Media Studies Minor

The Media Studies minor provides an overview of mass communication and requires 24 credits from the classes listed below. You must have at least a 2.00 UO GPA to apply to the minor. All minor courses must be taken graded and passed with a “C” grade or higher. You may not take minor courses pass/no pass.* See below for COVID exceptions.

This minor is not available to majors in the School of Journalism and Communication.

Required courses (8 credits/2 courses). Both courses are typically offered every term:

  • J201 Media and Society
  • J314 Intro to Media Studies (prerequisite: MEST minor status)

Elective courses (choose 16 credits/4 courses). All courses have J201 as a prerequisite. The 400-level courses require MEST minor status:

  • J320 Gender, Media and Diversity
  • J385 Communication Law
  • J387 Media History
  • J396 International Communication
  • J397 Media Ethics
  • J400M Computer Crime Law (Winter 2021 only)
  • J411M US Film Industry (Formerly a J412 course. Do not take if you have taken J412 US Film Industry)
  • J412 Issues in Communication Studies [Topic] ** / ***
  • J429 Media Technologies and Society [Topic] **
  • J430 Culture and Power in the Media [Topic] **
  • J431 Media Structures and Regulation [Topic] **
  • J467 Issues in International Communication [Topic] ** / ***
  • J496 Issues in Communication Ethics & Law [Topic] ** / ***

** These are special topics courses. Course titles offered within each “topic” will vary. These courses are repeatable three times if the topics have different titles.

*** Effective 2021, the topics previously offered under the J412, J467 and J496 numbers were reassigned to J429, J430 or J431. Do not take the same title under its new number.

NOTE: The following courses are eligible for the minor only if they were taken any term through Summer 2019. Effective Fall 2019, they were no longer eligible for the minor.

  • J340 Principles of Advertising
  • J350 Principles of Public Relations

* COVID-exceptions to the pass/no pass rule: 

  • Any pass (“P”) grades taken during Spring 2020, Summer 2020 and Fall 2020 are permitted.
  • One pass (“P”) grade is allowed for any elective course (J320 through J496) taken during Winter 2021, Spring 2021 or Summer 2021 combined (not one per term).