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Academic Colleges:
Communication, Information, and Media


Department Programs:
Communication Studies
Journalism
Telecommunications

 

 
 
 
 
 
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College of Communication, Information and Media
Department of Journalism
Programs:
Majors: Advertising; Journalism (options: Graphics; Magazine; News-Editorial; Photojournalism); Public Relations
Teaching Major: Journalism
License: Journalism
Courses:
JOURN: Journalism

The Department of Journalism offers professional programs in advertising, journalism graphics, magazine, news-editorial, photojournalism, public relations, and teacher education. It is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC). Journalism students receive individual attention and hands-on instruction using leading-edge communication technologies. Students are encouraged to supplement their classroom educations by working with award-winning student publications and organizations, including the Daily News (campus newspaper), Expo (student magazine), Ball Bearings (student Web site), and Cardinal Communications (student-operated advertising/public relations agency). Students complete a set of pre-major courses consisting of five courses before applying for admission into a professional journalism program. The department's primary faculty advisor and the seven sequence coordinators assist students in selecting courses, understanding requirements for majors, and receiving career counseling.

For more information, contact the Department of Journalism at 765-285-8200.

BACCALAUREATE DEGREES

Students will be guided by the outline of baccalaureate Degrees, the University Core Curriculum, and the concentration areas listed below.

Students majoring in advertising, journalism, and public relations must complete a set of pre-major courses before enrolling in a professional major within the Department of Journalism. It is recommended students complete the prejournalism program at the end of their sophomore year. Students are encouraged to meet with the faculty advisor in the journalism department before applying to one of the department’s professional programs. Students are required to attend a department orientation before admission into a professional program preferably during their first year of study. This requirement applies to majors in advertising, journalism, public relations, and the teaching major in journalism.

Before being accepted in a professional major, students must submit applications to the journalism department. Students must achieve grades of C or better in each pre-major course.

Before graduating, students must complete all major courses with grades of C or better. Credit in ECON 116 or 201 is required for majors in advertising and public relations. All majors must complete an exit interview with the appropriate sequence coordinator.

Prior to beginning a JOURN or NEWS course, a student must earn a C or better grade in its prerequisites.  Prerequisites for all courses are strictly enforced.  Students with credit in TCOM 101 are not required to take JOURN 101.  Students with credit in TCOM 384 are not required to take JOURN 325.

All majors must earn a minimum of 80 credit hours in courses outside the departments of journalism and telecommunications (JOURN, NEWS, and TCOM). At least 65 of these hours must be from liberal arts areas. In each major program, there are courses required which count toward the University Core Curriculum and the non-journalism and telecommunications areas.

The Department of Journalism recognizes the following course categories as liberal arts: AFA, AHS, AMSTU, ANAT, ANTH, APHYS, ART, ASIAN, ASTRO, BIO, BOT, CC, CFA, CH, CHEM, CS, COMM, DANCE, ECON, ENG, FL, FR, GEOG, GEOL, GER, GRK, HIST, HONRS, HSC, ITAL, JAPAN, LAT, MATHS, MUHIS, NREM, PEFWL, PHIL, PHYCS, PHYSL, POLS, PSYSC, RELST, SCI, SOC, SP, SS, THEAT, WELNS, WMNST, and ZOOL.

Students are allowed to pursue up to two major programs in the department. If a student chooses a second program area, he/she must still complete at least 80 hours outside journalism and telecommunications.

Students are encouraged to select a second major or two minors from a liberal arts area to complement their departmental major in the journalism department. 

Programs

MAJOR IN ADVERTISING, 60 hours   
PREFIX NO SHORT TITLE CR HRS
Prejournalism program in advertising, 15 hours
JOURN 101 Mass Comm 3
102 Info Gather 3
103 Vis Comm Prs 3
104 J Wrt Pr Adv 3
250 Intro Advert 3
Professional advertising requirements, 45 hours  
JOURN 169 Prof Dev Sem 1
325 Media Law 3
352 Advrt Media 3
354 Advrt Copy 3
382 Resrch Strat 3
456 Adver Campns 3
ECON 116 Survey Ideas (3)
or
201 Elem Micro (3) 3
247 Econ-Media 3
MKG 300 Prin Market 3
310 Consmr Behav 3
PSYSC 100 General 3
SOC 100 Principles 3
6 hours from  
JOURN 342 New Media (3)
355 Advert Brand (3)
  452

Adv Media (3)

 
453

Int Campaign (3)

454

Advert Sem (3)

455 Advance Copy (3) 6
2 hours from  
JOURN 369 Internship (0-3)
479 Non Paid Int (0-3) 2
3 hours from  
ANTH 111 Global Div (3)
311 Ethnicity (3)
COMM 290 Intercul Com (3)
EDMUL 205 Multi Educ (3)
POLS 474 Women Poltcs (3)
475 Minor Group (3)
SOC 235 Women (3)
421 Minorities (3)
422 Trends (3)
WMNST 314 Ws Symp Comm (3) 3
______
60 hrs
POLS 475 requires POLS 130 as a prerequisite.

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MAJOR IN JOURNALISM, 54-66 hours
(Students will complete the prejournalism program  and one option from: graphics; magazine; news-editorial; photojournalism)
PREFIX NO

SHORT TITLE

CR HRS

Prejournalism program, 15 hours
JOURN 101 Mass Comm 3
102 Info Gather 3
103 Vis Comm Prs 3
105 Journ Story  3
Specific option course 3
Journalism graphics option, 51 hours  
Prejournalism course     
JOURN 245 Edit Present (3)
Professional journalism graphics requirements, 51 hours  
JOURN 169 Prof Dev Sem 1
315 Media Edit 3
321 News Design 3
325 Media Law 3
342 New Media 3
345 Journ Vis Rep 3
445 Adv Ed Pres 3
NEWS 201 Newswriting 3
240 Map Reading 3
  265 Intro G I S 3
ITGRA 180 Intro Gr Art 3
SOC 100 Principles 3
3 hours from  
JOURN 323 Mag Design (3)
332 Visual Ed (3)
NEWS 385 Mult Med Sty (3) 3
2 hours from  
JOURN 369 Internship (0-3)
479 Non Paid Int (0-3) 2
3 hours from  
ANTH 111 Global Div (3)
311 Ethnicity (3)
COMM 290 Intercul Com (3)
EDMUL 205 Multi Educ (3)
POLS 474 Women Poltcs (3)
475 Minor Group (3)
SOC 235 Women (3)
421 Minorities (3)
422 Trends (3)
WMNST 314 Ws Symp Comm (3)

3

_____

66 hrs

Journalism magazine option, 42 hours  
Prejournalism course  
JOURN 280 Mag Writing (3)
Professional magazine requirements,
42 hours
JOURN 169 Prof Dev Sem 1
312 Opinion Writ 3
315 Media Edit 3
325 Media Law 3
326 Media Ethics 3
328 Mag Mgmt 3
427 Adv Mag Writ 3
ECON 247 Econ-Media 3
HIST 202 US 1877-Pres 3
NEWS 201 Newswriting 3
SOC 100 Principles 3
6 hours from  
JOURN 230 Intro Photoj (3)
323 Mag Design (3)
342

New Media (3)

6
2 hours from  
JOURN 369 Internship (0-3)
479 Non Paid Int (0-3) 2
3 hours from  
ANTH 111

Global Div (3)

311

Ethnicity (3)

COMM 290

Intercul Com (3)

EDMUL 205

Multi Educ (3)

POLS 474

Women Poltcs (3)

475

Minor Group (3)

SOC 235

Women (3)

421

Minorities (3)

422

Trends (3)

WMNST 314

Ws Symp Comm (3)

3
_____
57 hrs
Journalism news-editorial option,
42 hours
 
Prejournalism course  
NEWS 201

Newswriting (3)

Professional news-editorial requirements, 42 hours
JOURN 169

Prof Dev Sem

1
311

News Feat Wr

3
315

Media Edit

3
325

Media Law

3
326

Media Ethics

3
413

Adv Rep News

3
NEWS 202

News Report

3
485

Adv News Sem

3
ECON 247

Econ-Media

3
POLS 130

Amer Nat Gov

3
SOC 100

Principles

3
3 hours from
JOURN 312

Opinion Writ (3)

322

Sportwrt Rep (3)

418

Tech Sci Wrt (3)

3
3 hours from  
JOURN 230

Intro Photoj (3)

321

News Design (3)

342

New Media (3)

NEWS 385

Mult Med Sty (3)

3
2 hours from  
JOURN 369

Internship (0-3)

479

Non Paid Int (0-3)

2
3 hours from  
ANTH 111

Global Div (3)

311

Ethnicity (3)

COMM 290

Intercul Com (3)

EDMUL 205

Multi Educ (3)

POLS 474

Women Poltcs (3)

475

Minor Group (3)

SOC 235

Women (3)

421

Minorities (3)

422

Trends (3)

WMNST 314

Ws Symp Comm (3)

3
_____
57 hrs
Journalism photojournalism option,
39 hours
 
Prejournalsim course
JOURN 230

Intro Photoj (3)

Professional photojournalism requirements, 39 hours
JOURN 169

Prof Dev Sem

1
  236

Bas Lit Ill

3
325

Media Law

3
326

Media Ethics

3
332

Visual Ed

3
335

Int Photoj

3
437

Advan Photoj

3
NEWS 201

Newswriting

3
485

Adv News Sem

3
HIST 202

US 1877-Pres

3
SOC 100

Principles

3
3 hours from  
JOURN 321

News Design (3)

323

Mag Design (3)

342

New Media (3)

434

Photo Illus (3)

NEWS 202

News Report (3)

385

Mult Med Sty (3)

3
2 hours from  
JOURN 369

Internship (0-3)

479

Non Paid Int (0-3)

2
3 hours from  
ANTH 111

Global Div (3)

311

Ethnicity (3)

COMM 290

Intercul Com (3)

EDMUL 205

Multi Educ (3)

POLS 474

Women Poltcs (3)

475

Minor Group (3)

SOC 235

Women (3)

421

Minorities (3)

422

Trends (3)

WMNST 314

Ws Symp Comm (3)

3
_____
54 hrs
POLS 475 requires POLS 130 as a prerequisite.

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MAJOR IN PUBLIC RELATIONS, 63 hours   
PREFIX NO

SHORT TITLE

CR HRS

Prepublic relations program requirements, 15 hours
JOURN 101 Mass Comm 3
102 Info Gather 3
103 Vis Comm Prs 3
104 J Wrt Pr Adv 3
261 Prin of P R 3
Professional public relations requirements, 48 hours
JOURN 169 Prof Dev Sem 1
325 Media Law 3
326 Media Ethics 3
360 PR Tech 3
368 PR Publicat 3
382 Resrch Strat 3
405 PR Plan Mgt 3
465 PR Campaigns 3
ANTH 111 Global Div 3
ECON 116 Survey Ideas (3)
or
201 Elem Micro (3) 3
MGT 200 Mngnt Prin 3
MKG 300 Prin Market 3
NEWS 201 Newswriting 3
SOC 100 Principles 3
3 hours from  
JOURN 230 Intro Photoj (3)
312 Opinion Writ (3)
323 Mag Design (3)
342 New Media (3)
418 Tech Sci Wrt (3)
456 Advert Campns (3) 3
2 hours from  
JOURN 369 Internship (0-3)
479 Non Paid Int (0-3) 2
3 hours from  
COMM 251 Bus Prof Com (3)
290 Intercul Com (3)
320 Persuasion (3)
440 Intpers Comm (3) 3
_____
63 hrs
COMM 440 requires COMM 240 as a prerequisite.

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TEACHER EDUCATION

Teaching programs require additional courses in educational methods. The professional education
courses are included in this listing. See the Department
of Educational Studies and Teachers College for the descriptions of these courses and other professional requirements of the teacher education program.

TEACHING MAJOR IN JOURNALISM, 42 hours
(See baccalaureate information for admission and retention standards.)
PREFIX NO

SHORT TITLE

CR HRS

Prejournalism teaching core requirement, 15 hours
JOURN 101 Mass Comm 3
102 Info Gather 3
103 Vis Comm Prs 3
105 Journ Story 3
230 Intro Photoj 3
Professional journalism teaching,
27 hours
 
JOURN 321 News Design

3

323 Mag Design 3
325 Media Law 3
342 New Media 3
474 Advg HS Pub 3
NEWS 201

Newswriting

3
202

News Report

3
PSYSC 100

General

3
SOC 100

Principlies

3
_____
42 hrs

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SENIOR HIGH, JUNIOR HIGH/ MIDDLE SCHOOL
EDUCATION PROGRAM
PREFIX NO

SHORT TITLE

CR HRS

Professional education sequence,
39 hours
 
JOURN 150

Intr Jrn Ed

3
EDMUL 205

Multi Educ

3
EDPSY 251 Dev Sec Ed 3
390 Educ Psychol 3
EDSEC 380 Prin Sec Sch 3
EDJHM 385 Prin Mid Sch 3
JOURN 395

Mth Matl Jrn

3
474

Advg HS Pub

3
EDFON 420 Fnds of Educ 3
Student teaching 12
______
39 hrs
See Professional Education Assessment/Decision Points, Teacher Licensing, for additional information.

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JOURNALISM LICENSE ADDITION, 24 hours
PREFIX NO

SHORT TITLE

CR HRS

JOURN 102

Info Gather

3
103 Vis Comm Prs 3
105 Journ Story 3
230 Intro Photoj 3
321 News Design 3
325 Media Law 3
  474

Advg HS Pub

3
NEWS 201

Newswriting

3
______
24 hrs

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COURSES:

JOURNALISM (JOURN)

101 Introduction to Mass Communication. (3)
Study of mass communication processes, mass media, and new media in historical and societal contexts, emphasizing ethics and law, and constitutional issues. Students with credit in TCOM 101 are not required to take JOURN 101.
Not open to students who have credit in TCOM 101.
Open only to students in an approved journalism department program.

102 Information Gathering. (3)
Theory and practice of search strategies for gathering information ethically and legally from libraries, databases, institutions, Internet, polls, and people. Requires use of critical thinking skills to evaluate, select, synthesize, organize, edit, and present information.
Prerequisite: JOURN 101 or TCOM 101 or permission of the department chairperson.

103 Visual Communication and Presentation. (3)
Theory, history, and practice of design and organization in visual media. Content focuses on visual perception, typography, design, picture selection and use, and delivery processes.
Prerequisite: JOURN 101 or TCOM 101 or permission of the department chairperson.
Open only to students pursuing a journalism program area and TCOM news option majors. 

104 Journalistic Writing Skills for Advertising and Public Relations. (3)
Develops basic writing skills that public relations and advertising professionals use. Content focuses on journalism writing; including Associated Press style, proper grammar, syntax and usage, and aspects of advertising and business writing.
Prerequisite: JOURN 101.
Open only to students pursuing a major in advertising or public relations.

105 Journalistic Storytelling. (3)
Introduction to journalistic storytelling; including editing, writing, and design. Heavy emphasis on practical application of basic skills needed in newspaper and Web newsrooms.
Prerequisite: JOURN 101.
Open only to students pursuing majors in journalism or journalism teaching.

150 Introduction to Basic Concepts of Journalism Education. (3)
Designed to help students make balanced decisions about preparing for and functioning in teaching careers in the field of journalism/mass communications. Professionalism, job requirements, employment opportunities, secondary school curricula, and the role of secondary education within the entire educational process are discussed.
Prerequisite: JOURN 101 or permission of the department chairperson.

169 (269) Professional Development Seminar. (1)
Provides opportunities and skills needed to secure an internship/job in journalism, public relations, or
advertising. Job-related issues, such as business
etiquette, assertiveness, and sexual harassment are discussed.
Prerequisite: JOURN 101 or TCOM 101 or permission of the department chairperson.

230 Introduction to Photojournalism. (3)
Emphasizes preparing students to make, process, and caption photographs for newspapers, magazines, public relations, and advertising purposes. Includes history of photojournalism. Students must provide their own 35mm camera and photographic supplies.
Prerequisite: JOURN 101 or TCOM 101 or permission of the department chairperson.

236 Basic Illustration and Lighting. (3)
Introduction to the study of photographic lighting procedures and equipment for studio and field use by media photographers. Includes history of lighting
techniques. Students must provide their own 35mm camera, a portable strobe (speedlight), and photographic supplies.
Prerequisite: JOURN 230 or permission of the department chairperson.

245 Editorial Presentation. (3)
Survey of the journalistic visual/verbal relationships and analysis needed to train news editors. Introduces the concepts of journalistic visual editing, journalistic graphics technology, and the history of visual journalism. Preparatory for journalism graphics sequence majors.
Prerequisite: JOURN 103.
Open only to prejournalism students planning to pursue a journalism graphics major.

250 Introduction to Advertising. (3)
A survey of the advertising communication process and its history. Focuses on communication research, creative strategy, campaign planning, function of mass media as carriers of advertising, and evaluation of advertising effectiveness.
Prerequisite: JOURN 101 or TCOM 101 or permission of the department chairperson.

261 Principles of Public Relations. (3)
Survey of the history, theory, philosophy, and function of public relations practices and programs in American institutions, with special attention given to public relations in various fields.
Prerequisite: JOURN 101 or TCOM 101 or permission of the department chairperson.

280 Introductory Magazine Writing. (3) 
Techniques of feature writing focusing on developing content for the niche audiences of American magazines. Emphasizes writing for both print and online magazines and learning techniques of computer-assisted reporting. Includes practice in marketing articles. 
Prerequisite: JOURN 102, 104.

299X Experimental/Developmental Topics. (3-6)
Topics relevant to the discipline. Course titles will be announced before each semester.
A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned.

301 History of Journalism. (3)
History of journalism in the United States from colonial times to the present, presenting the press as an institution against the background of the history of the nation.

311 News Feature Writing. (3) 
Use of specialized reporting and writing skills to produce in-depth, issues-oriented feature stories. Advanced nonfiction writing to promote the understanding of community topics. 
Prerequisite: JOURN 315 or NEWS 202.

312 Opinion Writing. (3) 
Researching and writing columns, editorials, and reviews for various media. Emphasis on writing structure and styles. 
Prerequisite: NEWS 201.

315 Media Editing. (3) 
Theory and practice in publication editing and duties of editors. Includes study of content planning and direction; shaping and developing article structure; proper language usage; and copy editing. 
Prerequisite:
NEWS 201.

321 Newspaper Design. (3)
Theory of layout, grid systems, typography, color, and use of photography for newspapers. Emphasizes design problem solving in the editing process and editorial judgment in the newspaper design process. Computer-based production methods will be employed.
Prerequisite: JOURN 103, NEWS 201.
Not open to prejournalism students.

322 Sportswriting and Reporting. (3)
Study and practice on covering and writing about sports events and the people connected with them. Story assignments and research combined with classroom lectures and analysis of best sports stories provide the skills to cover a wide range of sports activities.
Prerequisite: NEWS 201 or permission of the department chairperson.

323 Magazine Design. (3)
Study of magazine design and conception. Explores journalistic visual literacy, visual/verbal interpretation, and design methods for magazines and newspapers.
Prerequisite: JOURN 103; NEWS 201. 

325 Media Law. (3)
Survey of constitutional and statutory law, and regulating agencies affecting print and electronic media, with attention given to historical development of Supreme Court rulings. Students with credit in TCOM 384 are not required to take JOURN 325.
Not open to students who have credit in TCOM 384.

326 Media Ethics and the Workplace. (3)
Examination of the moral, social, political, economic, and governmental pressure on the media. Explores ethical behavior in the workplace, and media ethics and ethical decision making.
Prerequisite: JOURN 325 or permission of the department chairperson.

328 Magazine Management. (3)
The business side of magazine publishing including how to start a new magazine. Includes study of the magazine publishing industry and the magazine production process. Students produce a business plan for a new magazine startup.
Prerequisite: JOURN 315.

332 Visual Editing. (3)
Selecting, editing, and using photographic and other illustrative graphic materials. Includes composition principles, photographic reproduction, digital illustration techniques, and design of picture pages for newspapers.  Includes history of use of photography.
Prerequisite: JOURN 102, 103, 104 or 105, and 236 or 245.  

335 Intermediate Photojournalism. (3)
Use of single, documentary images to tell stories as well as the principles, techniques, and materials of color photography as they apply to media. Includes history of documentary photojournalism.  Students must provide their own 35mm camera, portable strobe, a variety of lenses, and photographic supplies.
Prerequisite: JOURN 102, 103, 104, 236.

342 New Media Journalism. (3) 
Study and experimentation in new media, including design, writing, editing, and operations. Instructional emphasis on understanding the theoretical and practical applications of new media, including interactivity. Develop and maintain new media products. 
Prerequisite: one of the following: JOURN 321, 323, 328, 332, 368, 454 or permission of the department chairperson.

345 Journalistic Visual Reporting. (3)
Examination of the facets of informational graphics and the job of the modern-day graphics reporter. Experience gained in creating and researching explanatory charts, diagrams, maps, and graphics editing. Computers are an integral tool.
Prerequisite: JOURN 245; NEWS 201.
Not open to prejournalism students.

352 Advertising Media. (3)
Strategy and procedures for planning, executing, and controlling the placement of advertising. Examines characteristics of media, techniques of media budgeting and selection, and methods of evaluating media effectiveness.
Prerequisite: JOURN 102, 103, 104, 250.

354 Advertising Copy and Layout. (3)
Instruction in preparing copy for mass media advertising. Major emphasis on creative thinking and basic writing skills. Prepare copy strategies, write copy, prepare layouts and storyboards. Discussion of fundamentals of consumer motivation and selecting target audiences.
Prerequisite: JOURN 102, 103, 104, 250.

355 Advertising Branding. (3)
Study of brands, branding, and the role of advertising in brand development. Explores how brands are built, leveraged, measured, and nurtured; roles brands play in society; trends in brand development; and future of brands. Prerequisite: JOURN 102, 103, 104, 250.

360 Public Relations Writing and Publicity Techniques. (3)
Theory and practice of producing publicity tools for various media used in campaigns to promote and interpret personal, institutional, and organizational objectives and activities. Emphasizes writing and publicity problem solving.
Prerequisite: JOURN 103, 261; NEWS 201.

368 Public Relations Publication Design and Production. (3)
Institutional and industrial publications as an important means of internal and external communications. Design and production techniques. Includes one hour of lab each week.
Prerequisite: JOURN 103, 261; NEWS 201.

369 Journalism Internship. (0-3)
On-the-job training in which advertising, journalism, or public relations majors get experience applying what they
have learned in the classroom. Involves duties in a
communications organization with compensation. Offered credit/no credit only.
Prerequisite: JOURN 169