Visual Journalism and Photography, Bachelor of Arts (752P, 752)
Program Coordinator
James H. Kenney, james.kenney@wku.edu, (270) 745-6307
With a tradition of highly successful graduates, state-of-the-art facilities, and award-winning faculty, WKU’s Visual Journalism and Photography program is regarded as one of the nation’s finest. The program is an integral component of the School of Media & Communication and has been a significant contributor to the high quality of the university’s student publications. In the William Randolph Hearst Journalism Awards competition, often referred to as the Pulitzer Prizes of collegiate journalism, WKU’s Visual Journalism and Photography program leads the nation in both the Photojournalism and Multimedia Intercollegiate competitions.
The Visual Journalism and Photography program emphasizes photojournalism, documentary video, and photography. Its comprehensive curriculum prepares students to compete at the highest level as they enter a visual profession that offers numerous employment opportunities in online and traditional publications, nonprofit organizations, businesses, social media content gathering, and independent entrepreneurship ventures. This success is achieved through the practice of producing content-driven stories within the classroom, then reinforced through internships, workshops, freelance opportunities, and overseas educational programs.
The major offers two concentrations: Photojournalism and Documentary (45 hours) and Photography (36 hours). The Photojournalism and Documentary concentration prepares students to enter the visual journalism profession with classes in still photography, documentary video, design, studio lighting, visual business practices, and journalism writing. The Photography concentration is designed for those wanting to obtain skills in still photography, studio lighting, video, and design, applying these to applications outside of the traditional journalism profession, such as commercial, portraiture, advertising, and promotional photography.
Concentrations
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Photojournalism and Documentary (PJD)
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Photography (PHTO)
Admission Requirements
Students entering the major in Visual Journalism and Photography are admitted as "seeking admission" (reference 750P). 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 the Colonnade program;
- Completion of the following courses with a grade of "C" or better: SMC 101, SMC 102, VJP 131, and VJP 330 or VJP 331.
Students not meeting the above admission requirements will not be admitted to the Visual Journalism and Photography major and cannot register for any additional courses in the major.
Program Requirements (36-45 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.
The major in Visual Journalism and Photography with a concentration in Photojournalism and Documentary requires 45 hours, and the concentration in Photography requires 36 hours. Both tracks lead to a Bachelor of Arts degree. 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.
In addition to meeting the Colonnade and major requirements for graduation, the Visual Journalism and Photography major must have a minor or second major that is approved by a major faculty advisor.
Specific objectives of the Visual Journalism and Photography program:
- To develop the artistic, technical, and personal qualities of those who want to pursue a professional career in visual media;
- To develop a background for understanding the role of storytelling through photojournalism, documentary video, and photography in shaping and reflecting contemporary society;
- To provide instruction in visual theory, principles, ethics, and practice for students pursuing any area of scholarly activity;
- To provide a conceptual grounding in storytelling principles that will encourage advancement of the professional visual content gatherer.
The major offers two concentrations: Photojournalism and Documentary (45 hours) and Photography (36 hours). These concentrations require the following courses:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES, BOTH CONCENTRATIONS | ||
| SMC 101 | Understanding Media Content, Ethics and Technology | 3 |
| SMC 102 | Media Content, Collaboration and Community | 3 |
| VJP 131 | Fundamentals of Photography | 3 |
| VJP 331 | Photojournalism | 3 |
| VJP 330 | Short Form Documentary | 3 |
| VJP 332 | Visual Media Editing and Design | 3 |
| VJP 333 | Studio Lighting | 3 |
| Total Hours | 21 | |
Photojournalism and Documentary Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| JOUR 202 | Introduction to News Writing | 3 |
| JOUR 301 | Press Law and Ethics | 3 |
| or SMC 301 | Mass Communication Law and Ethics | |
| VJP 339 | Visual Media Business Practices | 3 |
| VJP 431 | Advanced Photojournalism * | 3 |
| or VJP 430 | Advanced Short Form Documentary | |
| VJP 436 | Photojournalism and Documentary Projects | 3 |
| Restricted Electives | ||
| Two out of the following restricted electives: | 6 | |
| Cultural History of Photography | ||
| Advanced Lighting | ||
| Advanced Short Form Documentary * | ||
or VJP 431 | Advanced Photojournalism | |
| Intermediate Reporting | ||
| Editing I | ||
| Editing II | ||
| Film Sound | ||
| Special Topics in Media--Study Abroad | ||
| First Amendment Research and Reporting | ||
| Diversity Elective | ||
| One of the following diversity electives: | 3 | |
| African American Experience | ||
| Communities of Struggle | ||
| Art and Power | ||
| Contemporary Art | ||
| Art Theory and Criticism | ||
| Visual Anthropology | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Race, Class, and Crime | ||
| Gender, Crime, and Justice | ||
| Popular Culture and Gender: Signs & Narratives | ||
| Cultural Connections and Diversity | ||
| Introduction to Gender And Women's Studies | ||
| Communities of Struggle | ||
| Sociology of Gender | ||
| Social Institutions: Race, Class, and Gender | ||
| Diversity in American Society | ||
| Topics in Spanish | ||
| Total Hours | 24 | |
- *
Either VJP 430 or VJP 431 may be counted towards the Photojournalism and Documentary concentration's required courses. The other may be applied to restricted electives within the Photojournalism and Documentary concentration.
Photography Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course | ||
| VJP 433 | Advanced Lighting | 3 |
| Restricted Electives | ||
| Four of the following restricted electives: | 12 | |
| Mobile Media Storytelling | ||
| Visual Media Business Practices | ||
| Cultural History of Photography | ||
| Advanced Photojournalism | ||
| Advanced Short Form Documentary | ||
| Editing I | ||
| Special Topics in Media--Study Abroad | ||
| First Amendment Research and Reporting | ||
| Digital Media | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Finish in Four Plan
Photojournalism and Documentary Concentration
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| VJP 131 | 3 | VJP 331 | 3 |
| SMC 101 | 3 | PS 110* | 3 |
| SMC 102 | 3 | Colonnade: Arts & Humanities | 3 |
| ENG 100 | 3 | Colonnade: Quantitative Reasoning | 3 |
| COMM 145 | 3 | Minor Course | 3 |
| JOUR 202 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 18 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| VJP 330 | 3 | VJP 333 | 3 |
| VJP 332 | 3 | VJP Elective | 3 |
| HIST 101 or HIST 102 | 3 | Colonnade: Literary Studies | 3 |
| Colonnade: Natural & Physical Science w/lab | 3 | Colonnade: Natural & Physical Science | 3 |
| General University Elective or Foreign Language, if needed | 3 | Minor Course | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| VJP 339 | 3 | VJP 431 or VJP 430Select either VJP 430 (fall only) or VJP 431 (spring only). | 3 |
| VJP 430 or VJP 431Select either VJP 430 (fall only) or VJP 431 (spring only). | 3 | Colonnade: Writing in the Disciplines | 3 |
| JOUR 301 or SMC 301 | 3 | Colonnade: Connections (Local to Global) | 3 |
| Colonnade: Connections (Social & Cultural) | 3 | Minor Course | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | Diversity Elective | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | ||
| General University Elective | 3 | ||
| 21 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| VJP Elective | 3 | Colonnade: Connections (Systems) | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | VJP 436 | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | General University Elective | 3 |
| General University Elective | 3 | General University Elective | 3 |
| 12 | 12 | ||
| Total Hours 123 | |||
- *
PS 110 is the pre-requisite for BCOM 301 and JOUR 301.
Photography Concentration
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| VJP 131 | 3 | VJP 331 | 3 |
| SMC 101 | 3 | Colonnade: Arts & Humanities | 3 |
| SMC 102 | 3 | Colonnade: Quantitative Reasoning | 3 |
| ENG 100 | 3 | Minor Course | 3 |
| COMM 145 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 12 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| VJP 330 | 3 | VJP 333 | 3 |
| VJP 332 | 3 | VJP Elective | 3 |
| HIST 101 or HIST 102 | 3 | Colonnade: Literary Studies | 3 |
| Colonnade: Natural & Physical Science w/lab | 3 | Colonnade: Natural & Physical Science | 3 |
| General University Elective or Foreign Language, if needed | 3 | Minor Course | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Colonnade: Connections (Social & Cultural) | 3 | VJP Elective | 3 |
| Colonnade: Social & Behavioral | 3 | Colonnade: Writing in the Disciplines | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | Colonnade: Connections (Local to Global) | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | Minor Course | 3 |
| General University Elective | 3 | General University Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| VJP Elective | 3 | Colonnade: Connections (Systems) | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | VJP 433 | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | General University Elective | 3 |
| General University Elective | 3 | VJP Elective | 3 |
| General University Elective | 3 | General University Elective | 3 |
| General University Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 18 | ||
| Total Hours 120 | |||