Scripps College of Communication

The Schoonover Center for Communication
20 E. Union St.
Athens, OH 45701
Phone: 740.593.4883
Fax: 740.593.0459
scrippscollege@ohio.edu
http://www.scrippscollege.ohio.edu

Scott Titsworth, Ph.D., Dean
Michelle Ferrier, Ph.D., Associate Dean, Innovation, Research/Creative Activities, and Graduate Studies
Beth Novak, Ph.D., Associate Dean, Student Success

Mission

The Scripps College of Communication provides leadership in communication by preparing students to be effective and responsible communicators in a global society and by advancing the field through creative activity and research on communication concepts, issues and problems.

The Scripps College of Communication fosters multicultural awareness within a diverse community. It strives to create a climate of civility where leadership and innovation are prized, and where responsibility and accountability are understood. The College values curriculum, research, and creative activity that provide benefits to people regionally, nationally, and internationally.

The College was created to meet the communication needs of a changing society. New forms of communication, the growth of communication systems, and the need for better communication among people, races, economic groups, and nations were factors in Ohio University’s decision to prepare graduates both for traditional roles and for a variety of new opportunities.

The College is equipped to train graduates for careers and postbaccalaureate study in journalism, video and audio production, music production, interactive media, voice and data communication, visual communication, and organizational and interpersonal communication. The College operates on the assumption that professional competency in these areas calls for the highest proficiency in the field of specialization, plus the broadest liberal education in other disciplines.

Departments/Schools

The Scripps College of Communication comprises the following academic schools, which offer a combination of major, minor, and certificate programs:

School of Communication Studies
J. Warren McClure School of Information and Telecommunication Systems
E. W. Scripps School of Journalism
School of Media Arts and Studies
School of Visual Communication

The School of Communication Studies offers a liberal education, emphasizing the scientific and artistic basis of communication. It is firmly committed to providing quality instruction in the theoretical bases of human communication and the application of theory in specific contexts. Students choose areas of concentration and specific courses that lead to professional and preprofessional competence in such fields as training and human resources, law, politics and government, health advocacy, campaign implementation, and survey research. Students majoring in communication studies must choose one area of concentration from among health communication, organizational communication, and communication and public advocacy.

The J. Warren McClure School of Information and Telecommunication Systems is a unique program that educates students about the design, management, and uses of advanced communication technologies. The only program of its kind in Ohio, and one of very few in the nation, the School offers a four-year baccalaureate program leading to a degree with a major in information and telecommunication systems. Coursework centers on the business applications of voice and data networks and services. The interdisciplinary approach, a highly successful paid internship program, and substantial hands-on laboratory experience prepare students for careers managing business communication networks, as well as with major telephone companies, consulting firms, and government agencies.

The E. W. Scripps School of Journalism is fully accredited, with undergraduate sequences in news and information (broadcast news, news writing and editing, magazine journalism, and online journalism) and strategic communication (advertising) and public relations. The journalism school is recognized nationally and by the Ohio Board of Regents for the quality of its more than 200 annual graduates, who move into careers in leading newspapers, magazines, and news-gathering organizations, as well as into advertising and public relations positions. Careers and graduate study take them to all parts of the world.

The School of Media Arts and Studies (MDIA) offers a professional degree program leading to the bachelor’s degree, and is designed to prepare students for media careers. Students apply for the following majors at the end of their first year: media social change; gaming and animation; music production and recording industry; screenwriting and producing; and integrated media, which includes video, audio, animation, gaming, management, screenwriting, social media and media studies. The school also offers a major through the Honors Tutorial College for students with outstanding high school records. Ohio University’s Zanesville, Lancaster and Southern campuses offer an associate’s degree program in electronic media. These programs offer a more intimate setting for the first two years of University coursework with a seamless transition into the MDIA on the Athens campus.

The School of Visual Communication prepares students for careers in informational graphics/publication design, interactive multimedia, photojournalism, and commercial photography. Students graduating from the program are qualified to pursue careers in newspapers, magazines, corporate communications, Web design, advertising photography, and new media production.

All programs of study at the undergraduate level lead to the bachelor’s degree. More detailed descriptions and the requirements for the various majors offered in the schools are given in the program information of each.

Graduate programs in all five schools are described in detail in the Graduate Catalog.

Admissions

Admission Requirements

Freshman admission to the Scripps College of Communication’s J. Warren McClure School of Information and Telecommunication Systems, School of Communication Studies, E. W. Scripps School of Journalism, School of Media Arts and Studies, and School of Visual Communication is based on high school grades, test scores, and professional activities, as well as availability of openings. You might receive additional consideration if you have demonstrated talent or experience, or if you come from a disproportionately represented group. Each school has its own set of admissions policies. For information on admission procedures, visit the individual school’s Web site or contact the school director of your intended major.

Transfer Admission

In general, all students currently enrolled at Ohio University who wish to transfer into the College must have earned at least 32 semester hours with a GPA of at least 2.5. However, some schools in the Scripps College of Communication have a higher GPA standard. Students not enrolled at Ohio University must abide by policies in the Admissions section of this catalog under the heading “Transfer Applicant.” Applicants might receive additional consideration if they have demonstrated talent or experience, or if they come from a disproportionately represented group.

The Schools of Information and Telecommunication Systems and Visual Communication follow the rolling transfer model, meaning students may apply to transfer at any time. However, University policy requires that processing the paperwork to change programs take place by the Friday of the second week of the semester, regardless of the application date. The Schools of Communication Studies, Journalism, and Media Arts and Studies have different application deadlines and rules for applying. See each school’s section for details. Students transferring into one of the schools within the Scripps College of Communication will be required to complete the major requirements in effect during the academic year of the approved transfer.

This regulation applies to:

Students transferring from other universities;
Students transferring from other colleges within Ohio University; and
Students transferring from one school to another within the Scripps College of Communication.

Degrees and Requirements

College-Level Requirements

The Scripps College of Communication offers curricula leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Communication (communication studies, media arts and studies, information and telecommunication systems), Bachelor of Science in Journalism, and Bachelor of Science in Visual Communication.

As a candidate for a degree in the Scripps College of Communication, you must satisfy the requirements established by the program in which you are enrolled. Additionally, you are required to meet the General Education requirements that have been established by Ohio University. Most University General Education courses can satisfy both program and University requirements. Consult your advisor on the dual application of those courses.

You must also have a minimum total of 120 earned hours with a 2.0 accumulative grade point average (GPA) and a 2.0 GPA in your major. When courses are retaken, only the final hours and grades earned count toward graduation.

After transferring into the Scripps College of Communication, you must complete a minimum of 32 credit hours as a resident of the school in which your major resides. In certain cases, exceptions may be made by the academic dean, in consultation with the director of the school you plan to enter.

Advising

When you enter a school in the Scripps College of Communication, you are assigned an academic advisor on the basis of your interests. Your faculty advisor assists in the preparation of a schedule each semester so you select the proper sequence of courses in the major and appropriately related courses. However, you are responsible for seeing that all degree requirements are met.

Scholarships

Scholarships sponsored by each of the five schools within the Scripps College of Communication for qualified undergraduate students are available on an annual basis. For more information, contact the scholarship chair of each school, the assistant dean for undergraduate programs and services, or the College’s website: http://www.scrippscollege.ohio.edu.

Education Abroad

For information about education abroad opportunities, visit the Office of Education Abroad’s website.

Residential Learning Community

The Scripps College of Communication Residential Learning Community (RLC) blends the best of the academic and residential resources at Ohio University for its freshmen students. Freshmen accepted into the Scripps College RLC take their first-semester classes together and live in the same residence hall. The Scripps College RLC has helped out-of-state students adjust to their first year at Ohio University, because many of them arrive on campus without a set of friends from high school. For additional information, contact Ohio University’s Learning Communities at http://www.ohio.edu/learningcommunities.

Academic Probation

First-year students and first semester transfer students who, at the time of review, do not have a 2.0 or higher GPA, will be placed on academic probation and will be required to complete an Academic Success Workshop coordinated by the Allen Student Help Center. This 90-minute workshop is mandatory each time a student is placed on academic probation and is intended to help students improve their academic performance and return to good academic standing as quickly as possible. Failure to attend a workshop will result in a registration hold, which will not be lifted until the workshop is complete. Information about the workshop will be sent to students’ permanent address, local address, and/or university email account. See the Allen Student Help Center website (http://www.ohio.edu/helpcenter) for workshop dates and times. Please contact the Allen Student Help Center with any questions or concerns: Baker University Center 419, 740.566.8888, helpcenter@ohio.edu.