By Sandra Chalmers: Editor-in-Chief

Communications and Mass Media have now been added to the impacted majors list this fall 2010. A total of six majors are now impacted at CSUSM: Communications and Mass Media, both Bachelor of Arts, join Business Administration, Kinesiology, Nursing, and Human Development.

“Impacted” is a term used to describe a major that has more qualified students interested than can be accommodated for. Since CSUSM wants to preserve a quality classroom experience, certain screening requirements are now being enforced.

In easier terms, Communications and Mass Media are now in the top ten most popular majors for CSUSM, showing clearly that currently there is not enough faculty support to supply the demand of the students interested in either growing major.

Screening criteria includes a requirement of 60-semester of baccalaureate-level coursework applicable toward a degree at CSUSM and completion of coursework equivalent to the lower-division preparatory coursework for the Communication and Mass Media major.

A list of the major prep classes can be found at www.csusm.edu/admissions/impaction/impactedmajors.html

A minimum GPA of 2.5 needs to be achieved in the major prep classes in order for students to apply and be accepted officially into the major.

Without completion of major prep courses, and meeting the minimum GPA requirements, students cannot enroll in upper division major core classes.

Since this limits freshmen and sophomores to even declare Communications or Mass Media until they have finished the prep classes and are in junior class standing, until requirements have been fulfilled, they can be admitted as “Pre-Communications” or  “Pre-Mass Media.”