MC Offers New Degree Programs and Classes Starting in Fall 2023

Every year, MC expands the class and program catalogs. Advisors are encouraging students to consider adding the new classes and program to their schedules in the fall of 2023

Jennings (pictured above) is the epicenter to the School of Humanities and Social (SHS) Sciences. Several of the new classes and programs will take place in Jennings.

Mississippi College's academic syllabus is expanding for MC students as administration launches new degree programs for the upcoming school year. Each of these new courses and programs is designed to spark interest and improve the learning experience of students at the university. MC opens new learning opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Communication and the Department of English and Philosophy. 

The upcoming fall semester’s new classes for MC’s undergraduates include Communication classes such as Introduction to Christian Media, Church Media Production, and Strategic Ministry Communication for students who are interested in ministry work. Other Communication courses include Communication Ethics, Advertising in Communication, and Audience Analysis for students who want to strengthen their foundational communication skills. 

The Department of Communication is also introducing two new concentrations in which students can earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Media Analytics Communication and Ministry Communication.

"We've found there’s a great need within media organizations for students with this skill set, so these majors will be equipped to meet this growing workplace demand,” said Dr. Reid Vance, chair of the Department of Communication. “We’ve always had our majors go on to work in churches and ministry non-profits, so our new Ministry Communication program will be a great fit for them. We think it will also draw ministry-minded students to MC.”

New courses are being offered to graduate students as well, including Grief Counseling from the Department of Counseling and Advanced Integrated Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum.

The Department of Sociology added three new graduate student classes— Perspectives on Child Maltreatment and Child Advocacy, Professional and System Responses to Child Maltreatment, and Responding to the Survivor of Child Abuse and Survivor Responses. 

Another addition to this department in the fall is the CAST program. The CAST (Child Advocacy Studies Training) certification is earned after a three-course training. By getting the certification, students are better equipped to speak on the behalf of children who are victims of child maltreatment in areas such as social work, criminal justice, and nursing. Attaining the CAST certification also allows students to have better-paying jobs in their field.

“What I am excited about in offering the CAST certificate is that students are provided an opportunity to learn from the viewpoint of several disciplines instead of one,” Dr. Laurie Lawson, chair of the Sociology department, said. “They learn how various disciplines and professions work together to help understand and prevent the maltreatment of children. Obtaining the certificate provides an extra set of skills for students.”

Furthermore, two new minors are being offered by the Department of English and Philosophy. The new English minor is directed towards all undergraduate students (except English majors) who are wanting to enhance their English skills. Students that have already completed their English core classes would only have to take a few more English classes to receive the minor. The instructors of this new minor have designed it to be “flexible and feasible for nearly any major,” said Dr. David Miller, a professor for the Department of English and Philosophy. 

On the other hand, the new Applied Humanities minor is designed to be more broad than the English minor because it focuses more on the key humanities skills such as written and oral communication, problem-solving, practical experiences, and professional presentation. The minor includes a field experience dimension that allows students to be able to get internship experiences either on campus or in the community to practice new skills 

“The Department of English and Philosophy is in the middle of a five-year strategic plan that was conceived to review how [faculty] could best meet the changing needs of students at Mississippi College,” said Dr. Miller. “This plan includes not just [English and Philosophy] majors and minors, but the courses that we have in the core curriculum as well.”