Broadcasting, Bachelor of Arts (726P, 726)
Department website: http://www.wku.edu/journalism
Program Coordinator
Bradley J. Pfranger, bradley.pfranger@wku.edu, (270) 745-4144
The major in Broadcasting (reference number 726) requires a minimum of 45 semester hours and leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree. Students must take a minimum of 72 semester hours in courses outside of the School of Media unit, including the University’s general education requirements.
In addition to meeting institutional requirements for graduation, the Broadcasting 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 from those offered within the School, unless taken as a second minor.
No course with a grade of “D” or below may be counted toward this major or used as a prerequisite. One-half of the hours in the major must be at the 300- or 400-level. Only 3 hours of internship or co-op may be counted within the major. One-hour workshops may be repeated in different topics up to 4 hours. Only 3 hours of workshop credit may be counted within the 45-hour major.
Admission Requirements
Students wishing to enter the major in broadcasting initially are admitted as majors Seeking Admission (reference 726P). 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 higher and 9 additional hours in general education;
- Completion of the following courses with a grade of “C” or higher: SOM 101, SOM 102, BCOM 201 and BCOM 266.
Students not meeting the above admission requirements will not be admitted to the Broadcasting major and cannot register for any additional courses in the major.
Program Requirements (45 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.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses for a major in Broadcasting: | 18 | |
| Understanding Media Content, Ethics and Technology | ||
| Media Content, Collaboration and Community | ||
| Basic Television Production | ||
| Mass Communication Law and Ethics | ||
| Editing I | ||
| Writing Elective: | 3 | |
| Basic Broadcast News | ||
or BCOM 325 | Survey of Electronic Media Writing | |
| Diversity Elective | 3 | |
| Select one of the following courses: | ||
| Visual Anthropology | ||
| Advanced Intercultural Communication | ||
| Gender, Crime, and Justice | ||
| Cultural Connections and Diversity | ||
| Media Diversity | ||
| Sociology of Gender | ||
| Social Institutions: Race, Class, and Gender | ||
| Topics in Spanish | ||
A diversity class approved by an academic advisor. | ||
| Capstone Experience | 3 | |
| Select one course from the following: | ||
| Advanced Broadcast News | ||
| Television Program Production | ||
| Internship | ||
| First Amendment Research and Reporting | ||
| Electives | 18 | |
| Select 18 additional hours, including at least 12 upper-division hours, from the following list: | ||
| Basic Radio Production | ||
| Basic Broadcast News | ||
| American Popular Arts | ||
| Acting for the Camera | ||
| Survey of Electronic Media Writing | ||
| Radio and Television News Performance | ||
| Broadcast Weather Graphics | ||
| Broadcast Weather Data | ||
| News Discovery and Selection | ||
| Electronic Media Programming / Research | ||
| Advanced Radio Performance | ||
| Broadcast News Reporting and Producing | ||
| Field Production | ||
| News Videography and Editing | ||
| Cooperative Education in Broadcast Communication | ||
| Editing II | ||
| Broadcast Commercial Sales | ||
| Film Animation | ||
| History of Broadcasting in America | ||
| Broadcast Meteorology | ||
| Radio Workshop | ||
| Field Production II | ||
| Television Directing | ||
| Broadcast Workshop | ||
| Advanced Radio Sales | ||
| Editing III | ||
| Problems in Mass Communication | ||
| Broadcast Operations and Management | ||
| Internship | ||
| Introduction to the Cinema | ||
| Screenwriting I | ||
| Introduction to News Writing | ||
| Mobile Media Storytelling | ||
| Software Studio | ||
| Total Hours | 45 | |
Finish in Four Plan
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| SOM 101 | 3 | BCOM 201 | 3 |
| SOM 102 | 3 | BCOM 266 | 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 366 | 3 | BCOM Elective2 | 3 |
| BCOM 265 or BCOM 325 | 3 | BCOM Elective | 3 |
| HIST 101 or HIST 102 | 3 | ENG 200 | 3 |
| General Elective or Foreign Language Requirement | 3 | BCOM Diversity Elective | 3 |
| Minor Course1 | 3 | Colonnade - Natural & Physical Science w/no lab | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BCOM Elective | 3 | BCOM 301 | 3 |
| BCOM Elective | 3 | Colonnade - Writing in the Disciplines | 3 |
| Colonnade - Connections Social & Culture | 3 | Colonnade - Connections Local to Global | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | Minor Course | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BCOM Elective | 3 | BCOM Capstone | 3 |
| BCOM Elective | 3 | Colonnade - Connections Systems | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | Minor Course | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours 120 | |||
| 1 | A minor consisting of 21 credit hours is required for the major. |
| 2 | Select 18 hours of BCOM elective courses with at least 12 upper-division hours. |