Journalism Majors in Journalism
Minors in Journalism
Requirements for Changing Major to Journalism
Teacher Certification
Accreditation and Professional Organizations
Internships
Honors Program
3-2 M.B.A. Program
Graduate Studies offered by the Department
Courses of Instruction

(JOUR)

The Department of Journalism offers majors in advertising/public relations, broadcast journalism, international communication, and news-editorial journalism. Minors are available in advertising/public relations, broadcast journalism, and news-editorial journalism. Degrees offered through the department include the B.A., the B.S., and the M.S.

The goal of the department is to develop skilled professional communicators who understand their social, legal, and ethical responsibilities and have a keen sense of career opportunities in a global and technological society. Each degree program in the department prepares students to communicate in a democracy to its diverse audiences through critical thinking and analytical writing skills.

All programs require professional quality and performance. TCU's Journalism Department is one of about a dozen programs at private universities in the nation accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC). About 10 percent of the journalism programs at public and private universities in the country are accredited by the council. The department fully subscribes to the ACEJMC guidelines that 80 semester hours of the student's coursework be taken outside Journalism and/or mass communications classes, to ensure a broad liberal arts education. Of the 80 hours, 65 must be in traditional liberal arts. Forty-four hours may be taken in Journalism or other mass communication courses, including Radio-TV-Film courses. Majors in all sequences must conform to this restriction on the number of hours in mass communication study.

Students cannot consider themselves journalism majors or minors until they have passed the Grammar-Spelling-Punctuation examination, which is administered on a regular basis each semester. Students may take the GSP exam only three times. A GSP study guide is available. Students must maintain contact with the Journalism office to determine the exact days and times the examinations will be administered. Successful completion of the grammar-spelling-punctuation examination is necessary to enroll in the first writing course: Journalism 10113, Media Writing and Editing I, which must be passed with a grade of "C" or better before students can take any course for which Journalism 10113 is a prerequisite. Journalism majors and minors must make a "C" or better in any course that is a prerequisite for another journalism course before enrolling in the course for which the prerequisite is required. All skills courses must be taken sequentially.

Courses in the Journalism majors or minors must be taken for a letter grade. Journalism courses taken in the major and minor sequences must be passed with a grade of "C" or better to fulfill prequisite requirements for any journalism course and graduation requirements.

Majors in Journalism

B.A. Degree with a Major in Journalism, News-Editorial sequence (Newspaper or Magazine emphasis): 124 hours with 37 hours in Journalism, including 10103, 10113, 20103, 30203, 30343, 40463, 40493, 40101, 40523, 40613 and nine hours of Journalism electives. A second major in a complementary field is strongly recommended; students should consult with their adviser for suggestions.

B.A. Degree with a Major in Journalism, News-Editorial sequence (Photojournalism emphasis): 124 hours with 34 hours in Journalism and 9 hours in the Department of Art. Required courses include: JOUR 10103, 10113, 20103, 30203, 30233, 30453, 40101, 40523, 40613,40463 or 40643, and six hours of Journalism electives. Art courses required are ART 20743, 30710, 30730 or 30743.

B.A. Degree with a Major in Journalism, News-Editorial sequence (Periodical Design emphasis): 124 hours with 34 hours in Journalism and 9 hours in the Department of Art. Required courses include: 10103, 10113, 20103, 30203, 30343, 30443, 30453, 40101, 40523, 40613, and six hours of Journalism electives. Art courses required are ART 10123, 20323, and 20333.

B.S. Degree with a Major in Journalism, News-Editorial sequence (Newspaper or Magazine emphasis): 124 hours with 37 hours in Journalism, including 10103, 10113, 20103, 30203, 30343, 40463, 40493 or 40643, 40101, 40523, 40613, and nine hours of Journalism electives. A statistics course in the Mathematics Department or School of Business is required, plus Computer Science 10203 or 10403. A second major or a minor is strongly recommended but is not required; students should consult with their adviser for suggestions.

B.S. Degree with a Major in Journalism, News-Editorial sequence (Periodical Design emphasis): 124 hours with 34 hours in Journalism and 9 hours in the Department of Art. Required courses include: 10103, 10113, 20103, 30203, 30343, 30443, 30453, 40101, 40523, 40613, and six hours of Journalism electives. Art courses required are ART 10123, 20323, and 20333. A statistics course in the Mathematics Department or School of Business is required, plus Computer Science 10203 or 10403.

B.S. Degree with a Major in Journalism, News-Editorial sequence (Photojournalism emphasis): 124 hours with 34 hours in Journalism and 9 hours in the Department of Art. Required courses include: 10103, 10113, 20103, 30203, 30233, 30453, 40101, 40523, 40613,40463 or 40643 and six hours of Journalism electives. Art courses required are ART 20743, 30710, 30730 or 30743. A statistics course in the Mathematics Department or School of Business is required, plus Computer Science 10203 or 10403.

B.S. Degree with a Major in Journalism, Public Relations/Advertising sequence: 124 hours with 39 hours in Journalism, including 10103, 10113, 20103, 30313, 30403, 30413, 30453, 30803, 40513, 40523, 40903, and six hours of Journalism electives. A statistics course taken in either the Mathematics Department or School of Business is required. An Area of Emphasis consisting of 18 hours in a discipline selected by the student and approved by a Journalism adviser must be completed. Students may also choose to complete the requirements for a major or minor in the selected discipline. If this option is selected, students must fulfill the requirements as prescribed by the department in which the minor or second major is taken.

B.S. Degree with a Major in Journalism, Broadcast Journalism sequence: 124 hours with 32 hours of Journalism courses. A minor is not required. Required courses in Journalism include 10103, 10113, 20103, 20203, 30203, 30543, 40523, 40451, 40101, 40553, six hours of Journalism electives, plus Computer Science 10203 or 10403.

B.A. Degree with a Major in Journalism, International Communication sequence (News-Editorial or Global Advertising/Public Relations specialization): 124 hours with 39 hours in Journalism for the Global Advertising/Public Relations specialization and 37 hours for the News-Editorial specialization. One semester of study or internship abroad, a minor in a foreign language and an area of emphasis in International Studies (18 hours) are required. Both specializations require Journalism 10103, 10113, 20103, 40523 and 40543. In addition, the News-Editorial specialization requires 30203, 30543, 40101, 40463, 40963, and nine (9) hours of News-Editorial electives for a total of 37 hours. The Global-Advertising/Public Relations specialization includes 30313, 30403, 40413, 30453, 30803, 40903 and six hours of Journalism electives. Recommended Journalism electives for the Global Advertising/Public Relations specialization are JOUR 40403, 40451, 40603, and 50153.

Students should consult with their adviser for suggestions about courses for the International area of Emphasis (18 hours) and News-Editorial electives.

Minors in Journalism

News-Editorial Emphasis: 18 hours in Journalism, including 10103, 10113, 20103, 30203, 40523, and three other hours approved by the Department of Journalism chairman. Broadcast Emphasis: 18 hours in Journalism, including 10103, 10113, 20103, 20203, 30203, and 30543. Public Relations/Advertising Emphasis: 18 hours in Journalism: 10103, 10113, 20103, 30313, 30403, and 40523. Students minoring in Journalism may not enroll in 40451 (Internship).

Requirements for Changing Major to Journalism

Current TCU students of sophomore standing or above who wish to change their major to one of the sequences in the department must have achieved a TCU cumulative GPA of 2.5 before they can declare a major inside the department.

Teacher Certification

Requirements for Journalism Teaching Certification: 24 hours in Journalism: 10103, 10113, 20103, 30203, 30313, 30233, 30453, 30853, and 40523.

Accreditation and Professional Organizations

The Department is accredited by the ACEJMC. Four professional organizations have chapters affiliated with the Department: The Society of Professional Journalists; American Advertising Federation; the Public Relations Student Society of America; and the National Association of Black Journalists. The Department also has a chapter of Kappa Tau Alpha, the National Honorary Society for Journalism Students.

Internships

Students are encouraged to serve in internships with newspapers, magazines, radio or television stations, public relations or advertising agencies or departments. The Department cooperates closely with the Texas Daily Newspaper Association, Public Relations Society of America, Texas Public Relations Association, and Advertising Clubs in Fort Worth and Dallas in their internship programs. Internship credit can be given only to Journalism majors. Minors or students majoring in other disciplines cannot receive Journalism credit for internships. The Department will make every effort to help students find internship positions in their junior or senior year in the United States or abroad.

Student Publications

The department sponsors two student publications, the TCU Daily Skiff and Image, a general interest magazine, which provide an opportunity for students to gain practical, hands-on experience in every phase of newspaper and magazine publishing. Broadcast journalism students can also work with Skiff TV, which airs student broadcast packages worldwide through the Internet.

Honors Program

Candidates for Departmental Honors should take 30003 their junior year and 40003 the fall semester of their senior year.

3-2 M.B.A. Program

The department offers a 3-2 program that allows students to complete the Master of Business Administration degree in five years. The M.B.A. is offered in cooperation with the M.J. Neeley School of Business.

Graduate Studies offered by the Department

The Department of Journalism offers two graduate degrees, the Master of Science in Journalism and the Master of Science in Advertising/Public Relations. Graduate courses at the 5000 level are listed here in the undergraduate catalog. For courses at the 6000 and 7000 level, consult the University's graduate catalog.

The following is a complete list of courses offered by this department. Go to Class Search on Registrar's Page to see which courses are being taught this semester.

Courses of Instruction

Journalism Core

JOUR 10103 Communication in Society. Open to students in all departments. Nature of communication in American society in a historical/cultural perspective. Intellectual understanding of media history, current functions and future of media technology. Media as agents of cultural norms, values and mythologies. Principles, politics and economics of mass media. Critical analysis of media's influence on individuals and institutions.

JOUR 10113 Media Writing and Editing I. Prerequisite: Freshman-level Writing Workshop plus passing score on grammar-spelling-punctuation examination. Open to students in all departments. Introduction to basic writing skills of journalism, advertising, and public relations. Style and story structure for the print and electronic media.

JOUR 20103 Media Writing and Editing II. Prerequisite: JOUR 10113. Continuation of Media Writing and Editing I, emphasizing longer and more complex stories and writing for Ad/PR and electronic media. Introduction to newsgathering.

JOUR 40523 Media Law and Ethics. Prerequisite: JOUR 10113. Open to majors and minors only. Ethical and legal responsibilities, rights, and restrictions. Survey of Constitutional guarantees, libel, contempt of court, invasion of privacy, privilege, copyright, obscenity, and federal agencies.

Advertising/Public Relations

JOUR 30313 Advertising Principles. Prerequisite: Open to advertising-public relations and marketing majors or minors or permission of instructor. Overview of advertising in marketing and society. Emphasis upon the realistic approach of managing advertising in corporate and agency operations. Focuses on the swift pace, short deadlines and quick decision factors necessary to succeed in advertising in modern business. Global aspects of advertising stressed.

JOUR 30403 Public Relations Principles. Public relations in modern society, business, and communications. Influencing opinion through acceptable performance and two-way communication. Recommended for students in many fields.

JOUR 30413 Advertising and Public Relations Copy and Production. Prerequisites: JOUR 10113, 30313, and 30453. Planning, creating, and producing print and broadcast materials for advertising and public relations.

JOUR 30523 Media Marketing and Promotions. Prerequisites: RTVF 10113 (for RTVF majors) or JOUR 30313 (for Journalism majors) or permission of instructor. Principles and techniques of developing successful marketing and promotions campaigns in the media industries. Course focuses on issues of market research, advertising strategies, identity and image development, and creative execution. (Offered as RTVF or JOUR credit.)

JOUR 30803 Writing for Public Relations and Advertising. Prerequisites: JOUR 10113, 20103, 30313, 30403, and 30453. Instructional and writing practice to develop the professional-level writing skills required in public relations and advertising, emphasizing the different approaches required for different audiences and media.

JOUR 40403 Public Relations and Advertising Cases and Problems. Prerequisites: JOUR 30313 and 30403. Application of principles to a variety of cases and problems. Study of current public relations and advertising problems and potential problems.

JOUR 40451 Internship. Prerequisite: Minimum of 75 total semester hours with 2.5 GPA plus minimum of 9 semester hours in journalism skills courses. A 2.5 GPA required in the major and approval of department chairman. Practical experience with media or in public relations/advertising situations. Must work a minimum of 100 hours in approved practical experience situation. Course may be taken up to three times. One hour class per week the first time the course is taken. Open only to majors.

JOUR 40513 Media Analysis, Planning and Management. Prerequisite: JOUR 10113, 30313, 30403. Evaluation and use of measurements and data concerning mass media and markets. Principles of mass media and markets. Principles of media selection, scheduling, costs. Cases and problems.

JOUR 40703 Campaigns. Prerequisites: JOUR 30313, 30403, and 40403, and permission of instructor. Conceiving, researching, planning, creating, executing, and evaluating campaigns for print and broadcast media.

JOUR 50133 Management of Public Relations and Advertising Departments/Firms or Agencies. The course will examine management techniques, tactics, concerns and issues in handling public relations and advertising departments within organizations, corporate and nonprofit, and agencies or firms, from small independent operations to subsidiaries of larger entities.

JOUR 50163 Issues and Crises in Public Communication. The course covers the way issues of public concern are detected by news media and by public relations and advertising strategists as the issues develop, and it examines how communication of government policies as well as corporate and non-profit organization's concerns affect perceptions and subsequently public opinion.

Broadcast Journalism

JOUR 20203 Radio/TV Newswriting. Prerequisite: JOUR 10113. Newswriting for the electronic media with emphasis on mastery of professional abilities required of news writers for radio and television. Writing for the on-camera performer will be stressed. Required of majors.

JOUR 30543 Broadcast Reporting. Prerequisite: JOUR 30203. Principles and practices of news gathering, writing and editing for radio and television.

JOUR 40451 Internship. Prerequisite: Minimum of 75 total semester hours with 2.5 GPA plus minimum of 9 semester hours in journalism skills courses. A 2.5 GPA required in the major and approval of department chairman. Practical experience with media or in public relations/advertising situations. Must work a minimum of 100 hours in approved practical experience situation. Course may be taken up to three times. One hour class per week the first time the course is taken. Open only to majors.

JOUR 40553 Issues in Broadcast News. Analysis of broadcast news, techniques of investigative reporting, newsroom decision making, political coverage, election coverage and polling, crisis coverage, and other topics. Study of the daily operation of the broadcast news profession.

International Communication

JOUR 40543 International and Intercultural Communication. Factors influencing cross-cultural images through mass media, news flow. Political, social and cultural aspects of mass communication across national boundaries, communication structures, technology and content.

JOUR 40603 Global Advertising/Public Relations in Theory and Practice. Prerequisite: JOUR 30313 and 30403 or permission of instructor. Course focuses on the underlying theories and principles governing advertising and public relations in market economies and democratic societies and explores the practice of these disciplines in a global economy/society. Cultural/legal obstacles and marketing/communication opportunities will be explored as future practitioners work across borders.

JOUR 40963 Topics in International and Ethnic Media. Investigation of the cultural, technological and historical developments of a selected national or ethnic media group, including the examination of culture, images and identity, politics and economics. Topics may vary and will include: Latin American and Hispanic Media, British and European Media, and Asian and African Media.

JOUR 50153 Cultural Imperatives in International Communication. Critical study of international discourse within a cultural context. Dependency theory, political and socio-economic factors affecting communication and relations in the context of world affairs. Questions of media imperialism, ideology, monopoly of knowledge, cultural narratives and post-colonial opinion.

News-Editorial Journalism

JOUR 30203 Reporting. Prerequisites: JOUR 10113, 20103. Applying the principles of good writing to journalism practice. Development of skills in evaluating the news, interviewing, gathering information, and objective reporting for the print media. Faculty supervised laboratory training provides practical experience on the University newspaper under typical newsroom conditions.

JOUR 30233 Photojournalism. Prerequisite: JOUR 20103, and ART 20743. Fundamentals of photography in modern mass communication; instruction in taking, processing, and editing pictures. (Requires materials fee.)

JOUR 30343 Copyediting. Prerequisite: JOUR 10113, 20103, 30203. The evaluation of copy written for mass audiences, including consideration of grammar, style, precision, clarity, conciseness and implications of libel.

JOUR 30443 Periodical Design. Prerequisite: JOUR 20103, 30453. An overview of periodical design: fundamental concepts used in planning pages for periodicals such as newspapers, magazines, and corporate newsletters/house organs; includes an introduction to basic typography, layout, composition, illustration, photography, production and printing.

JOUR 40451 Internship. Prerequisite: Minimum of 75 total semester hours with 2.5 GPA plus minimum of 9 semester hours in journalism skills courses. A 2.5 GPA required in the major and approval of department chairman. Practical experience with media or in public relations/advertising situations. Must work a minimum of 100 hours in approved practical experience situation. Course may be taken up to three times. One hour class per week the first time the course is taken. Open only to majors.

JOUR 40463 Public Affairs Reporting. Prerequisite: JOUR 30203. Study of community news sources such as city, county, state and federal governmental agencies, courts. Depth reporting of significant and complex news, with emphasis on fact-finding and investigation.

JOUR 40473 Specialized Reporting and Writing. Prerequisite: JOUR 30203. To develop skills in writing for the mass media on specialized, technical subject matter, based on mastery of advanced writing skills, knowledge of communication research findings, and thorough understanding of the subject matter. Specifically, to prepare students to be competent reporters and writers in such specialized areas as science, business, energy, the environment, health, medicine, gender, race and ethnicity.

JOUR 40483 Sports Reporting and Writing. Prerequisite: JOUR 10113, 20103, and 30203. Gathering and writing the news on a sports beat. Development of skills in information-gathering, interviewing, and writing for print media sports reporters. Faculty-supervised laboratory training provides practical experience on the TCU Daily Skiff writing under newsroom conditions.

JOUR 40493 Opinion Writing. Prerequisite: JOUR 30203. Editorial and interpretive writing about public affairs and the arts. Style and research for editorials, columns, and critical reviews. The policies, problems, responsibilities, and comment functions of the press.

JOUR 40643 Feature and Magazine Writing. Prerequisite: JOUR 30203. Newspaper feature and magazine non-fiction writing, research, and free-lance marketing procedures; emphasis on writing for publication.

JOUR 50173 International Reporting. The course will critically analyze the coverage of international affairs in U.S. print and broadcast media. It will help the student develop competency in international journalism through the theory and practice of journalism and mass communication as they relate to international development, East-West discourses, and the flow of news and information.

JOUR 50183 Media Management and Leadership. Dramatic changes in technology and in the media's role in converging technologies require new management and leadership techniques and paradigms. Students will discuss existing case studies examining these changes. This course will give students a survey of some of the latest management and leadership theories, including a new sense of social responsibility. They will apply these theories to a number of different competitive, structural, motivational, strategic, and organizational problems of the media, primarily by solving problems in existing case studies and by writing original case studies.

JOUR 50193 Economics and Finance of the Media. The course will examine the economic environment and financial practices of the mass media, including the World Wide Web. The course will also examine how the media are affected by advertisers, competition, financial markets, and other economic forces. Understanding and structuring debt and equity, valuing media companies, and writing a business plan are included in the course work.

General Courses

JOUR 30003 Junior Honors in Journalism. Studies, reports and discussions of literature of journalism and mass communication and of significant trends. This is generally offered to juniors in journalism on a tutorial basis. Specific topic is determined jointly by the student and the journalism instructor. JOUR 30003 and 40003 cannot be taken simultaneously.

JOUR 30453 Information Graphics. Prerequisite: JOUR 10113 or permission of instructor. Introduction to computer hardware and software for use in desktop publishing and periodical design and web page design.

JOUR 30853 Historical Development of Mass Media. Development of American journalism. Political, social and economic interaction of the media and society

JOUR 40003 Senior Honors in Journalism. A major research study involving a substantial topic or project under the supervision of a three-member faculty committee. The sequence of JOUR 30003 and 40003 must be planned so that 40003 is taken prior to the student's final semester of undergraduate work.

JOUR 40101 Computer-Assisted Information Gathering. Using computers to gather and analyze information for news stories. Includes on-line search techniques and database analysis.

JOUR 40503 Integrated Marketing Communications. Prerequisites: JOUR 30403 and JOUR 30313, or MARK 30103. This course provides an introduction to the principles and practices of integrated marketing communications (IMC). Students will learn how the various communication functions - advertising, public relations, direct response, personal sales, sales promotion, and supportive communication - can be integrated for maximum effectiveness in a variety of settings. Course design consists of lectures, readings, guest speakers, and a course project for a real client.

JOUR 40613 Media Ethics. This course will introduce the study of ethical issues in the media. Students will look critically at current media practices and develop an understanding of prominent ethics questions, as well as the ability to analyze the important ethical issues faced by the mass media industry.

JOUR 40803 Public Opinion and Persuasion. A study of the effects of persuasion in the formation of public opinion.

JOUR 40903 Research and Evaluation. Basic procedures of survey research with emphasis on techniques used in media and advertising/public relations research.

JOUR 40970 Special Topics. Prerequisite: Permission of department chair. Variable credit. Special problem areas requiring independent or small group research and study within a related area of journalism/mass communications.

JOUR 40993 Mass Media and Society. A capstone seminar course designed to pull together for senior students all of the relationships of the mass media - both among various aspects of the media and between media and society.

JOUR 50123 Proseminar in Journalism and Mass Communication. Seminar devoted to the analysis and discussion of significant issues in journalism and mass communication with a focus on related literature, research areas and policy developments.

JOUR 50143 Social and Cultural History of the Media. Seminar designed to explore the history of mass media. Issues discussed in this class will improve historical knowledge about the mass media and give a foundation for understanding the professional development of journalism and mass communication.

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