Mass Communication
Introduction
The Department of Mass Communication at ISU was established in August, 2000. Basically, programs in communication are offered by universities in northern Taiwan. Our program is the first bachelor degree program in mass communication in southern Taiwan. We believe more programs in communication should be established in southern Taiwan to help remedy the imbalance of communication programs that existe in northern and southern parts of Taiwan. Students can enter our department in a variety of ways:through college entrance examination, personal application, high school recommendation, or university recruitment. Students who graduate receive a BA degree in Mass Communication.
Teaching and Research
The course of study integrates theory
and practical training. Students are taught the necessary skills and
innovatove ideas to succeed. Courses in ethics and law help them to
become responsible communication workers. After the first year, students
choose one of the three emphases: broadcasting/journalism, new media
technologies, or public relations/marketing/advertising. Graduating
students are required to have 144 credit hours, which include 22
required General Courses credits, 10 elective General Courses credits,
73 required major credits, and 39 elective major (including courses
taught in English) credits. Currently we admit 60 students annually. We
give students a solid grounding in both theory and practical skills so
that they can successfully work or pursue further studies upon
graduation. Our goal is to provide students with an integrated knowledge
of communication by studying oral/written communication, images,
advertising/public relations, print media, electronic media, websites,
etc. We already have developed relationships with
communication organizations where students can complete internships and
gain practical training experiences. We are also building a production
and recording studio, post-production room, control room, darkroom,
theater, and multi-media lab, and other related facilities. We encourage
faculty to apply for grants from the National Science Council, the
Government Information Bureau, and some other orgnizations.
Curriculum and Facility
Professionally, we expect students to
develop skills in areas of mass communication, interpersonal
communication, and new communication technologies. Personally, we
emphasize the development global vision, humanity, and good citizenship.
With these two educational aims, we want our students to use the
knowledge, skills, and ethics they learn to influence society positively
and enhance the quality of life of the communities in which they work.
Our short-term goal is to develop more completely our three areas of
emphases, i.e., broadcasting/journalism, new media technologies, public
relations/marketing/advertising. Our medium-term goal is to establish a
mass communication graduate school. Combined with other related
departments, this university will provide a complete communication
education in order to meet the increasing needs in communication talents
in southern Taiwan. Our long-term goal is to establish a doctoral
program and to create centers for research and practice in mass
communication. This long-term goal will enable us to integrate more
subtly theory and practice to satisfiy the needs of society in Taiwan
and Asia.Therefore, the key points of our future development include:
1.Studying and teaching of local communication environment.
2.Instituting internships, practical trainings, and job development in
broadcasting/journalism.
3.Establishing a student radio station and a local TV station or
producing programs in existing public channels.
4.Using various communication technologies, especially websites.
5.Educating public relations/marketing/advertising
professionals.6.Retraining and re-educating local
communicators.7.Developing international mass communication, especially
an Asian Pacific communication enterprise with local expertise.
Career Development
Students who graduate from our
department will be able to meet contemporary needs in the communication
job market. They will have chance to serve in the following capacities:
1.Communicators in film, television, radio, magazines, newspapers,
websites, etc.
2.Business professionals in public relations, advertising, marketing,
management, design.
3.Students continuing their education in graduate school in Taiwan or
abroad.
4.Teachers or government workers through education credits or government
examinations.
5.Various communication workers in print, electronic, computer, and
network media, and professionals in public relations, advertising,
marketing, management, and design.
