THE Director of Information at the National Universities Commission (NUC), Ibrahim Yakassai on Thursday confirmed reports about unbundling Mass Communication as a degree course into seven degree programmes.

Yakassai in a phone conversation with The ICIR noted that the splitting of the course popularly adjudged to be voluminous does not necessarily depict its total stop as those who desire to study Mass Communication are still allowed to do so.

“Unbundling does not mean we have abolished the original Mass Communication. The original Mass Communication as it is can still be run by universities if they so wish but those who wish to offer separate  programmes under  Mass Communication can also do so,” he said.

Asked about the fate of students who are currently studying Mass Communication as a single programme, he said, “Nobody is affected by anything, Mass Communication would still remain. It is an addition to the Mass Communication single degree.”

“We have also introduced an element of Mass Communication in separate degrees. So one can decide to read Advertising, Cinematography…,” he said.

Yakassai stated that the phasing out of the degree as a single programme would take effect from 2020 admissions into Nigerian universities.

The seven new programmes/departments to be domiciled in a Faculty / School / College of Communication and Media Studies are Journalism & Media Studies, Public Relations, Advertising, Broadcasting, Film & Multi-Media Studies, Development Communication Studies, Information & Media Studies.