Mass Media, Communication & Theatre

The Department of Mass Media, Communication, and Theatre at Texas A&M University-Commerce is located in the magnificent Performing Arts Center on the shores of beautiful Gee Lake and in the Journalism Building, a well equipped facility with a striking mosaic mural on its front edifice. The department houses a modern 304-seat playhouse, an experimental “black box theatre,” KETV television studios, student radio (KKOM), and journalism labs with state-of-the-art computers and software.

Speech Communication

Studies in speech communication are designed to provide scholarly training in communication for professionals in business, industry, social services, speech education, law, government, and religion. The program produces graduates who understand and can solve communication problems, making them uniquely able to contribute to the growth and betterment of society.

Journalism

The news editorial sequence prepares students for careers in print journalism, with an emphasis upon newspaper and magazine writing. Students in this sequence complete a core of University and sequence courses which equip graduates with the intellectual background and journalistic skills necessary to enter the professional world. Each student completes a liberal arts curriculum and takes courses in writing, editing, law, ethics, and media history. Each news-editorial major also serves a media internship. The public relations sequence offers basic skills courses in writing, editing, and design and adds focused classes in the principles of the field, in writing documents for public relations, in the analyzing and discussion of case histories, and in public relations campaigns. A student in this sequence is prepared to enter corporate, organizational, government/public affairs, and non-profit career opportunities.

Radio & Television

The radio-television program prepares students for employment in production and management at broadcast stations, networks, cable-TV companies, independent production houses, school media centers, and corporate or industrial television operations. The radio-television department maintains a careful balance between in-class academic work and practical “hands-on” broadcast experience. All students begin actual production in audio immediately and most will do some form of on-air work by their second semester.

Theatre

With two modern theatres, a computerized lighting system, and a broad-based theatre curriculum, the major in theatre offers a comprehensive education in all aspects of theatre. State-of-the-art technical instruction, a proven teacher education program, and “hands on” training in acting, directing, designing, and stage management prepare the serious theatre student for a career in professional or academic theatre. Each year, both undergraduate and graduate students experience a full season of productions in the University Playhouse, ranging from Shakespeare to Sam Shepard. The Playhouse also stages and maintains a highly successful summer musical program. Theatre faculty are dedicated, serious professionals with degrees from top universities in the field. Class sizes are small, and offer the unique opportunity for the theatre majors to write, direct, acts or design for the theatre for their senior project. Much of the classroom and practical work is conducted on an individual basis.