Contact Information

• Program Coordinator: Stephanie D. Smith | ssmit149@kent.edu | 330-672-8147
• Speak with an Advisor

Fully Offered

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus

Description

The Media Advocacy minor prepares students to explore advocacy as both a professional discipline and an act of engaged citizenship by equipping them with theoretical and applied approaches for achieving meaningful social, political and cultural change through the use of media tools and concepts. The minor will deepen student understanding of individual activism, group advocacy and social movements. The required and elective courses will help students understand how to apply story-based strategies to create shared meaning, draw attention to societal issues and organize others to take action. It will also prepare students to understand how media shape individual decision making, public discourse and public opinion.

Admission Requirements

Admission to a minor is open to students declared in a bachelor’s degree, the A.A.B. or A.A.S. degree or the A.T.S. degree (not Individualized Program major). Students declared only in the A.A. or A.S. degree or the A.T.S. degree in Individualized Program may not declare a minor. Students may not pursue a minor and a major in the same discipline.

Program Learning Outcomes

Through this minor, students will be able to:

1. Explore advocacy by studying social movement theories, organizing models and the history and role of communication and media on advocacy efforts.
2. Understand and examine the power of story-based strategies in developing compelling change narratives, gaining public awareness and commitment and mobilizing sustainable collective action.
3. Understand, apply and critically analyze the core components of story-based strategies, such as underlying assumptions, framing, narrative power, conflict and use of evidence.
4. Develop a useful toolkit of nonviolent mobilization strategies and tactics.
5. Critically examine the role of traditional and digital media in framing and covering transformational change efforts.
6. Explore the critical elements of advocacy communication, including persuasive communication using all media, speechwriting, argumentation, testimony writing.
7. Practice experiential advocacy by applying media tools and the specific skills of their disciplines to advocacy problems.

Program Requirements

Minor Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Minor Requirements
CCI 20001	INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA ADVOCACY	3
COMM 35464	ARGUMENTATION AND PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION	3
CCI 45091	SEMINAR IN MEDIA AND MOVEMENTS (ELR)	3
Minor Electives, choose from the following:		9
ADED 20000	TOPICS IN SOCIAL JUSTICE IN TEACHING AND LEARNING
CCI 45091	SEMINAR IN MEDIA AND MOVEMENTS (ELR)
COMM 45007	FREEDOM OF SPEECH
HDFS 44033	COMMUNITY OUTREACH IN NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT (ELR)
MDJ 21001	PRINCIPLES OF ADVERTISING
PACS 31003	NONVIOLENCE: THEORY AND PRACTICE
PH 35005	ADVOCACY AND ACTIVISM IN PUBLIC HEALTH
PH 44025	PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC HEALTH LEADERSHIP
VCD 13000	VISUAL DESIGN THINKING
Minimum Total Credit Hours:		18

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Graduation Requirements

Graduation Requirements Summary - Minors

Minimum Minor GPA	Minimum Overall GPA
2.000	2.000

• Minimum 6 credit hours in the minor must be upper-division coursework (30000 and 40000 level).
• Minimum 6 credit hours in the minor must be outside of the course requirements for any major or other minor the student is pursuing.
• Minimum 50 percent of the total credit hours for the minor must be taken at Kent State (in residence).