Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communications With Major in Public Relations

at Shorelight Group - University of South Carolina USA

Visual communicators tell stories. With a major in visual communications, you can learn to tell stories through photography, video, illustration, print publications or electronic design. Our core courses teach you the basics, and as you discover your talents, you choose the electives and out-of-classroom experiences that match your interests.

As a visual communications major, you will use the latest technology in a series of courses that emphasize multimedia production and writing. Later, you can apply your knowledge in an internship with an ad agency, public relations firm, newspaper or magazine, hone your skills and gain valuable hands-on experience in your visual communications specialty. As a senior, you will complete a capstone experience in which you will prepare a multimedia portfolio that will allow you to shine in a competitive job market.

Whether you want to explore issues facing the public officials who caucus in buildings just blocks from campus or master international relations, political science students receive broad exposure to the discipline while gaining an understanding about how politics, government and governance shape the world and its quality of citizenship.  

As a political science major, you will be selecting courses from fields such as American politics, comparative politics, international relations, public administration and policy, and political theory while also developing one or two individualized areas of interest.

You will learn how to research the answers to important questions related to politics, political values and public policy. You will benefit from a wide variety of course offerings and have the opportunity to complete a public service internship to gain hands-on experience.

As a physics major, you will be exposed to challenging coursework that will give you a solid foundation in all of the central areas of physics, including Newtonian mechanics, electricity and magnetism, statistical physics and quantum mechanics. You will also have the opportunity to tailor the program to your own interests by choosing from specialized experimental courses or designing your own research program in consultation with our faculty researchers.

As a physics major, you will be exposed to challenging coursework that will give you a solid foundation in all of the central areas of physics, including Newtonian mechanics, electricity and magnetism, statistical physics and quantum mechanics. You will also have the opportunity to tailor the program to your own interests by choosing from specialized experimental courses or designing your own research program in consultation with our faculty researchers.

In the real estate program through the nationally ranked Darla Moore School of Business, you can expect to learn the concepts, principles and methodologies used in real estate analysis and decision-making.

As a real estate major, you will focus on topics such as market analysis, real estate finance, property appraisal, investment analysis and portfolio management. You will learn about appraisal, development and purchasing of houses and other properties. You will benefit from continuously updated technology, award-winning faculty members, a team environment, field trips to leading industries and service-learning opportunities. Our distinguished faculty excels in the field of real estate and will encourage you to expand your educational experiences through internships and study abroad.

The Film and Media Studies Program is devoted to the critical study of media culture. In a world where we interact daily with one screen after another—on our cell phones, televisions, mobile devices as well as at the multiplex—our students gain the knowledge and skills for understanding and engaging the work of screen media in society.

Courses in the Film and Media Studies major cultivate essential media literacy skills, investigate media history from an international perspective, and engage the central methods and concepts of the discipline.

By working closely with program faculty, you have the opportunity to undertake advanced research on almost any aspect of media culture—from early Hollywood to contemporary Asian cinema and European television, from home movies and experimental films to selfies and social networks, from problems of industrial organization to questions of genre development and social habit.

Social work is a helping profession. The main goal of social work is to improve a society's overall well-being, especially for the most vulnerable populations. Our students learn to work with individuals, couples, families, groups, neighborhoods, communities and organizations to empower them to meet their needs.

As a social work major, you can expect to develop skills in community organizing, diversity, social justice, networking, interviewing, multitasking, case management and grant-writing. You will also be able to gain hands-on experience in the field through service-learning that is integrated into academic coursework. You may also choose to pursue the Child Welfare Certificate and become certified in child welfare and receive a fellowship from the Department of Social Services.

Do you know you want a career in communications, but aren’t sure which avenue to take? Do you see yourself working in media using a variety of skills to create content or to deliver information through different mediums? Through our undergraduate curriculum, you will gain a broad understanding of media and develop skills to be a well-rounded communicator.

Know you want a career in communications but aren't sure which part? That's OK. We'll help you identify your strengths and focus your interests. You'll gain broad insight into the communications industry and learn to recognize and analyze the media’s role in our society. You'll graduate with a deep intellectual understanding of the elements at work in the media today, and you'll be well rounded and media literate.

As companies face ever-increasing challenges around the globe, risk management and insurance become even more important to a business. This major focuses on the methods of developing financial protection against loss with emphasis on insurance principles, solving risk management problems and socioeconomic security programs.

As a risk management and insurance major, you will develop cutting-edge business knowledge and develop a strong foundation in liberal arts and sciences. You will also gain global opportunities, cultural awareness and language appreciation. At the university, you will benefit from continuously updated technology, an award-winning faculty, a team environment, field trips to leading industries and service-learning opportunities. Through internships, you will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the field.

South Carolina is blessed with a coast full of beautiful beaches as well as estuaries and tidal areas teeming with marine life. Take advantage of hands-on learning opportunities that allow you to participate in a multitude of research experiences along our precious coast and around the world.

As a marine science major, you will obtain interdisciplinary knowledge in marine science as well as core knowledge in an area of emphasis chosen from among biological oceanography, chemical oceanography, physical oceanography, geological oceanography or coastal resource management and marine policy.

You will be exposed to real field experiences during an early summer course where you may spend three full weeks at the Baruch Institute at North Inlet Estuary in Georgetown, S.C. The Baruch Institute is an internationally acclaimed research laboratory with the main building of the complex comprising 18 air-conditioned research laboratories, a computer center, a seminar room and more.

Back on campus, you will be exposed to challenging coursework with laboratory components. To enhance your educational experience, you will be encouraged to get involved with faculty research projects and participate in activities such as marine science seminars and recruiting visits by industry and government organizations.

The information science major focuses on effectively collecting, storing, managing, preserving and using information to benefit businesses and nonprofits. Information science brings together technology, information and users to achieve strategic goals of organizations and ultimately improve society.

As an information science major, you will acquire skills needed for managing the life-cycle of information while connecting users to essential information. Information science students develop strong technical skills connecting diverse communities with means to navigate and succeed in today’s complex information world. Information scientists are essential professionals across nearly every industry, from banking to government to medicine.