Advertising and Public Relations

Student Handbook

Student Name:
This handbook can be found online
at: http://www.msa.edu.eg/

If you have a disability which We can supply sections from this

makes reading this handbook or publication as a Word document or
navigating our website supplied on a CD or memory stick
difficult and you would like to • printed copy on non-white paper
receive information in an
alternative format, please contact • printed copy with enlarged type
the Department of Student Affairs.

Purpose and status of your student handbook

The purpose of this handbook is to provide you with information about your Programme of study and
to direct you to other general information about University of Bedfordshire that validate this
programme of study.

The material in this handbook is as accurate as possible at the date of production, however you will
be informed of any major changes to the information in this handbook in a timely manner. This
handbook must be read in conjunction with the University Regulations.

Your comments on any improvements to this handbook are welcome - please send your comments
with the name of the handbook to Dr. Lamees El Baghdady, Faculty's Director of Learning and
Quality and Link Tutor.
CONTENTS
Purpose and status of your student handbook ........................................................................................
Academic Calendar ......................................................................................................................................
INTRODUCTION TO THE INSTITUTION ......................................................................................................
Welcome to The Faculty of Mass Communication ...................................................................................
Welcome from the Dean ........................................................................................................ ……….
Welcome to your course…………………………………………………………………
CONTACTS AND COMMUNICATION ..........................................................................................................
Programme staff list and contact details ............................................................................................
Student website .................................................................................................................................
E-mail ................................................................................................................................................
Your contact and personal details .....................................................................................................
Giving your feedback – suggestions and complaints .........................................................................
Data Protection and Privacy ..............................................................................................................
YOUR PROGRAMME8
Accessing your timetable...................................................................................................................
Programme structure diagram ...........................................................................................................
Your first year ....................................................................................................................................
Attendance requirements ..................................................................................................................
Professional, statutory and/or regulatory body requirements ............................................................
Health and Safety requirements ........................................................................................................
Feeding back on your programme .....................................................................................................
Employability NEW ............................................................................................................................
Transferring to study at University of Bedfordshire University ........ Error! Bookmark not defined.
LEARNING, TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT .............................................................................................
Learning and teaching methods ........................................................................................................
Assessment methods ........................................................................................................................
Submission, receipt, marking and return of assessment ...................................................................
Assessment Feedback ......................................................................................................................
Progressing on your programme .......................................................................................................
Academic Misconduct .......................................................................................................................
Appeals .............................................................................................................................................
SUPPORT ......................................................................................................................................................
Academic Support .............................................................................................................................
Support services at [institution name] ................................................................................................
Student office ....................................................................................................................................
Student Union membership ...............................................................................................................
QUALITY OF YOUR PROGRAMME AND EXPERIENCE ...........................................................................
Quality assurance and enhancement of your programme .................................................................
External Examiners ...........................................................................................................................
Programme specification and curriculum map for [title of programme] ...............................................
Unit narratives ..............................................................................................................................................

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Academic Calendar
Academic Calendar for each Academic Year for the three offered semesters: Fall, Spring and
Summer is available on MSA's Website on:
http://msa.eun.eg/st_calen.asp

Students can also find the Sports Activities Calendar on MSA's Website on:
http://msa.eun.eg/st_calen.asp

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INTRODUCTION TO MODERN SCIENCES AND ARTS
UNIVERSITY
October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA) was established under Republican Decree
No. 244 for 1996 to introduce state-of-the-art technologies and concepts in all disciplines. MSA is
proud that its different programmes were fully accredited before the graduation of its first class in
Spring 2000.

MSA is the outcome of 4 decades of experience in the field of education on the local and
international levels. Dar El Tarbiah was the first Language School founded by Egyptians in 1956.
The institution has maintained an excellent reputation, based on the high quality of teaching and
facilities that has been recognized both locally and internationally in GCE, IGCSE, GCSE as well as
Thanaweya Amma and American Diploma. Our students’ excellent performance in the British
System has encouraged us to expand the British Section in our school to include both IGCSE &
GCSE simultaneously. Our success in teaching all AL and AS subjects for almost 12 years with
outstanding results in the IGCSE encouraged us to complete the undergraduate programmes.

MSA is an English Language instruction medium university. The current academic work of the
university is divided into nine faculties, namely: Faculty of Management, Faculty of Engineering,
Faculty of Dentistry, Faculty of Pharmacology, Faculty of Biotechnology, Faculty of Computer
Science, Faculty of Mass Communication, Faculty of Arts & Design and Faculty of Languages. We
are keen on providing our students with all the up-to-date tools needed to cope with the Information
and Communication Technology Era. That is why we are dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in
curricula, facilities, staff and students. That is the main reason why our modern and progressive
policy has been internationally acknowledged by universities in the UK and USA as we have several
cooperation agreements with prominent universities there. MSA programmes are designed and
implemented according to the most up-to-date international standards. All unit outlines highlight the
role of new and emerging technologies in meeting challenges posed by the Information and
Communication Technology Era.

MSA aims to provide its students with an exceptional learning experience that will enable them to
compete in the global highly-competitive job market. The vast experience of Dar El Tarbiah
Institution and MSA University in the field of education made its Top Management keen to adopt the
British Education System due to its unique characteristics that provide students with the necessary
up-to-date tools and skills in a flexible environment while at the same time insuring that students are
highly committed and competitive.

MSA Web site: http://msa.eun.eg/

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Welcome to Faculty of Mass Communication

The Faculty of Mass Communication at MSA offers a programme made up of three majors:
Advertising, Public Relations and Broadcasting, and Journalism. The faculty offers Advertising and
Public Relations minor as well to students of other MSA faculties.

The Faculty of Mass Communication emphasizes creative and professional aspects of mass
communication; students do not only learn theories, they also mix theory with practice. Students are
offered internships in major Egyptian and international media organizations operating in Egypt.

Public seminars are also offered featuring top media figures. The faculty of Mass Communication is
equipped with multimedia production configurations as well as audiovisual equipment and online
publishing means.

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Welcome from the Dean

Welcome to our distinguished Faculty to which we are all proud to belong. Our main policy is to
encourage you to be creative, different, proficient and able to utilize your skills. In addition, we
do our best to meet the same British academic standards in course planning, teaching, exam
writing and grading through our three programs of study: Broadcast, Journalism and Advertising
& Public Relations. These Programs aim at refining students' knowledge, exploring their talents,
enhancing their creative way of thinking in order to be able to cope with today's rapidly
changing and highly competitive environment. We are heading not only towards a man of
success but also a man of value as well.
Our ambitions and dreams have no limits because of our outstanding staff members and
teaching assistants, our brilliant-minded students, prominent and unique resources such as the
well-equipped studios and computer labs. This is why our highly qualified graduates have
gained a world-wide recognition and they are actually occupying famous posts in Egyptian,
regional and international media institution sand their performance is remarkably appreciated.
Studying at the Faculty of Mass Communication, MSA is a unique experience.

For us education is not just academics, it is how you enrich your way of living. Therefore, I invite
you all to make use of being one of the University Community and participate in various social,
cultural, scientific and sports activities. So make your study years at the university as rewarding
and enjoyable as you can. And day by day what you choose, what you think, what you do is
what you become. My door is always open to hear your suggestions for continuous
improvement and to keep our Faculty ahead of competition. Let us hope that our world will be
better than it used to be.

With warm regards,

Prof. Ibtessam. A. El Guindi

Dean of the Faculty of Mass Communication.
MSA University.

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WELCOME TO the PR and Advertising Major YOUR
Course

It is our pleasure to welcome you to the Faculty of Mass Communication at MSA. In a fast changing
world where people probably will change jobs and careers often during the course of their working
lives, a major in Mass Communication provides the basic skills needed for a wide variety of jobs and
careers, and most importantly, skills in media writing, media design and production, public relations
and advertising skills and critical thinking.

The Internet has blurred the lines between different media and no clear distinction remains between
print, television and radio. Advances in computers and telecommunication networks have led to their
merging, or convergence, with conventional mass media. The transition to an information society is
mainly driven by rapid changes in communication technology.

In the Faculty of Mass Communication at MSA, we are challenged and entrusted by these
substantial changes, which are taking place in both theory and practice of communication. As
educators, we are preparing our students to deal efficiently with the current communication
revolution, to be both informed media consumers, responsible media practitioners and leaders in
media industry in Egypt and elsewhere.

Because tomorrow's communication leaders are expected to serve across media, to understand
global transformations in economy, politics, and technology and to plan integrated marketing
communications; our students are exposed to general communication disciplines before focusing on
a specific area of study.

As an MSA student, the Bachelor’s degree you receive is both accredited in Egypt and at the same
time equivalent to the same degree offered by University of Bedfordshire in the United Kingdom,
which entitles you to a number of benefits including opportunities in international media job market
and (receiving) scholarship for postgraduate studies abroad.

Above all, we are proud to state that the Faculty Members including professors and assistant
professors are distinguished in terms of their experience, degrees, publications, methods of
teaching and dedication. They strive to educate tomorrow's leaders in the exiting and challenge
world of mass communication. It is indeed, a pleasure.

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Staff list and contact details
Information related to the contacts of teaching Staff is available at the Faculty's website.

Administration staff members can provide each student with instructor's office hours and work
contacts. Further, if a specific instructor is needed by the student for an urgent matter, the
department can contact him/her on the student's behalf.

Student website
Please log in using your MSA user name (the same one as you use for your computer account) to
access the E-Learning service

E-mail
MSA provides each student with a login personalized account and an e-mail as well. Accounts can
be created from IT Department.

Your contact and personal details

You should ensure that we are kept up to date of your contact details to ensure that all important
communication reaches you. You should update your contacts at the University Registrar.

Giving your feedback – suggestions and complaints

Students on validated programmes of study will have access to complaints and grievance
procedures established by their home institution (MSA) which should either be detailed here or a
signpost given to where it can be found. The guiding principles are that these matters should be:
• treated seriously and with fairness
• dealt with without undue delay, and in as straightforward a manner as possible
• treated consistently across the University or institution
• dealt with and resolved, wherever possible in an informal way
• progressed through stages leading, if necessary, to a formal stage.

If you have a suggestion or a complaint about any aspect, please raise it with the person concerned
in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the outcome you can progress the matter through
informal and formal procedures step by step up the management structure of the Faculty of Mass
Communication.

The complaints and grievance procedures of October University for Modern Sciences and Arts must
be followed and have been fully exhausted before you can follow the University of Bedfordshire
University “Complaints in relation to collaborative partner institutions” which can be found in the
University of Bedfordshire University regulations.

Data Protection and Privacy

The information that you provide at enrolment is held on a computerised database and maintained
in accordance with the Data Protection Act. We ensure that the data is held securely and not
disclosed to third parties without your consent, unless we are obliged to do so by law.

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YOUR COURSE (ADVERTISING AND PR)
Accessing your timetable
The university schedule is published on the MSA web-site prior to the beginning of each semester
and students can access this schedule anytime.

Students are provided with a detailed timetable at the end of the registration period at the beginning
of the semester. A student can take a replacement copy from the Faculty Registrar at anytime.
Printed copies of the Examination schedule are available at least one week before exam periods.

Course structure diagram

First Year: Fall Semester

1. ENG 101: English for Academic Purposes
2. ARAB 101: Arabic Syntax & Morphology
3. CS 100: Introduction to Information Technology
4. MCOM 101: Introduction to Mass Communication
5. HUM 130: World History
First Year: Spring Semester
6. ENG 102: English For Study Skills
7. MCOM 103: Writing for Mass Media
8. MCOM 102: Electronic Publishing
9. ARAB 102:Arabic Writing
10. ECO 102A: Introduction to Microeconomics

Second Year: Fall Semester

11. ENG 201: English For Research Purposes
12. MCOM 213A: Seminar on Special Topics
13. MCOM 211: Introduction to Advertising and Public Relations
14. MCOM 212: Introduction to Journalism
15. MCOM 231: Introduction to Broadcast
Second Year: Spring Semester
16. MCOM 306: Mass Media Research I
17. MKT 201A : Principles of Marketing
18. MCOM 226: Advertising Workshop
19. MCOM 215: Mass Communication Theories and Models
20. MCOM 214: History of Arab Media
Third Year: Fall Semester
21. MCOM 307 : Mass Media Research II
22. MCOM 310: Social Marketing
23. MCOM 322a: Public Relations Theory and Techniques
24. MCOM 321: Advertising Copywriting
25. MPSY 201a: Media Psychology

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Third Year: Spring Semester
26. MCOM 423a: Strategic and Media Planning
27. MCOM 420A: Consumer Behaviour
28. MCOM 320: International advertising
29. MPSC 201a : Introduction to Political Science
30. MCOM 301: Persuasive Communication

Fourth Year: Fall Semester

31. MCOM 470a: Dissertation for Advertising and Public Relations
32. MCOM 424: Integrated Marketing Communications
33. MCOM 421: Organizational Communication
34. MCOM 202A: Introduction to Photography
35. MCOM 402: International Communication
Fourth Year: Spring Semester
36. MCOM 471a: Special project for advertising and Public Relations
37. MCOM 308: Persuasive Communication
38. MCOM 405: Media Ethics
39. MCOM 408: Media and Communication
40. ELECTIVE
Fourth Year: Summer Semester
41. MCOM 426: Internship
42. Elective

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Elective Units

Unit code Unit Title Credit hours Prerequisite

SFL100F Second foreign 3 -
Language I
(French)
SFL100S Second foreign 3 -
Language I
(Spanish)
SFL100G Second foreign 3 -
Language I
(German)
SFL200F Second foreign Language 3
II (French)
SFL200S Second foreign Language 3
II (Spanish)
SFL200G Second foreign Language 3
II (German)
HUM120 Rise of Modern 3 -
Civilization
MCOM 245 Film making 3 -
MCOM 205A Film Critique 3 -
SCI 101 Scientific Thinking 3 -
MCOM 333a Radio production 3 MCOM 213A
MCOM 317a Photojournalism 3 MCOM 202A and
MCOM 213A

The units you will study

A list of your units is available on both the faculty's webpage and on the E-learning.

How you will be taught

Learning, Teaching and Assessment approaches will encourage you to be actively involved in your
learning and to co-operate with other students. We aim to give you prompt feedback on your
learning, and opportunities to reflect upon and learn from that feedback.

You will be actively involved in a range of learning, teaching and assessment approaches as part of
your Advertising and Public Relations Programme

Such active learning approaches put students at the centre of their learning where they (are actively
involved and) engaged in all aspects of their learning and the assessment of their learning. Your
programme will require your active participation in learning activities and engagement with your
peers both individually and collaboratively, working and learning with other students as part of a
small group. Learning activities may also occur both within and outside the classroom.

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Your learning will also be supported by technology. Increasingly your tutors will be using existing
and emerging learning technologies to engage you in e-learning activities. Your programme will be
facilitated using a variety of media and online tools (virtual learning environment, podcasts, wikis,
etc) which will allow you flexible access to a diverse range of online resources, quizzes and learning
materials as well as collaborative tools with which you can engage and learn with your peers. Not
confined by time and space you will be able to take part in online discussions and learning activities
remotely (from wherever you are studying).

By engaging with e- learning you will also be developing skills which are essential for your learning
and are also highly valued by employers. These include, but are not limited to: working flexibly,
communication, understanding of IT, team working and creating shared understandings based on
quality resources and access to global expertise.

Learning and teaching strategies in the Advertising and Public Relations Programme integrate
workshops, lectures, and seminars. Case studies that critically and analytically approach current
practical cases are also part of the strategies. Critical reflections are part of the learning approaches
that are employed (at the programme).

Lecture classes
For most units you will study in your four years at MSA, teaching will be conducted by means of
lecturing sessions in a classroom. Although exact class sizes can vary, whether it is a core Mass
Communications unit or a specialised pathway unit - there should be no more than 35 students in a
session. Lecture sessions are generally used to introduce students to the key issues dealt with in
any particular unit. They may involve visual and/or audio presentations but typically will involve the
professor giving a comprehensive overview of an issue in mass communications theory or
professional media practice. Lecture sessions are not about the simple presentation of a chapter
from a textbook - part of the aim is to introduce students to a range of views on a topic and to guide
them towards a range of sources on that topic. Lectures should be thought of as 'springboards'
allowing you to jump in to the authoritative primary and reliable secondary sources on any subject.
Lectures are generally fairly formal, but this does not mean that they are not interactive - the
professors generally encourage students to participate through asking questions and commenting
on the issues raised especially where matters are not clear and so require further clarification.
Whilst staff may well provide handouts during lectures, students are normally expected to take
personal notes at lectures, in order to have a record of their understanding of the issues raised.

Seminar sessions
Teaching sessions within the Faculty are often mixed in nature, combining lecture classes, as
outlined above, with seminars. Seminar sessions give students the chance to work in a more
interactive way with the professor and with each other and tend to be more flexible in the range of
teaching and learning strategies they utilise - the way seminars are run generally depends on what
topics the unit deals with. Seminars typically involve students engaging in group discussion or
debates - such discussions will generally concern issues decided by the professor and may be
based directly on a lecture topic or on reading which students have been asked to do. Seminars
require active participation by students. Professors will generally structure the sessions either by
proposing some group work, by outlining a topic for discussion, by requiring you to prepare brief
presentations in advance, and so on. They will often also provide you with specific materials to work
with in preparation for the session - or may require you to do some independent research of your
own. The aim of seminars is generally to explore specific topics collectively. Students are thus
expected to engage in discussion with others and to learn from their points-of-view. For this reason,
you should come prepared to make points, to voice your own views, to listen to other people's ideas
and comments, and to raise questions arising from the week's lecture and reading. It is essential

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that you read the required and extra reading to be able to engage in the discussions (do any set
reading).

Workshops
Particularly in the second two years of your degree, when you have chosen which pathway you wish
to follow to graduation, you will take a number of intensively practical units, designed to give you
first grounding, and then a more professional competence, in the area of professional media
practice of your choice. These are largely practice-based units, along with a number of others
(marked in this handbook) which require a focus on particular kinds of practical skill, will involve a lot
of teaching and learning through workshops. Whilst a professor may deem it appropriate to provide
you with an introduction to a particular media technology, for example, or a particular set of practical
skills, using the lecture format (perhaps to explain the general principles of use of that technology or
those skills), we prefer to use the workshop format. Workshops are very much hands-on sessions.
Although the exact format will vary (a workshop in an IT lab is not the same as a workshop in a
television studio or a brainstorming session), all our workshops are designed to get you learning
(about) the particular set of skills, to develop ideas, to master specific practices by doing. Workshop
sessions generally require you to follow instructions from a professor, often to complete exercises,
and will frequently also require input from you in your independent study time. Exercises may be set
as part of an assessment portfolio requirement, but they can just as easily be set to provide the
professor with a way of ensuring you are picking up requisite skills or learning to think practically
and creatively about your work.

You are required to take notes during workshops. You should get into the habit of saving any work
you do in such sessions - you may be required to keep such material for assessment purposes and
in any case, you will often find it helpful to have a record of what you have done as a way of
understanding where you may be going wrong, what your strengths and weaknesses are, and so
on.

Tutorials
Staff in the Faculty of Mass Communication at MSA is generally available to help you with any
problems that you may have in your course of study. Specific feedback on the work which you
complete for any particular unit is provided by means of tutorials. All units provide you with a one-to-
one session with the professor responsible for running the unit. Such tutorials may not always be
conducted on a one-to-one basis - this would be the case where you are undertaking group work as
part of a research project, for example. Other units may offer a more informal mechanism for setting
tutorials up. In any case it is likely that you will have to book an appointment to see your professor.
Tutorials are not mini-lectures or mini-seminars. They provide you with an opportunity for an
intensive engagement with your work on both your part and the part of your professor. The
professor may well provide you with recommendations for reading, for example, or suggest that you
make particular kinds of changes to your work. You may also find that the professor has a series of
critical comments to make about your work. Don't be frightened by critical feedback - even where
critical, feedback should always be constructive, as it is designed to help you improve your work. Be
sure to ask your professor if you don't understand something he or she has said to you, and don't be
afraid to use them as a sounding board for ideas you are not sure about - the time you have in your
tutorials is precious and you should make the most out of it.

Independent study
Finally, the units you will take in the Faculty of Mass Communications at MSA involve, to a greater
or a lesser extent, a degree of independent study time. Independent study time serves a number of

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purposes in the learning, teaching and assessment strategy in the Faculty, and these purposes may
change over the course of your four years with us. We pointed out above the importance of
autonomous learning and learning to learn at MSA University, a value equally shared with University
of Bedfordshire .
Independent study time is a crucial aspect of becoming autonomous as a learner. It consists of the
work that you do when you are not timetabled to attend formal taught sessions, whether these are
lectures, seminars, workshops or tutorials. At school this time would have been occupied doing
‘homework’. At university, the kind of work you are expected to do in your independent study time
may initially resemble homework – your professor may give you some exercises to do, for example
– but it is more likely to be less structured and less prescribed than that. Normally we would expect
you to use your independent study time to: read the material which appears on the reading lists for
each unit, read any material provided by a professor (perhaps in preparation for a seminar), do
research into an area of the media which you are studying (this might consist of comparing
coverage of events in several newspapers, following the marketing strategy adopted for a specific
brand, looking at the output of a particular satellite television channel).

Independent study time might also involve you preparing a presentation for a seminar. It includes
activities such as writing essays. It also includes what British academics call ‘reading around’ a
topic. At the university level of study we consider that to gain a good understanding of any particular
topic you have to do more than just read a textbook. Not only do you have to read primary sources,
you must also read a range of secondary sources and also material which deals with associated
issues, which can provide you with a broader and deeper understanding of a topic than the
minimum you need to answer a short exam question. This is especially the case in a field of study
such as mass communication, where for any one question there is generally no one universally
accepted answer – the study of mass communication is inherently interpretative and requires the
kind of critical analysis that only a broadly contexted understanding of issues can provide. Hence
you will find as your degree progresses that staff in the Faculty will expect you to do more and more
of the background work on any particular topic yourself. You should get into the habit of using your
independent study time to do more than simply what the professor asks you to do.

Assessment is an integral part of learning, and you may hear it referred to as formative or
summative. Formative assessment is primarily developmental in nature and is designed to give
feedback to learners on their performance and how it can be improved. Formative assessment is a
key part of the learning process and has been shown to contribute to enhancement of learning and
raising of standards.

Summative assessment is designed to measure the extent to which a learner has achieved the
intended learning outcomes of a unit. The summative component of an assessment task is
designed solely to provide a measure of the achievement of a learning outcome by a learner.
Summative assessment should assess achievement of all learning outcomes in a secure, fair and
accurate manner.

Assessment may also involve self, peer or group approaches. For example, you may be asked to
self-assess your own work, indicating where you feel you have clearly demonstrated your
understanding, and also identifying areas where can see you have room to improve. Assessment
may also be a peer process where peers individually, or as groups, offer feedback on one another’s
work. Group assessment may also be part of your programme, where part of the assessment
process requires you to demonstrate your ability to work as part of a group or team, and possibly
receive a group mark.

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Library
MSA library provides access to online databases with rich academic papers, online references, e-
books and research engines.

The Library also keeps books and periodicals ordered by university faculties. Video, cassette tapes,
and CD ROMs are provided for all subjects. A computer lab is annexed providing access to the
Internet.

Learning Resources

These learning sources support the educational and research processes through the provision of
the latest sources of information in different forms and in an organized manner that makes it
convenient for the student/researcher to track the information he/she needs. To achieve this most
effectively, the Library of MSA University is thriving to keep pace with the latest developments in
Information Management, Storage, Retrieval and Transmission

How and when you will be assessed

For the majority of Advertising and PR units there are Final and/or Midterms Exam(s). The Starting
date of exams is available at MSA's Academic Calendar.

The Calendar of Assessment

There are five main periods of assessment during the academic year:
• At the middle of the Fall Semester.
• At the end of the Fall Semester.
• At the middle of the Spring Semester.
• At the end of the Spring Semester.
• At the end of the Summer Semester.

IMPORTANT: Please note that assessment deadlines do occasionally change and while every
effort has been made to ensure this is correct at the time of publishing you should ensure you check
http://msa.eun.eg/ to ensure that you are aware of any changes.

Attendance requirements
The contact between the instructor and student is the most effective method of learning. Class
discussions and comments enhance students’ understanding for the course content and give a new
dimension to the learning experience. For these reasons, students are required to satisfy certain
attendance requirements. Students who fail to attend 25% of all lectures and tutorials for a certain
course are deprived from the final exam and automatically fail the course. The maximum number of
absences allowed for any student is 9 times including all lectures and tutorials. This includes
absences for medical reasons and emergencies.

Policy on late arrival

Late arrivals disrupt the class and deprive other students from the required degree of concentration.
Students are only allowed into the class during the first five minutes. Otherwise, they miss the class
and are recorded as absent.

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During the midterm and final examination periods, students are allowed to step in during the first 15
minutes of the exam time.

Professional, statutory and/or regulatory body requirements

October University for Modern Sciences and arts abide by the Higher Supreme Council of
Universities requirements.

Health and Safety requirements

You have the same health and safety responsibilities as any other employee at MSA and you must
take reasonable care of your own health and safety and those of other people.

Giving Feedback on your course

Board of Study and student representation
The purpose of the Board of Study is to provide a forum for discussion between you and staff
involved in all aspects of your Programme.

You elect student members of the Board at the start of each academic year to ensure that all the
various interests on the Programme are adequately represented.

Each Programme holds regular Boards of Study. The membership includes:

• Student representatives
• Director of Programme/Head of Department
• University and Institutional Link Tutor
• Academic staff aligned to the delivery of the Programme or units
• Support services representatives

Your student representative represents the Programme or year group and is responsible for
notifying the Board of issues which have been brought to them by you. You should be aware of the
function of the Board of Study and should ensure that representatives are alerted in good time to
matters of concern, or to suggest initiatives.

Minutes are made of the discussion and decisions of each Board meeting, and these are circulated
to members with outcomes. The minutes are included with the Programme Quality/Annual
Monitoring Report for consideration by the University. The points raised at the meeting are carefully
recorded for issues arising, and the action taken upon them, and are available at the Quality
Assurance Department for Students' reference.

Student representatives Student members of the Boards are elected at the start of each semester,
to ensure that all the various interests of the Programme are adequately represented. Each
Programme run at, or for University of Bedfordshire is required to have a Boards of Study meeting
once per Semester, between weeks 6 and 8. There should be 2 students per year, per Programme
to represent the student body. The student representatives are chosen among the members of
MSA Student Union at the start of each academic year.

Student Activities are organized by an annually elected body of students: the MSA student Union.
Activities are subdivided into cultural, Social, Sports, excursions and artistic fields. An academic

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advisor acts as a liaison point for students with a view to facilitating their activities. The student
Union also channels student feedback to University Administration.

As well as attending Boards of Study meetings student representatives are often asked to give their
feedback on other issues relevant to students through focus groups or other committee meetings
which are organised on a more ad-hoc basis.

The Department of Student Affairs at the Faculty of Mass Communication offers training workshops
to enhance students' soft skills as well as the regular orientation and training to students'
representatives.

Meeting dates
Students can refer to their academic calendar for the exact date of the Board of Study Meeting. The
Board of Study Meeting is held twice per each academic year. The academic calendar is available
on: http://msa.eun.eg/st_Calen.asp

Feedback survey

The online Feedback Survey takes place towards the end of each semester and is anonymous.
The aim of this feedback process is to give you the opportunity to give your views on the quality of
your programme and your satisfaction overall.

You can fill out the online survey by logging in with your MSA account at any of MSA labs.

It is important that you complete this survey as it helps us to identify what you think is going well and
what we need to address to continue to improve the student experience for you and future students.

The Quality Assurance Department at the Faculty of Mass Communication ensures proper
considerations to all students' comments.

Employability

MSA University is committed to supporting you in enhancing your employability and helping you to
develop professionalism in your field of choice. Employers constantly tell us that they are looking
for polished graduates who not only have a good degree but who also have the right skills,
attributes and values to support their knowledge.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) defines employability as 'a set of attributes, skills and
knowledge that all labour market participants should possess to ensure they have the
capability of being effective in the workplace, to the benefit of themselves, their employer
and the wider economy’.

MSA University enhances your employability through introducing regular training sessions,
employment fair, extracurricular activities; and offering you Internship opportunities at media
agencies that are directly related to your field of specialisation.

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Employability and your programme
The development of employability skills – for example, team work, creativity, self-management,
business and customer awareness, communication, literacy and numeracy, analytical skills – are all
integral parts of Advertising and Public Relations Programme

Careers Service
MSA is keen to provide its students with competitive programs that aim to prepare them to compete
effectively in the job market. The academic advisors and tutors provide feedback on the skills
required by the job market in a specific program. The office also provides feedback on points of
strengths of MSA graduates and comments on areas that require improvement. This continuous
effort insures that programs are up-to-date and relevant to the needs of both national and
international employers.

The Career Placement Centre [CPC] conducts many activities that include Employment and
Internship opportunities, Training, Marketing, and Market Research. The CPC benefits MSA
students and alumni by creating an interactive forum between them and the corporate world.

The CPC benefits MSA students and alumni by creating an interactive forum between them and the
corporate world, providing them with a firsthand enhancing experience with the work environment.
This ensures that our student body and alumni gather all the skills, knowledge, and experiences
they need for the corporate world, and on the other hand it provides the employers with the best
candidates

Students are encouraged to create their career account and submit their CVs to get job
opportunities in big companies in Egypt. http://cpc.msa.edu.eg/

LEARNING, TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT

The learning, teaching and assessment approaches used throughout your programme will
encourage you to be actively involved in your learning and to co-operate with other students. We
aim to give you prompt feedback on your learning as well as opportunities to reflect upon and learn
from that feedback.

Learning and teaching methods

You will be actively involved in a range of learning; teaching and assessment approaches as part of
Advertising and Public Relations programme. Such active approaches aim to put you at the centre
of your learning, so you are involved and engaged in all aspects of your assessment and learning.
Your programme will require your active participation in learning activities and engagement with
your fellow students both individually and collaboratively, working and learning with other students
as part of a small group. Learning activities may also occur both within and outside the classroom.

Your learning will also be supported by technology. Increasingly your tutors will be using existing
and emerging learning technologies to engage you in e-learning activities. Your programme will be
facilitated using a variety of media and online tools (virtual learning environment, podcasts, wikis,
etc) which will allow you flexible access to a diverse range of online resources, quizzes and learning
materials as well as collaborative tools with which you can engage and learn with your peers. Not
confined by time and space you will be able to take part in online discussions and learning activities
remotely (from wherever you are studying).

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By engaging with e- learning you will also be developing skills which are essential for your learning
and are also highly valued by employers. These include but are not limited to: working flexibly,
communication, understanding of IT, team working and creating shared understandings based on
quality resources and access to global expertise.

Learning and teaching strategies at the Advertising and Public Relations Programme integrate
workshops, lectures, seminars. Case studies that critically and analytically approach current
practical cases are also part of the strategies. Critical reflections are part of the learning approaches
that are employed (at the programme).

Assessment methods
Assessment is an integral part of learning and you may hear it referred to as formative or
summative.

Formative assessment is developmental in nature and designed to give you feedback on your
performance and how it can be improved. As a result, you will get detailed feedback on formative
assessment but not a grade. Formative assessment is an important part of the learning process
and has been shown to contribute to enhancement of learning and the raising of standards.

Summative assessment is designed to measure the extent to which you have achieved the
intended learning outcomes of a unit and therefore the appropriate grade to be awarded.
Summative assessment should assess achievement of all learning outcomes in a secure, fair and
accurate manner and on Advertising and Public Relations Programme this will mainly comprise of
midterm and final exams, reaction papers, critical analytical essays, presentations, practical
projects, field research, primary research methodologies.

Assessment may also involve self, peer or group approaches. For example, you may be asked to
self-assess your own work indicating where you feel you have clearly demonstrated your
understanding and also identifying areas where can see you have room to improve. Assessment
may also be a peer process where students, individually or as groups, offer feedback on one
another’s work. Group assessment may also be part of your programme where part of the
assessment requires you to demonstrate your ability to work as part of a group and possibly receive
a group mark.

Please see the unit narratives for more detail about on the assessment for each unit.

Submission, receipt, marking and return of assessment

Submission and receipt of coursework

Students are asked to submit all their academic implementations to their Instructor on the
announced due dates via the Moodle or E-learning. Turnitin Submissions are required for theoretical
academic implementations.

Exams
Examination Schedule is published each semester ahead of the time of the exams.

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Marking, second marking and marking moderation
All assessments are moderated to ensure that grades have been recorded accurately. Instructors
mark answer sheets with secret codes to ensure that the marking process was totally unbiased.
External examiners review exams and answer sheets with instructors to insure the fairness and
objectivity of the assessment process.
All answer sheets are remarked. Second marking is undertaken by an internal examiner other than
the unit examiner, a rationale is provided in both cases of approval or changing of grades. In the
case of discrepancy, the matter is to be settled with the moderation of the Quality Assurance
Department.

Return of coursework
Instructors return graded assignments, quizzes and term papers to all students complete with
comments and feedback. Students are required to file the coursework in their student portfolios to
be submitted to instructors at the end of semester for the final appraisal of session work.

Assessment Feedback
Feedback on your assessment (both formative and summative) provides the opportunity for you to
reflect on it and to use this feedback as the basis for learning and to improve your work.
Feedback can take many forms and may be informal. For example, it may be given and discussed
in the classroom or it may be more formal and delivered in written or audio form from peers or
academic staff. Understanding your feedback is very important and to achieve this you are
encouraged to discuss feedback with your peers and academic staff.

Receiving feedback on your work is an essential and important part of learning and therefore all
programmes provide regular opportunities for formative assessment, the purpose of which is to get
detailed feedback on your performance, so you get a regular update on how you are developing and
to prepare you for any summative assessment.

Feedback on summative assessment will be offered in a variety of forms and all work will be marked
and moderated in line with the University Regulations’ Code of Assessment Practice which can be
found online and is described in detail below (Marking, second marking and marking moderation)

You will normally be provided with feedback within two lectures' dates of the
published submission date.

Progressing on your programme

Academic Levels
Each unit that you take will have one of the academic levels below assigned to it:

Academic level Description

3 Foundation level
4 Certificate level (e.g. Cert HE)
5 Intermediate level (e.g. FdA or Dip HE)
6 Honours level (e.g. BA, BSc)
7 Masters level (e.g. MA, MSc)

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Should the Master’s level be deleted?

Academic levels reflect how complex and demanding the learning will be as well as the depth of
study and how independent you are expected to be as a learner. The University unit level
descriptors describe the characteristics of each academic level at University of Bedfordshire and
can be found online.

Descriptions of the units making up your degree can be found at the Faculty's website, and
on your e-learning system.

It is suggested that you read these to get an idea of how each academic level is different and
what will be expected of you.

‘Progression’ is the word which the university uses to talk about the basis on which you can move –
or progress – from one level of study to the next during the course of your time at MSA. Progression
is determined by the number of credit hours you achieve. The following rules apply:

Freshmen: < 35 credits

Sophomore: 35 – 60 credits
Junior: 60 – 90 credits
Senior: > 90 credits

Graduation
• Students shall automatically receive the award of the university for which they are registered
and qualify for upon completion of the requisite number of credits with a GPA equivalent to C- or
above at the end of the semester during which the total was achieved.
• Students may postpone their graduation if they are still enrolled in the university in a minor
program or a double major program.
• Graduation Ceremonies for each year is usually held in October (includes the previous Fall,
Spring and Summer Semesters).

Failure in Courses & Attendance at Exams

• Students must meet the deadline for submission of all coursework components and according to
the requirements of the university and course instructor.
• Students who fail to attend the final exam will fail this course.
• Students who fail to achieve 25% from the marks in the final exam, will fail this course.
• Students who fail to attend the midterm exam will not be deprived from completing the course
but will lose all the marks which are equivalent to 20% from final grade.
• Students who fail a unit with university of Bedfordshire are asked to conduct a referral for the
assessment point(s) they failed at before their graduation from University of Bedfordshire. It is
important to mention that this referral task is optional, and it is up to each student to decide if
he/she wishes to receive a “Pass Certificate’ with their referral marks or alternatively, would like
to conduct their referrals.

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Referral and Retake

As per UoB Academic regulations, A student potentially has 4 attempts at passing a unit as
follows. Students are notified with their referral during the cohorts prior to their graduation from
University of Bedfordshire:

1st attempt – The student complete all assessments for the first time
2nd attempt – If the student fails any assessment(s) with a mark of under 40%, they are offered a
referral attempt for the failed assessment to be completed in the next semester.
3rd attempt - If the student fails or waives the right to the referral assessment(s) and again fails with
a mark of under 40% (the maximum pass mark a student can receive for a referral assessment) –
They will have failed the whole unit and must complete a retake of the whole unit in a future
semester
4th attempt – If the student fails any assessment(s) in the retake attempt of the unit, they will be
offered their 4th and final chance at a referral attempt at the failed assessment(s) (of the retake
unit).

Upon exhausting these four attempts, if the student has still not passed the unit, they will fail
the unit as a whole and will therefore be exited from the course. Should students have
passed a minimum of 60 credits at level 6 they will be considered for an ordinary degree.

Dismissal from Class

Students dismissed from classes for insubordination or other disciplinary reasons are not to return
to class until the Dean of Faculty permits it. MSA Management cooperates with the teaching staff to
maintain proper discipline

Incomplete Grade "I"

If a student fails to attend the final exam due to any emergency or extenuating circumstance, and
the University President approves the non attendance, then an incomplete grade will be agreed.
Mid-term grade as well as course work grades are transferred to students who are given an (I)
grade. Subsequently, the student will be allowed to sit for the final exam of this unit at the next
opportunity. It is important to highlight that incomplete does not apply to all 400level units.

Probation policy
Probation students are students who fail to achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.000. Initially the student
is notified and counselled by the Director of Student Affairs and the arents are officially notified.
Probation students are allowed up to eight semesters in the faculty of Mass Communication. In this
regard, the student has 7 chances to raise his/her GPA above 2.00. After that the student will be
expelled from the University if s/he fails to raise the GPA within this period (summer is not counted).

Progression and Repeat Policy

Students who fail to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 will be put under probation and
will be allowed to repeat Units with a grade of D+, D and F. The grade used in the final GPA is the
best grade achieved by the student.

Withdrawal Policy
Unit Withdrawal: Students who apply to withdraw from a unit due to being unable to progress or
extenuating circumstances must submit a completed unit withdrawal form to the respective Dean
then for final approval by the University President. Their results appear as W instead of F.

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Exemption Policy
In very limited emergency cases, the student can ask to be exempted from the midterm exam. In the
case of exemption, the grade of the Midterm exam is added to the Final exam's grade. For an
exemption request to be approved, the student has to present the supporting documents that clearly
justify the case. The "Exemption Form" has to be signed and approved by the respective Dean and
the University President. It is worth mentioning that although the Faculty permits the exemption
option in very limited cases, you should be aware that it entails a high level of risk to your academic
progress in case you were not able to adequately perform at your final exam. It is important to
highlight that this does not apply to 400 - Level units.

Mitigating Circumstances
Mitigating Circumstances are serious unforeseen circumstances, beyond the control of a student,
that have significant negative impact on his/her academic performance in assessment(s).
First: Mitigating Circumstances Related to Controlled Exams
Validity of the Mitigating Circumstances Claim:
Mitigating circumstances claim could be considered only if:

1. The student provides evidence including legal documents to prove the occurrence of an
accident or an emergency that prevented him/her from submission of an assessment or
attendance of a scheduled exam.
2. The time of the incident/accident has obliterated the student's ability to perform the
assessment(s)or attend a scheduled exam.
Procedures for Applying for Mitigating Circumstances
Students are encouraged to submit their mitigating circumstances in advance.
1. Students who apply for mitigating circumstances should fill in a request form available at the
admissions office and submit it two working days before the assessment date.
a. If the coercive circumstances occur during the midterm exam period, the student
should fill in a form for “Exemption” from a Midterm Exam.
b. If the coercive circumstances occur during the final exam period, the student should
fill in a form for “Incomplete” performance.
c. If the coercive circumstances affect one of the classwork assessments, the student
should submit a request for a Makeup assessment in the dean’s office.
2. If the student cannot apply for mitigating circumstances him/herself, his/her parent(s) is
eligible to apply on his/her behalf.
3. The student may apply for Mitigating Circumstances for more than one assessment using
the same application form if this coercive circumstance would affect the ability of the student
to perform several assessments.
4. Applications received after the deadline (within two working days prior the assessment date)
will not be considered as Mitigating Circumstances.
5. A student should submit all possible documents/ evidence along with their
request/application form.
❖ Exemption from Midterm Exam procedure:
After considering the extenuating circumstances and approval of the case, the final exam should
be marked out of the total marks allocated for both midterm and final exams.
❖ Flagged as Incomplete Performance:
This applies to a student whose extenuating circumstances prevented him/her to sit for the
final exam. After considering the emergency or extenuating circumstances, the final result of
the student should be flagged (I) or ‘Incomplete’ where s/he missed the final exam of a
specific module(s). The Mid-term grade as well as the coursework grades of this module(s)

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 are transferred to the following semester , or the nearest following opportunity when the
student sits for the missed final exam only of the module. The incomplete module would
be registered as a regular module and thus calculated as part of the student’s academic load
that should appear on his/her registration form.

Accepted circumstances:
The following circumstances are the most likely to be accepted as mitigating circumstances based
on evidence and provided documentations.
1. Medical circumstances:
Medical circumstances include and not limited to serious Illness, hospitalization and illnesses
related to pregnancy. The student who has any medical issues should provide a medical report from
a qualified medical professional or an official report from a hospital.
2. Road accidents:
In case a student has been involved in a road incident, he/she must provide a full detailed
information about the accident accompanied by an official police report.
3. Family difficulties:
Family difficulties include and not limited to sudden serious illness or death of a member of the
student’s close relative. The student who has family difficulties should provide a medical report from
a qualified medical professional or a copy of a death certificate, accompanied by an official approval
on relationship.
MSA University considers documents, personal information and other parties information as
classified documents (Restricted and Confidential)

Unaccepted circumstances:

Any circumstances that does not affect the assessment procedure, its fairness and the ability of the
student to perform the assessment would not be considered as mitigating circumstances

Normally not acceptable are:

• The death or illness of a distant relative.
• Confusion over time, date location of the examination, or assignment hand-in date on the
part of the candidate when this has been clearly notified, and has not posed any problem
to other students in the group.
• Work pressure as a full-time student.
• Cases where medical certificates are retrospective, i.e. dated/issued after recovery
• Any claim not supported by independent and reliable evidence.
• Computer problems such as viruses, memory stick failure/loss, printer problems, network
problems.
• Problems with receiving/submitting referral work and results.
• Problems handing in an assignment to the designated place by the deadline.
• Collecting data/more data for an assignment.
Reviewing Mitigating Circumstances

1. Medical circumstances

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 ❖ Submitted documents should be directed to the university physician to be reviewed. The
university physician has the right to ask for more documents, medical reports and further
investigations. He should write a report about the circumstances.
❖ All documents including the university physician report should be presented to the head
of the control unit (University president) to take the final decision concerning the claim.
2. Non - medical circumstances
❖ The request form and other submitted documents should be presented to the head of the
control unit (University president) to take the final decision concerning the claim.

Second: Mitigating Circumstances Related to Coursework Assessments/Assignments

Coursework must be handed in by the date and time specified. This will be given to you in
your unit handbooks, on the assessment brief and/or on E-Learning.
Late work without formal agreement is not accepted, and will be deemed a fail and marked
at 0 (no work submitted). We are very firm about this because working to deadlines is an important
life skill which we encourage you to develop during your studies.
Sometimes things out of control can affect a student’s ability to meet a deadline. If a student
believes that s/he is likely to miss a deadline for a valid reason (see below for reasons considered
valid under mitigating circumstances) then they should refer directly to the instructors. Only they can
make the decision. It is important to realise that your lecturers are not able to extend published
deadlines.
What are mitigating circumstances?
Examples of circumstances that would justify special consideration include:
• Serious personal injury, broken limbs, or a medical condition requiring hospital
attention or with an incapacitating effect.
• An acute illness that makes it impossible to complete the required task.
• Being a victim of a serious crime during the period immediately preceding
assessment.
• The serious illness or death of a close relative

Normally not acceptable are:

• The death or illness of a distant relative.
• Financial problems, including payment of fees to the University.
• Transport difficulties such as public transport strikes, road works or private transport
breakdowns.
• Confusion over time, date location of the examination, or assignment hand-in date on
the part of the candidate when this has been clearly notified, and has not posed any
problem to other students in the group.
• Work pressure as a full-time student.
• Cases where medical certificates are retrospective, i.e. dated/issued after you have
recovered from the illness claimed.
• Any claim not supported by independent and reliable evidence.
• Computer problems such as viruses, memory stick failure/loss, printer problems,
network problems.
• Problems with receiving/submitting referral work and results.
• Problems handing in an assignment to the designated place by the deadline.
• Collecting data/more data for an assignment.

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 Essential Advice:
If a student submits a claim for mitigating circumstances, s/he should not assume it will be
accepted. Students need to do their best to get work prepared because it is their responsibility to
complete assignments/sit exams in order to progress on their course.

Academic Offences
Academic offences include a range of actions designed to deceive and gain an unfair
advantage over other students. This is unethical and threatens the integrity of our assessment
procedures and the value of the University’s academic awards.
Students’ academic performance will be assessed on the basis that anything submitted for
assessment is the student’s own work.
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that s/he is not vulnerable to any allegation that
may breach these regulations (for example sharing assignments with friends in such a way that they
can copy work and claim it as their own).
Penalties for students found to have committed an academic offence may include failure in a
unit or an element of a unit which may mean that s/he has to repeat the unit and bear the
associated financial cost.
Types of Academic Offences/Plagiarism:
• Verbatim (word for word) quotation without clear acknowledgement
• Cutting and pasting from the Internet without clear acknowledgement
• Paraphrasing the work of others by altering a few words and/or changing word order
• Unauthorised collaboration between students
• Use of material written by professional agencies or other persons
• Submit work for assessment that you have already submitted before (partially or in
full)

Other Forms of Plagiarism/ Bad Practice

• Term Paper Commercial Centers
In keeping with the principle that all material submitted to a course should be the student’s own
work, any student who makes use of the services of a commercial/ term paper centers is liable to
disciplinary action.
• Bad Practice
Not all cases of plagiarism arise from a deliberate intention to plagiarize. Sometimes students may
ignore intentionally or unintentionally taking down citation details of a source(s) while taking notes,
or they may be genuinely ignorant of Referencing Styles. However, these excuses do not offer any
guarantees against a charge of plagiarism. In other words, there may still be an academic penalty
for Bad Practice.

Academic Honesty Policy

The Faculty of Languages, MSA University, encourages students to explore new horizons through
research work. Accordingly, in an attempt to ensure the proper use of sources and maintain
academic standards, the Faculty of Languages adopts the following policy:
• It is expected that students are the sole authors of their work. Students should
always distinguish their knowledge and writings from information derived from sources. The
term “sources” includes material published in print or online. Quotations must be placed
properly within quotation marks and must be fully and properly cited in accordance with a
referencing style. In addition, all paraphrased or summarized material must be
acknowledged completely. Please refer to the research skills acquired in ENG 102 unit for
further elaboration.

• The responsibility for learning the proper forms of citation is the responsibility of the
student (refer to acquired knowledge in ENG 102 & ENG 201). Students are expected to be
familiar with the APA/MLA Citation Guidelines to be able to use sources for research

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 activities. Students who have queries about the preparation of academic work should
refer/consult their instructor before the work is prepared or submitted.

General Remarks
• It is the student’s responsibility to find out about referencing Styles in their discipline,
to take adequate notes, and to avoid close paraphrasing especially after completing the
Academic Writing Units provided by the Faculty of Languages.
• Unit handbooks would also help students learn how to avoid common errors.
• If ever in doubt about referencing, paraphrasing or plagiarism, students have to refer
to their tutors/ The Writing Centre.

Compensation
The Board of Examination decides on the number of compensation grades given to each student
based on the marks needed to pass the course and the past academic performance. Compensation
is a policy applied exclusively by the Examination Board and students are not allowed to discuss the
grant/refusal to grant of these marks.

Cases of students who are about to graduate are given extra attention.

Publication of Results
Grades will be announced on notice boards at the end of each semester and before the beginning
of the next semester.

Students are allowed to submit grade queries or re-checking the sum of coursework, midterm and
final marks.

Your Grades

The University grading scale is used in relation to and in conjunction with the University grade
criteria guide and guidance on the generation and use of unit level descriptors

The following provides an explanation of how MSA works out the grade point averages used
to determine your degree award.
1. All work at MSA is marked on a percentage scale and then graded using the following
scheme:

2. The letter grades which you are awarded on individual units correspond to a grade point
average, or GPA:

Letter Grade GPA

A 4
A- 3 2/3
B+ 3 1/3
B 3
B- 2 2/3
C+ 2 1/3
C 2
C- 1 2/3
D+ 1 1/3
D 1
F (Fail) 0

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 Letter Grade Percentage
A 90% - 100%
A- 85% - less than 90%
B+ 80% - less than 85%
B 75% - less than 80%
B- 70% - less than 75%
C+ 65% - less than 70%
C 60% - less than 65%
C- 56% - less than 60%
D+ 53% - less than 56%
D 50% - less than 53%
Fail 0 – less than 50%

Note: It is your GPA score which determines your progression throughout your degree.
Students who get a grade of D- (minimum of 45%) in a course may be condoned by a maximum of
5% by the Assessment Board. Students who get <45% failed and cannot be condoned.

3. The GPA which you are awarded for any particular unit is multiplied by the credit hours that
unit is worth. This calculation is made for all the units you take in a semester. The sum of
these products is then divided by the sum of the credit hours for the units you took in that
semester. Or, to put it another way:

Sum of the product (course credit hours for the semester x course GPA)

SUM of (course credit hours for the semester)

So, if you had taken five units in a semester, four of which were worth 3 credit hours and one of
which was worth 4 credit hours, and had achieved the following GPA scores
Unit 1 3 (credit hours) x 3 (GPA) = 9
Unit 2 3 (credit hours) x 2.8 (GPA) = 8.4
Unit 3 3 (credit hours) x 2.8 (GPA) = 8.4
Unit 4 3 (credit hours) x 3 (GPA) = 9
Unit 5 4 (credit hours) x 3.3 (GPA) = 13.2

This would give a credit hours x GPA sum of 48.

Divide this by the credit hours for the semester of 16 and you end up with a semester GPA of 3.

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 4. Your semester GPA is complemented by a cumulative GPA, which is based on the same
sort of calculation with the difference that the credit hours x GPA sum and the credit hours
sum are based on all the units taken since starting your degree. The cumulative GPA is
important because this used to work out your final degree award.

First Class Cumulative GPA >= 3.33

Upper Second “ > 2.67
Lower Second “ > 2.00
Third Class “ > 2.00
Fail “ <= 2.00

Note also that in the semesters prior to graduation, a student with a cumulative GPA below 1.67 will
be put on probation.

Deferral of assessment
Students having questions regarding their grades should contact either their Instructor or their
Course Leader.

Academic Monitoring

• Students who fail to score a GPA of 2.0 are considered falling below the required academic
standard. Consequently, such students are placed under "academic monitoring" and are
required to raise their GPA to 2.0 within a maximum of three semesters. In case a student
fails in achieving the required GPA within that time limit, he/she may be given one more
chance after consultation with both the University and Faculty Councils.

• If this student still fails to attain the required GPA, he/she is finally dismissed from the
faculty.

• Academically monitored students who score D in their courses may register for examinations
in these courses. The higher mark is counted when evaluation of GPA takes place. The right
to register for examinations is withdrawn once a student's GPA reaches 2.0

The Regulations for the relevant year (Section D1C Assessment Boards at Collaborative
Institutions), unless specific arrangements are agreed at Validation.

University of Bedfordshire Regulations for Academic Misconduct and Appeals apply to your Course
of study. These are set out in the University of Bedfordshire Regulations Section F and Section. The
terminology may not be familiar in all cases as it refers to University of Bedfordshire staff and
Committees. If you are involved in any action under these regulations and do not understand the
process involved, please contact the Link Tutor: Dr. Lamees El Baghdady at Office A123. Approval
has been given for MSA to manage cases of academic misconduct locally.

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Assessment Boards and results
At the end of each academic year, your results will be considered and confirmed by an Assessment
Board and if you have successfully completed your assessment you will be able to progress to the
next year.

Certificates
When you graduate your final qualification certificate will be issued by University of Bedfordshire
and will have the details of your qualification.

Your certificate will be sent to MSA University by University of Bedfordshire within 4 months
of the date the qualification is awarded (usually the Assessment Board date). Once it has arrived
it will then be forwarded to you at the address we hold for you. It is therefore very important that you
keep MSA Registrar updated of your address details if they change at any point.

Full details of the information which will appear on your certificate are set out in the University of
Bedfordshire Regulations.

Diploma supplement
All students are issued with a diploma supplement verified by Bedfordshire University. Your diploma
supplement will include the units you have taken with grades achieved and state your qualification
with the classification and title, but it additionally contains information on the nature, level, context,
content and status of the studies undertaken and successfully completed. Diploma supplements are
intended to help external parties such as current or future employers or other Higher Education
providers understand more about your course in addition to your grades.

Academic Misconduct
MSA students are expected to be honest in their academic endeavours. All plagiarism cases are
reported to the President’s Office and are dealt with very severely. The minimum penalty for such
cases is failing the course where this offence was committed. In some cases, the penalty may reach
dismissal from the university for one semester or more based on the circumstances of the case.
Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to the following cases:

Plagiarism is the presentation by a student, as his or her own work, of a body of material (written,
visual or oral) which is wholly or partly the work of another. In fact, plagiarism extends to cover one's
own work previously assessed or published which is also required to be properly referenced. Taking
unfair advantage over other authors, students or oneself in this way is considered by the University
to be a serious offence. The University will take serious action against any student who plagiarises
whether through negligence, foolishness or deliberate intent. Make sure written material, ideas,
theories, formulae, etc are acknowledged through the use of quotation marks, references and
bibliographies. Information on the correct way of acknowledging work from other sources is
available from campus learning resource centres. Academic misconduct also covers cheating in
examinations.

Academic dishonesty and misconduct include but is not limited to the following cases:

• Quoting another person's actual words, complete sentences or paragraphs, or entire piece
of written work without acknowledgement of the source
• Using another person's ideas, opinions, or theory even if it is completely paraphrased in
one's own words, without acknowledgement of the source

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 • Borrowing facts, statistics or other illustrative materials that are not clearly common
knowledge without acknowledgement of the source
• Copying another student's essay test answers.
• Copying, or allowing another student to copy, a computer file that contains another student's
assignment, and submitting it, in part or in its entirety, as one's own.
• Working together on an assignment, sharing the computer files and programs involved, and
then submitting individual copies of the assignment as one's own individual work.

Appeals
Students are able to appeal against assessment board decisions and the outcome of academic
misconduct cases. In this regard, an appeal form should be filled out by the student within a 15
working days period from the announcement. The appeal form is then forwarded to both the Quality
Assurance Department at office A123 and the Student Affairs Department at office A126.

The University of Bedfordshire Regulations for Appeals apply to Advertising and Public Relations
Course and these are set out in Section G of the Regulations which is available on line.

Approval has been given for MSA to manage cases of academic misconduct locally.

To further ensure that all students feel that they have the chance to express their opinion about any
action against them or request an additional service. Students may have the chance to submit
petitions about matters which may affect their academic progression.

Academic Petitions including complaints regarding any academic misconduct can be addressed to
the Faculty's Director of Learning & Quality: Dr. Lamees El Baghdady: Department of Quality
Assurance located at A123.

Complaints regarding students' issues in terms of expressing their opinion about action against
them or request an additional service is addressed to Faculty's Director of Student Affairs: Dr. Dina
Talaat: Department of Student Affairs located at A126.

Student complaints, grievances, conduct and discipline. This information is available to all students
at http://www.msa.eun.eg/studentaffair.htm

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SUPPORT
Although you are expected to be independent and to take responsibility for your own academic and
personal life, there is still a lot of help available to support you throughout your course.

Academic Support
Academic staff
Your tutors will direct your studies and ensure that you know what work you need to cover in any
given unit. Seek advice from academic staff either during their office hours or by email or through
posting your inquiry on the e-learning system.

Link Tutors
As stated on the front of this handbook the link tutor at MSA for this course is Dr. Lamees El
Baghdady, office A123 and the link tutor at University of Bedfordshire is Dr. Marta Cola. Both
tutors are jointly responsible for ensuring the course is delivered according to the arrangements
agreed when it was approved. Both link tutors attend the Board of Study meetings where they hear
the views of students on the course, however you can contact either of them if you have a query or
suggestion.

Support services at MSA University

MSA’s main mission is to provide a well-rounded unique learning environment for the students. MSA
has introduced many methods to provide academic advice and aid to all students through the
following channels:

Academic Advisor
Academic advisors are available for students to offer advice and guidance during registration of
courses. They also provide information to students about the different majors within the faculty. The
assistants are also available to offer advice and support at any time.

The Academic Advisor is responsible for monitoring the progress of students and for guiding them to
improve their performance whenever they fail to achieve the grade point average (GPA).

Student “Families”
Students are divided into small families of at most 25. Each staff member is responsible for one
small family. He/She is always there for his/her students to offer both academic, social and personal
advice. Their relation often extends to activities outside the university as they usually organize group
outings and trips. Every 3 families have one leader from the senior staff members to supervise their
activities.

Individual/Group Study
Teaching assistants are available to offer extra help to students. They work with students either
individually or in small groups according to their individual needs.
MSA considers one of its main goals is to provide a unique, friendly and pleasant atmosphere for its
students. Staff members and students interact together constantly as members of one large family.

Faculty Registrar and Student Affairs

Support and guidance are provided to students mainly from the Faculty Registrar and Student
Affairs. The services include:
• Advice on solving problems and the procedures to be followed.

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 • Enrolment and fees payment.
• Registration procedure.
• Advice on career placement and training opportunities.
• Disability support and guidance.
• Attendance excuses.
• Receive appeals and complaints.
• Counselling.
• Enrolment/Graduation Certificates.
• Provide advice on any issue that concerns students’ welfare other than the above.

Attending to Students’ Non-Academic Complaints

1- Open Door Policy

MSA adopts an open-door policy for addressing students’ academic and non-academic complaints.
Some complaints may be resolved immediately, while other issues are handled by concerned
central MSA University departments/ units.
• Students are asked to make an appointment to meet the Dean/ Head of Students Affairs of the
Faculty to raise academic/non-academic concerns.
• A student fills in a complaint form (please see below) in case the complaint cannot be
immediately resolved or requires follow up and actions taken by MSA central departments/
units.
• The complaint form allows students to suggest or recommend ‘applicable’ solutions if they
can.
• The Dean/ Head of Students Affairs of the Faculty refers to the concerned departments/ units
to discuss the issue and find solutions.
• The student may revisit the office of the Dean/ Head of Students Affairs within 7 working days
to get feedback.

2- Complaints & Recommendations Box

These types of complaints do not usually require prompt actions. Some complaints in these
boxes are anonymous.
• Based on the criteria and regulations of the National Authority for Quality Assurance and
Accreditation in Egypt, each faculty at MSA University has to two “Complaints &
Recommendations” boxes placed in the corridors of the faculty.
• These boxes are locked and the keys are the responsibility of an elected member in the
‘Complaints’ Committee’, headed by the Head of Students Affairs unit.
• The ‘Complaints’ Committee’ consists of faculty and administrative staff members selected by
the Students Affairs Unit of each faculty.
• The boxes are opened on a weekly basis by the committee and recommendations are
discussed during the monthly “Faculty Council meetings” to make decisions concerning the
issues.
• Complaints may be sent to the concerned departments/ units to address issues and take
actions.
• The Complaints Committee may attempt to meet students who place signed complaints inside
boxes to discuss issues further or provide feedback on actions taken, in case of signed
complaints.
• Valid anonymous complaints are considered after appropriate investigation.

3- Board of Study

• The Board of Study Meeting is held once every semester.

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 • The Board of Study meeting is attended by the Dean, the Head of the Quality Assurance and
International Affairs and International Partnership at MSA, the link tutor of the faculty,
supervisors of units, representatives of students from year 1 to year 4, and representatives
from different central administrative departments and units at MSA University, including the
library, admissions, IT, transportation, marketing, etc.
• Meeting minutes are taken to document discussions of items including students’ concerns
and complaints.
• Students’ representatives are asked to express all their recommendations and complaints
during the Board of Study Meeting especially in the presence of Representatives of MSA
central units.
• Representatives of units should take notes and prepare action plans to address issues as
relevant before the following meeting.
• Action plans are sent to the faculty Dean to design an inclusive action plan in order to provide
feedback to students and ensure that no further actions to address raised issues are
necessary.
• Action plans are documented in the minutes of the meetings and circulated as relevant.
• In the following meeting, students get access to meeting minutes and comment on the action
plan( if necessary).
• Strategic issues related to university are handled by Quality Assurance Unit at MSA.

Counselling
The Academic advisor and the Families head provide counselling to students' social and academic
problems.

International Student Support

International students receive support from the Faculty of Mass Communication and MSA in
general. International Students can be directed to the Department of Student Affairs located at A126

Special Needs Support Service

As an educational institution and employer, MSA recognises the equal rights of individuals and
groups to be free from discrimination based on sex, marital status, nationality, disability, and political
and religious belief. The University accepts its responsibility in relation to these rights for people
who are undertaking activities as part of their study or employment with MSA.

Thus, within this context, MSA supports any student with any form of physical disability who would
require special tutorial help in academic requirements. Students with physical disabilities are taken
into consideration not only in respect to examination arrangements but also in attendance and in the
marking of coursework and examination papers, provided that the student has reported it at an early
stage. Disability that may require consideration and when necessary, MSA offers one to one tutorial
help.

MSA is committed to a continuous course of upgrading its campus in order to improve accessibility
for the disabled by incorporating provisions for wheelchair users.

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Student Union membership

As an enrolled student on a validated collaborative course studying overseas, you are not a member
of University of Bedfordshire Students’ Union (MUSU) and you are not entitled to the NUS Extra
Card. However, you may qualify for membership of the Students’ Union at MSA. Contact your
administration for details.

QUALITY OF YOUR COURSE AND EXPERIENCE

Quality assurance and enhancement of your course
To ensure the high standards and quality of University of Bedfordshire provision, all courses are
subject to the University’s academic quality assurance procedures (which include procedures
related to course approval, monitoring and review). A key feature of these processes is the input
from external subject experts (external examiners) who ensure that University of Bedfordshire
awards are comparable to those of other UK higher education institutions, and that the course
curriculum, teaching, assessment and resources are appropriate.

You also have a very important role in enhancing our courses by feeding back on a regular basis via
student surveys, Boards of Study and other formal and informal mechanisms. Your feedback plays
a major role in course monitoring and review.

University of Bedfordshire and its courses, are subject to periodic audit or review by external quality
agencies such as the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). These audits and
reviews place confidence in the quality and standards of provision as operated at University of
Bedfordshire. The most recent QAA audit of University of Bedfordshire was conducted in 2017 of
courses delivered in collaboration with a partner institution (like this course). The outcomes were
that confidence can reasonably be placed in the soundness of the University’s current and likely
future management of the academic standards of its provision, and, of the quality of the learning
opportunities available to students. QAA review and audit reports of University of Bedfordshire .

External Examiners
What do External Examiners do?
External Examiners play a central role in assuring the quality and enhancement of your course.
They are experienced, senior academics or industry professionals with expertise in the field of
Advertising and Public Relations who are identified by MSA University but are appointed by and
report to University of Bedfordshire University. Their role is to act as independent moderators and
to consider student attainment with impartiality. By drawing on their expertise and experience
External Examiners provide one of the principal means by which University of Bedfordshire
University and MSA University ensure the course remains comparable to UK national standards.
The impartiality of External Examiners is paramount to ensuring equity for students and furthermore
to ensuring the fair application of the regulations.

The duties of External Examiners include the following:

• To attend meetings of the Assessment Board of which they are members.
• To comment when consulted on the content and form of all assessments.

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• To scrutinise all work which has been recommended for first class/distinction grades or for
failure by internal examiners and a representative sample of work in each classification (where
applicable).
• To advise on the appropriateness and effectiveness of the internal assessment processes, the
relevant assessment regulations and procedures in respect of unit assessments, the desirability
of any recalibration or (exceptionally) remarking of assessed work, and the appropriateness of
the standards against which the assessment process has taken place.

External Examiners Reports

Additionally, each External Examiner is required to produce a report at the end of the academic year
in which they comment on:
• course design, content and standards,
• student performance (general comments, no individuals are named),
• assessments: structure, design and marking,
• effectiveness and quality of feedback to students on their work,
• Assessment Boards; organisation and operation,
• role of the External Examiner,
• recommendations or actions for change and
• areas of good practice which should be shared.

These reports are an integral part of the University's monitoring procedures and are considered by
University of Bedfordshire and MSA as well as being an item for discussion at Boards of Study
meetings which is where student representatives are given the opportunity to view the report. If you
are not a student representative but would like to see the External Examiners’ report then you
should contact Dr. Lamees El Baghdady, office: A123.

In line with the new QAA Quality Code requirements for External Examining, you can contact Dr.
Lamees El Baghdady in case you need details of the External Examiner. However, it should be very
clear that it is inappropriate for any student to contact an External Examiner directly, all inquiries
should be forwarded first to the Faculty's Link Tutor: Dr. Lamees El Baghdady either via email on:
Lbaghdady@msa.eun.eg or at the Department of Learning and Quality located in A123.

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 COURSE SPECIFICATION AND CURRICULUM MAP
FOR ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

1. Course title Advertising and Public Relations

2. Awarding institution MSA University
3. Teaching institution MSA
4. Course accredited by BA Honours
5. Final qualification Mass Communications with Advertising &
Public Relations
6. Academic year 2019 – 2023
7. Language of study English
8. Mode of study Full Time

9. Criteria for admission to the course

• QAA Benchmark statement for Communication, media, film and cultural studies
• QAA Level descriptors and codes of practice
• University of Bedfordshire University Learning and Teaching Strategy
• MSA Assessment Regulations
• Supreme Council of Egyptian Universities

10. Aims of the course

The course aims to:
• Enable students to develop both a thorough theoretical understanding of the field of
mass communications in general and practical vocationally oriented abilities in the
field of advertising and public relations in particular;
• Develop students’ generic intellectual skills, especially those of analysis, synthesis,
and evaluation, and extend their ability to access, extrapolate and work critically with
information from a wide range of sources and a wide range of media;

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Enable students to develop graduate employability skills appropriate to the level and to
the field of their studies and help them to apply their specialist abilities in cognate areas of
communication in contemporary society.

11. Course outcomes

A. Knowledge and understanding Teaching/learning methods
On completion of this course the Students gain knowledge and
successful student will have knowledge understanding through lectures, seminars,
and understanding of : guided study and workshops, independent research,
1. Academic theories and empirical research group work and tutorials.
relevant to the study of mass communications in
general, and a more critical, theoretically
grounded approach to the specific study of Assessment Method
advertising and public relations
2. The critical relationships between globalisation Students’ knowledge and understanding is
and mass communication, specifically in assessed by means of a range of assessment
relationship to the Arab world tools: essays, timed seen and unseen exams,
3. The main institutions of advertising and public presentations, individual and group-based project
relations and the dynamics of their relationships work, studio-based exercises.
with other social institutions.
The codes and conventions governing strategies of
communication within advertising and public
relations.
B. Cognitive (thinking) skills Teaching/learning methods
On completion of this course the Students also acquire, develop and improve their
successful student will be able to: cognitive skills through lectures, seminars, guided
study and workshops, independent research, group
1. identify and evaluate the core theoretical claims
work and tutorials.
and evidential base of academic arguments
about media.
2. Combine disparate sources and forms of
information, types of written and visual material
to produce messages for specific purposes for Assessment Method
specific audiences. Students’ cognitive skills are assessed by a
3. Assess the consistency and quality of a range
range of coursework based assessment tools: essays,
of types of information and articulate reasoned
project-based work both practical and theoretical,
critical judgements concerning its validity and
cases studies, documented planning of work. Specific
logically consequential conclusions.
assessment criteria are incorporated into units to
4. Creatively interpret and apply theories,
indicate the emphasis placed on specific kinds of
concepts and other critical material to processes
cognitive skill in producing assessment material.
and practices of advertising and public relations
and other forms of mass communication;

C. Practical skills Teaching/learning methods

On completion of the course the successful The course places particular emphasis on the
student will be able to: importance of both specific kinds of media technology
and a range of theoretically informed practical skills.
1. Communicate effectively using a variety of
These skills are learned through production practice,
media technologies (printed matter, graphic and
project planning, organisation and execution, hands-
visual images, video and computer software), to
on workshops and demonstrations.
edit these and work constructively with feedback
2. Efficiently plan, organise and execute research
projects, anticipating and resolving problems Assessment Method
encountered in meeting goals Student practical abilities are assessed through
3. Estimate and organise use of time in meeting written coursework, project work and exams which
specific briefs and other tasks. allow students to work with particular technologies
4. Work effectively with the key tools and and varieties of creative practice within the field of
technologies of advertising and public relations advertising and public relations.

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D. Graduate Skills Teaching/learning methods
On completion of this course the The teaching and learning strategies of all units on the
successful student will be able to: Mass Communications with Advertising and PR
degree incorporate methods which require students to
1. Identify the learning skills required in any
develop the graduate skills identified by University of
particular context and adapt existing skills
Bedfordshire University as core to student
where appropriate
development.
2. Work effectively in group situations, adapt to the
specific roles required in such contexts and
interact appropriately
3. Work with a range of standard software
packages operating on a number of platforms, Assessment method
in addition to specific media technologies The formal procedures of assessment at all levels on
To distinguish between and work with a variety of the Mass Communications with Advertising and PR
forms of quantitative information and specifically to degree – exams, essays, seminar exercises, practice-
understand the factors which affect the construction based material, seminar attendance, informal, in-
and reliability of that information and the inferences session feedback, participation – provide an
which can be drawn from it. opportunity for staff to draw attention to and evaluate
student progress with respects to core graduate skills.

12. Course structure (levels, units, credits and progression requirements)

12. 1 Overall structure of the course
The BA in Mass Communications with Advertising and PR Single Honours course is
normally studied full-time over eight semesters. 129 MSA credits overall are required in
order to graduate. Of these, 33 are at Level One, 33 at Level Two, 33 at Level Three 30
credits at Level 4.

The first and second years of study on this course emphasise the acquisition of a
grounding in core theories of mass communication, the development of a good
understanding of what is entailed in social science based approaches to the study of
mass media, and the general ability to study effectively at an undergraduate level. In the
third year of study, students start to develop both their practical abilities in and their
academic understanding of their chosen media specialism by following a course of study
which entails the intensive introduction to a range of advertising and PR practices. The
final year of study emphasises both more independent, critical study by the students as
well as the integration of their practical skills in organised, structured project development.

Note: the Level of a unit is indicated by the first digit in the unit code. Thus, MCOM 101 is
Level One, MCOM 201 Level Two, and so on.

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13. A curriculum map relating learning outcomes to units
See Curriculum Map attached.

14. Information about assessment regulations

MSA University assessment procedures and regulations apply – see the University’s
Guide and Regulations. For all MCOM coded units, students will normally pass a unit if
the average of their marks of all components is 50% or above.

15. Future careers: how the course supports graduates’ future career development
The course offered by the Faculty of Mass Communication at MSA provides unique
opportunity for its students, not only through its professional courses, but also through the
practical implementation of these courses. Internship training courses provide practical
field work experience for the students. Many students choose to specialize by continuing
their education at the Master’s Level after graduation.

16. Specialised support for learning

MSA is technically equipped for the New Media. The university laboratories are fully
Internet friendly. Students can also long on to their accounts from their homes. The labs
are also equipped with multimedia production means as well as audio visual equipment.
Language and information technology support are offered on a one-to-one basis.
Students who fail to meet the standard required, join an intensive English Language
Course at the beginning of their studies at MSA. Students who pass the Placement Test
or those who pass the intensive course are required to take compulsory unit of English
to develop and upgrade their language via a fully equipped language laboratory.
Students who need additional help are urged to contact the English Language
Department to arrange for extra help or to attend extra group sessions. Maths support is
available on-line, in addition to the fact that the Academic staff are available to see
students during published Office Hours and also via email. As for IT services, the Faculty
IT Services Unit provides support to all students in using computers, software kits and
audio-visual aids.

21. Other information

Please note course specifications provide a concise summary of the main features of the
course and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to
achieve if s/he takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided. More
detailed information about the course can be found in the student course handbook and
the University Regulation.

Please note course specifications provide a concise summary of the main features of the course and the learning
outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve if s/he takes full advantage of the learning
opportunities that are provided. More detailed information about the course can be found in the student course handbook
and the University Regulations.

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 Curriculum map for Mass Communications with Advertising and PR

This section shows the highest level at which programme outcomes are to be achieved by all graduates, and maps programme learning
outcomes against the modules in which they are assessed.

Programme outcomes – highest level to be achieved by all graduates

A1 A2 A3 A4 B1 B2 B3 B4 C1 C2 C3 C4 D1 D2 D3 D4
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Module Title Module

Code by Programme Outcomes
Level
A
A1 A2 A3 4 B1 B2 B3 B4 C1 C2 C3 C4 D1 D2 D3 D4
Arabic Morphology & Syntax ARAB101
x x x x x
Intro to Information Technology CS100
x x x x x x
Introduction to Economics I ECO101
x x x x x x x
English for Academic Purposes ENG101
x x x x x
English for Study Skills ENG102
x x x x x
World contemporary history HUM130
x x x x x x
Intro. To Mass Communication MCOM101
x x x x x x x
Electronic Publishing MCOM102

x x x x
Mass Media writing MCOM 103
x x x x x x x
Arabic Writing ARAB102
x x x x x
Research Paper Writing ENG201
x x x x x x X
Intro. to Advertising and PR MCOM211
x x x x x
Intro. to Journalism MCOM212
x x x x x x
Seminar in Special Topics MCOM213
x x x x X
History of Arab Media MCOM214
x x x x x x x x
Communication Theories MCOM215
x x x x x x x
Introduction to Broadcasting MCOM231
x x x x x x
Elective Module
x x x x x x
Introduction to Political Science MPSC201
x x x x x x x x

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Media Psychology MPSY201
x x x x x x x x x
Persuasive Communication MCOM 301
x x x x x x x x
Mass Media Research I MCOM306
x x x x x x x x x
Mass Media Research II MCOM307
x x x x x x x x x
Public Opinion MCOM308
x x x x x x x
Advertising copywriting MCOM321
x x x x x x
Public Relations Theory and Techniques MCOM322
x x x x x x x x
International Advertising MCOM320
x x x x x x
Introduction to Photography MCOM202
x x x x x x x
Social Marketing MCOM310
x x x x x x x x
Marketing principles MKT 201
x x x x x x x x
Advertising and PR Workshop MCOM226
x x x x x x x x
Mass Media Ethics MCOM405
x x x x x x x x
International Communication MCOM402
x x x x x x x x x
Communication & Development MCOM408
x x x x x x x x x x
Organizational communication MCOM421
x x x x x x x x
Consumer Behaviour MCOM420
x x x x x x x x x x
Strategic Media Planning MCOM423
x x x x x x x x x
Integrated Marketing Communications MCOM424
x x x x x x x x
Graduation Project part I MCOM 470
x x x x x x x x x
Graduation Project part II MCOM 471
x x x x x x x x x x x
Internship MCOM 426
x x x x x x x
Elective
x x x x x x

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Knowledge and understanding Practical skills
A1 Academic theories and empirical research relevant to the C1 The ability to communicate effectively using a variety of media technologies
study of mass communications in general, and a more (printed matter, graphic and visual images, video and computer software)
critical, theoretically grounded approach to the specific study and the ability to edit and work constructively with feedback.
of advertising and public relations.

A2 Appreciation of the critical relationships between globalisation C2 Efficient planning and executing of research projects, anticipating and
and mass communication, specifically in relationship to the resolving problems encountered in meeting goals.
Arab world.

A3 The main institutions of advertising and public relations and C3 Ability to estimate and organise use of time in meeting specific briefs and
the dynamics of their relationships with other social other tasks.
institutions.

A4 The codes and conventions governing strategies of C4 Work effectively with the key tools and technologies of advertising and
communication within advertising and public relations. public relations

Cognitive skills Graduate Skills

B1 The ability to identify and evaluate the core theoretical claims D1 The ability to identify the learning skills required in any particular context
and evidential base of academic arguments about media. and adapt existing skills where appropriate.

B2 The ability to combine disparate sources and forms of D2 Ability to work effectively in group situations, adapt to the specific roles
information, types of written and visual material to produce required in such contexts and interact appropriately.
messages for specific purposes for specific audiences.

B3 Assessment of the consistency and quality of a range of types D3 Ability to work with a range of standard software packages operating on a
of information and articulate reasoned critical judgements number of platforms, in addition to specific media technologies.
concerning its validity and logically consequential
conclusions.

B4 The creative interpretation and application of theories, D4 Ability to distinguish between and work with a variety of forms of
concepts and other critical material to processes and quantitative information and specifically to understand the factors which
practices of advertising and public relations and other forms affect the construction and reliability of that information and the inferences
of mass communication; which can be drawn from it.

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UNIT INFORMATION FORMS
Each Student receives a description of the registered unit during first class at the semester. Those
UIFs are usually available via Moodle and E- Learning Platforms.

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