Accreditation
- Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
Department of Communication
Mississippi State University
130 McComas Hall
Mail Stop 9574
P.O. Box 9574
Mississippi State, MS 39762
1-662-325-3320
admissions@msstate.edu
Mississippi University for Women
College of Arts, Sciences, and Education
Although its name might indicate otherwise, Mississippi University for Women is a coeducational school in Columbus, Mississippi. The college was initially known as the Industrial Institute and College before it changed its name to its present-day title. The name change stemmed from the university’s administrators placing a larger emphasis on collegiate-level education rather than vocational education. The school started admitting men in 1982, and they make up around 20 percent of the students enrolled at the college. The official colors of the school are dark blue and light blue, and the nickname of the sports teams are the Owls with a mascot named Ody the Owl.
Bachelor of Arts in Communication
Not only can students pursue a Bachelor of Arts in this undergraduate degree in communications program in Mississippi, but they can also choose a Bachelor of Science in the discipline. Students don’t have to pay an application fee to submit an application for undergraduate school at Mississippi University for Women, and there are also scholarships available to those who enter the program. Some of the topics under discussion in the curriculum include journalism, radio production, television, design for the internet, advertising, film production, and print media. Students will graduates with the ability to practice in a variety of different media, from online to traditional.
Accreditation
- Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
Department of Communication
Mississippi University for Women
1100 College Street
Columbus, MS 39701
1-662-329-7354
bpsmith@muw.edu
Mississippi Valley State University
Department of Mass Communication
Established in 1950, Mississippi Valley State University is a historically black college located in the town of Itta Bena. There are just over 2,500 students enrolled for classes at the university, which features a rural campus. The school is part of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, and the official colors of the school are forest green, white, and red. Students play in NCAA Division I athletics, and the school is part of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The school was once described as “vocational” to avoid the appearance of offering higher education to black students in an era when segregation and desegregation were volatile subjects in the United States
BA Communication
The degree in communications from Mississippi Valley State University is available in four different concentrations that include Broadcasting, Public Relations, Speech, and Journalism. Some of the courses a student may take in the program include Media Writing, Radio Production, Introduction to Mass Communication, and Introduction to Data Processing. Students may choose to participate in the school’s Communications Club, as well as try membership in the Press Club, participate for the Honors Program, and join Lamba Pi Eta, which is the communication students honor society. Students interested in scholarships may want to pursue the Delta Devils Gazette Scholarship, which gives the student $1,200 and requires that the student participates in creating the student newspaper.
Accreditation
- Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
Mississippi Valley State University
14000 Highway 82 W.
Itta Bena, MS 38941
1-662-254-9041
admissions@mvsu.edu
Rust College
Division of Humanities
Rust College was established in 1868 and is one of ten historically black colleges founded at or before that date which is still in operation. The school has anywhere from 700 to 900 students attending at any one time, and this number fluctuates based on the module in which students are engaged. The school was founded by a group of missionaries called the Freedman’s Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. There are five divisions at the college, and students may seek an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. The college campus covers around 126 acres and features several buildings that date back to the middle of the 19th century.
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communications
This degree in mass communications in Mississippi requires that students complete a total of 124 credit hours in order to graduate. The college encourages its students to select a minor when they enter the program and also requires that students participate in an internship worth six credits, as well as complete a senior project. To graduate, students must earn a minimum grade of “C” in every class taken within mass communications. Some of the classes a student will take include Introduction to Mass Media, News Writing and Reporting, Mass Media Law, and Research in Communications. Students may choose to concentrate in Broadcast Journalism or Print Journalism.
Accreditation
- Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
Rust College
150 Rust Ave.
Holly Springs, MS 38635
1-662-252-8000
dmoyo@rustcollege.edu
Tougaloo College
Mass Communications Department
Founded in 1869, Tougaloo College is a small school of 900 students located in Madison County. A group of missionaries from New York founded the school to help recently freed slaves earn an education, and the school also operated as a training college for teachers until the 1890s. The school’s official colors are royal blue and scarlet, and the sports teams are nicknamed the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs within the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. The school is affiliated with the United Church of Christ. In the 1990s, several buildings at the school were placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communications
Students who want to graduate from Tougaloo College with a degree in Mass Communications must maintain a GPA average of at least 2.75. There are four concentrations available at the school that include Journalism, Advertising, Radio & Television Broadcasting, and Public Relations. Courses in the major include Introduction to Mass Communications Theory, Voice & Diction, Media Ethics & Social Responsibility, and Research & Writing in Mass Communications. Students may also choose a second emphasis if they’re willing to complete an additional 12 to 15 hours of classes. Students must complete all requirements for the freshman and sophomore classes before they can register for upper-division classes.
Accreditation
- Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
Tougaloo College
500 West County Line Road
Tougaloo, MS 39174
1-601-977-7700
admissions@tougaloo.edu
University of Mississippi
Meek School of Journalism & New Media
Many of the students and alumni of the University of Mississippi refer to it as “Ole Miss.” The public university is located in Oxford, Mississippi but brings a significant number of students to the town via its 2,000-acre campus. Almost 25,000 students attend the University of Mississippi, which also has around 2,200 faculty members and more than 10,000 staff members. The school’s sports teams are nicknamed the Rebels, and the students play in the SEC group of NCAA Division I. The school’s official colors are navy blue and cardinal red. Founded in 1848, the campus features several buildings from that era.
B.S. in Integrated Marketing Communication
According to the university, this bachelors in communication program in Mississippi covers a “full spectrum” of communication methods and tools and focuses on technology and media. Topics under discussion in the degree program include advertising, brand management, public relations, and research that can help students provide insights for consumers and in marketing and advertising. There are several specializations offered including Media Sales & Management, Public Relations, Sports Communication & Promotion, and Magazine Publishing & Management. All classes taken in the program must be completed with a minimum grade of C, or the class must be taken a second time. Students must buy a laptop computer that is school-approved before enrolling in classes.
Accreditation
- Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
The University of Mississippi
Office of Admissions
145 Martindale
P.O. Box 1848
University, MS 38677
1-662=915-7226
admissions@olemiss.edu
University of Southern Mississippi
Department of Communication Studies
Founded in 1910 and once known as Mississippi Normal College, the University of Southern Mississippi has more than 14,000 students attending classes at its Hattiesburg campus, which is around 100 miles northeast of New Orleans. The school has “high research activity” according to the Carnegie Foundation. The school’s campus is in an urban area of the state and covers 300 acres. The school’s official colors are gold and black, and the teams are nicknamed the Golden Eagles and Lady Eagles. The university is known for its study abroad program where students enjoy a semester abroad in countries like the United Kingdom.
Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies
This bachelor’s in communications program in Mississippi helps students explore a variety of areas in communication that can help them master communication in business, as well as in personal relationships. Some of the courses students will take include Rhetoric and Public Life, Introduction to Communication Studies, and Interpersonal Communication. Some of the topics under discussion include crisis situations, intercultural settings, business & nonprofit environments, the healthcare industry, social movements, and how communication impacts each of these areas. In addition to earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, the school also offers its students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Science in Communication.
Accreditation
- Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
The University of Southern Mississippi
118 College Drive
Hattiesburg, MS 39406
1-601-266-4271
Wendy.AtkinsSayre@usm.edu
William Carey University
Department of Theatre and Communication
William Carey University is a private college in Mississippi that is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The school was known as the Pearl River Boarding School in 1892 when it was founded, but the school burned down in 1905 and was rebuilt as South Mississippi College in 1906. The school has just over 4,600 students attending its Hattiesburg, Mississippi campus and its smaller satellite campus in Gulfport. The school’s official colors are red, white, and black, and the school’s mascot is the Crusader. The university recently opened its College of Osteopathic Medicine and enrolled 110 students in this new program.
Mass Communication Major
This bachelor’s degree program in communications in Mississippi requires that students complete 37 to 39 hours of university core courses and the rest of the degree’s courses in mass communications subjects. Students may earn a Bachelor of Science by taking classes in the natural or physical sciences, as well as computing and mathematics courses, or they may earn a Bachelor of Arts degree by taking classes in foreign languages, literature, and philosophy. Students may choose to concentrate in Electronic Media and News Production or Public Relations, and each concentration requires that the student complete certain classes with minors being approved by the student’s college advisor.
Accreditation
- Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
William Carey University
WCU Box #17
710 William Carey Parkway
Hattiesburg, MS 39401
1-601-318-6218
theatre-and-communication@wmcarey.edu
A degree in mass communications is a valuable option for students because the knowledge gained from it may be used in a variety of industries. With many concentrations available that range from news production and film production to journalism and public relations, students may enter the workforce in many different roles, as well as consider entering a traditional business environment, a Master of Business Administration program, or professional program after graduation. Students interested in earning a degree from one of the Bachelor’s in Communications programs in Mississippi should begin their search by investigating the various concentrations available within the various degree programs across the state.