Journalism, Bachelor of Arts (736P, 736)
Program Coordinator
Gordon D. McKerral, mac.mckerral@wku.edu, (270) 745-4144
The world of journalism is changing. However, the need for excellent journalists is not. The Journalism major grounds its curriculum in the skills that all employers within the news media and professional communications want: strong writing and editing skills; excellent storytelling skills; the ability to find and process complex information, and share it in a way that helps others understand it.
The core of the curriculum remains reporting, writing, and editing for print and the Web. That core is joined by a range of classes aimed at developing a foundation in multimedia storytelling: digital photojournalism, audio-visual gathering, and editing; and Web site development and content delivery. Ethical and professional standards, First Amendment principles, and media law concepts are incorporated throughout the curriculum to complete the program.
Specific objectives of the Journalism program:
- To prepare students for professional careers in journalism and media information;
- To instill in students a high degree of professionalism, which consists principally of practical competence and ethical understanding;
- To enhance the student’s understanding of the role of the press in a democratic society.
Program Admission Requirements
Students wishing to enter the major in journalism initially are admitted as majors seeking admission (reference 736P). Prospective majors may take no more than 15 hours in the major before admission. Students must meet the following requirements before they can be admitted:
- Completion of a minimum of 24 hours of coursework applicable to a baccalaureate degree;
- A minimum overall grade point average of 2.5;
- Completion of ENG 100 with a grade of “C” or better and 9 additional hours in general education;
- Completion of the following courses with a grade of “C” or better: SOM 101, SOM 102, and JOUR 202.
Students not meeting the above admission requirements will not be admitted to the Journalism major and cannot register for any additional courses in the major.
Program Requirements (42 hours)
A baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of 120 unduplicated semester hours. More information can be found at www.wku.edu/registrar/degree_certification.php.
Students who began WKU in the Fall 2014 and thereafter should review the Colonnade requirements located at: https://www.wku.edu/colonnade/colonnaderequirements.php.
The major in Journalism requires 42 semester hours. No course with a grade of “D” or below may be counted toward the major or fulfill prerequisite requirements for any major in the School. One-half of the hours in the major must be at the 300- or 400-level. Students must take a minimum of 72 semester hours in courses outside of the School of Media unit including the general education requirements.
In addition to meeting institutional requirements for graduation, the Journalism major must have a minor or second major outside of the School of Media and Film Studies that is approved by the major faculty advisor. Students may not select a minor in Film Studies, or those offered within the School, unless taken as a second minor.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SOM 101 | Understanding Media Content, Ethics and Technology | 3 |
| SOM 102 | Media Content, Collaboration and Community | 3 |
| ART 243 | Digital Media | 3 |
| JOUR 202 | Introduction to News Writing | 3 |
| JOUR 301 | Press Law and Ethics | 3 |
| JOUR 302 | Intermediate Reporting | 3 |
| JOUR 323 | Multiplatform News Presentation | 3 |
| JOUR 325 | Feature Writing | 3 |
| VJP 131 | Fundamentals of Photography | 3 |
| VJP 261 | Mobile Media Storytelling | 3 |
| BCOM 264 | Digital Video Production and Distribution | 3 |
| Diversity Elective | ||
| Select one from the following: | 3 | |
| Media Diversity | ||
| Visual Anthropology | ||
| Advanced Intercultural Communication | ||
| Gender, Crime, and Justice | ||
| Cultural Connections and Diversity | ||
| Sociology of Gender | ||
| Social Institutions: Race, Class, and Gender | ||
| Diversity in American Society | ||
| Topics in Spanish | ||
Diversity class approved by an academic advisor. | ||
| Captone | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Advanced Reporting | ||
| First Amendment Research and Reporting | ||
| Elective 1 | ||
| Select one of the following | 3 | |
| Survey of Electronic Media Writing | ||
| News Videography and Editing | ||
| Current Issues in Mass Communication | ||
| News / Editorial Internship Practicum | ||
| Problems in Mass Communication | ||
| Internship or Practicum | ||
| Creative Nonfiction Writing | ||
| Editing and Publishing | ||
| Writing Memoir and Autobiography | ||
| Folklore and the Media | ||
| Picture Editing | ||
| Interactive Design | ||
| American News Media History | ||
| Total Hours | 42 | |
- 1
Some courses among these electives might have prerequisites. Please check the catalog.
Finish in Four Plan
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| SOM 101 | 3 | JOUR 202 | 3 |
| SOM 102 | 3 | VJP 131 | 3 |
| ENG 100 | 3 | PS 110* | 3 |
| COMM 145 | 3 | Colonnade: Arts & Humanities | 3 |
| Colonnade: Quantitative Reasoning | 3 | Colonnade: Natural & Physical Science w/lab | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BCOM 264 | 3 | JOUR 302 | 3 |
| ART 243 | 3 | VJP 261 | 3 |
| JOUR 323 | 3 | Colonnade: Literary Studies | 3 |
| HIST 101 or HIST 102 | 3 | Colonnade: Natural & Physical Science | 3 |
| Minor Course or Foreign Language, if needed | 3 | General University Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| JOUR 301 | 3 | JOUR Elective | 3 |
| JOUR Diversity Elective | 3 | Colonnade: Writing in the Disciplines | 3 |
| Colonnade: Connections (Social and Cultural) | 3 | Colonnade: Connections (Local to Global) | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | Minor Course | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | General University Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| JOUR 325 | 3 | JOUR 426 | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | Colonnade: Connections (Systems) | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | Minor Course | 3 |
| General University Elective | 3 | General University Elective | 3 |
| General University Elective | 3 | General University Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours 120 | |||
- *
PS 110 is the pre-requisite for BCOM 301.