Course FAQs
Q: What classes should I take in my first year as a BTMM major?
A: The BTMM department strongly encourages students to take courses both in the University Core AND in their major as soon as they declare BTMM as their major. (See the Undergraduate Bulletin for suggested schedules.) Students should bear in mind the requirements below, including the prerequisite structure, when choosing their first year schedules.
Within your first two semesters as a BTMM major, you should complete:
• TWO of the BTMM core courses (011, 020, & 040) 1011, 1021 & 1041
• AT LEAST ONE of the foundational prerequisites in your area of study:
- Production students should complete BTMM (070) 1701 – Introduction to Media Technology
- Media Business students should complete BTMM (055) 1655 – Media Management & Organization
- Media Analysis students should complete BTMM (114) 2141 – Mass Communication Research
There is much writing involved in all facets of the BTMM major – even in courses that are not designated as “Writing Intensive” – including project proposals, scripts, research papers, and more. For this reason, we also strongly encourage you to take BTMM (039) 1390 - INTRO TOPICS IN INSTITUTIONS, Sec. 001 PRINCIPLES OF WRITING within your first two semesters.
Q: How many credits may I take in my major?
A: You must take at least 40 credits to earn a BA in BTMM, but you may not exceed 54 credits.
Q: Is there a limit on how many credits I can take in other SCT departments (Advertising, FMA, Journalism, StOC, Theater)?
A: You may not take more than 71 credits in all SCT departments INCLUDING BTMM. For example, if you take the maximum number of BTMM credits (54), you may not take more than 17 credits of Advertising, FMA, Journalism, StOC and Theater courses.
Q: What are the requirements for the BA in BTMM?
A: In addition to completing the University CORE curriculum, BTMM majors must complete a minimum of 40 credits and a maximum of 54 credits of BTMM courses. Certain specific courses must be taken at certain point in your academic career. Within your first 45 credits as a BTMM major, you must take:
- BTMM 1011 (011) – Mass Communication Theory
- BTMM 1021 (020) – Mass Media & Society
- BTMM 1041 (040) – Media in Everyday Life
After completing a total of 90 credits, you must take:
- BTMM 4039 (395) – Senior Seminar
PLUS in your Junior or Senior year, you must also complete EITHER:
- an Internship (BTMM 4785 (391))
OR
- a Practicum (BTMM 4887 (371) – Radio Practicum, (BTMM 4596 (W372) – TV Practicum, or BTMM 4787 (377) – TV Production Workshop
AND:
All BTMM majors must complete 4 additional courses numbered between 2000 - 4890.
Q: Journalism (C055) 1011 and BTMM (020) 1021 sound like the same class to me. Can I take Journalism C055 instead of BTMM (020) 1021 and still meet BTMM requirements?
A: No, they are significantly different courses and BTMM majors must take BTMM 1021 (020). JOURN 1111 (C055) focuses on only one facet of media – Journalism – and its role in society whereas BTMM 1021 (020) covers social processes of all Mass Media. There is one exception – students who have credits for JOURN 1111 (C055) that transfer into Temple from another institution may waive BTMM 1021 (020).
Q: What if I’m a transfer student who transferred more than 45 credits into Temple – are the requirements any different for me?
A: Yes. Students transferring 45 or more credits into the University are only required to take 2 of the 3 “Foundation” courses 1011, 1021 and 1041 (011, 020 and 040) but AT LEAST ONE must be taken at Temple. All other requirements in the major are the same as above.
Q: Is there a limit to the number of credits that I can transfer in as BTMM courses?
A: Yes. No more than 20 credits may be transferred in as BTMM courses.
Q: What if I’ve transferred fewer than 45 credits into Temple?
A: Your requirements are the same as students who started at Temple as Freshmen.
Q: Are there any minimum grade requirements?
A: Yes. There are two important grade requirements. First, a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA is required to graduate. Second, any course that is intended to meet one of the above requirements for the BA must be passed with at least a C-. Required courses in which a student earns either an F or a D must be re-taken and passed with at least a C-. Grades of D+ or D are only acceptable in elective courses.
Q: How do prerequisites work?
A: A prerequisite is a course that you have to take and pass before you can take another course. For example, BTMM 1701 (070) – Introduction to Media Technology is the prerequisite for all Introductory-level Production courses (2741 (150) – Introduction to Cybermedia, 2701 (170) – Introduction to TV Production, 2771 (171) – Introduction to Radio Production, 2721 (172) – Introduction to Performance Techniques, 2751 (175)– Introduction to Digital Audio). Any students who wish to take an Intro-level Production course must first complete BTMM 1701 (070). All prerequisites must be met unless exempted in writing by the instructor.
Q: How do I know if there is a prerequisite for a class and, if so, what it is?
A: Course descriptions found in the Undergraduate Bulletin will include information about prerequisites. If you are using Owl Net to register for courses online, a letter “P” icon will appear next to the name of any course that has a prerequisite, and if you click on that “P”, information about the prerequisite will be displayed.
Q: OK, so when can I take my internship?
A: To participate in the Internship program in BTMM, you must complete a three-step process:
1. Apply for admission into the Internship program when you have:
- Junior or Senior Standing
- No Incompletes
- 2.5 minimum GPA in BTMM
- BTMM 1011 (011), 1021 (020) and 1041 (040) completed
(applications are available online and in the BTMM Department Office)
2. Secure your internship – you will have to contact potential employers directly and apply for an internship just as you would apply for a job. The Internship Director maintains a listing of contact information for employers for whom BTMM students have interned in the past and, once you’re accepted into the Internship program, you may have access to that information through the Internship Director. The BTMM Office (Annenberg 205) also maintains directories of contact information for various Media organizations from trade magazines. You are welcome to visit the office to browse these materials at any time.
3. Register for BTMM 4785 (391) - Internship through the BTMM Department Office.
Q: How many credits can I take for my Internship?
A: Internships may be taken for a minimum of 1 credit and a maximum of 4 credits.
Q: What determines the number of credits my Internship is worth?
A: Internship credits are based on the number of hours you spend per week at your Internship. The following scale applies:
- 16+ hours per week = 4 credits
- 12 - 15 hours per week = 3 credits
- 10 - 12 hours per week = 2 credits
- 8 - 10 hours per week = 1 credit
Q: Is there someone who I can contact if I have questions about Internships?
A: Dr. Elizabeth Leebron Tutelman is the director of the BTMM Internship program. She can be reached by e-mail at betsy@temple.edu.
Q: What’s the deal with all of these “Intermediate Topics” and “Advanced Topics” courses?
A: These are “Special Topics” courses. Specific classes offered under this designation will change each term and can be different from section to section.
Q: What kinds of classes are offered as Special Topics classes?
A: Topics classes tend to cover very interesting subjects. The department has offered courses such as "Mobile Media", "Convergence Media", “Comic Art and Animation”, “New Music Technology”, “Video Project Management”, “Media Literacy”, and many others.
Q: How do I know what actual class is being offered under a Special Topics designation?
A: You have to pay attention to the class Subtitle in Owl Net. This is where the name of the course is given.
Q: What is the Library test, sometimes referred to as the T.I.L.T.?
A. It is the Temple Information Literacy Tutorial, and it is a university graduation requirement.