Return to Mass Communication and Theatre | Courses Index

[1] Courses in Journalism (JOUR)

1121-4121 PRINT MEDIA APPLICATIONS A required course for mass communication majors and minors with an emphasis in print journalism. Laboratory practice and experience in producing the student newspaper or yearbook. Each level may be repeated for a total of 2 hours credit each. Production. Fall, spring.

2123-4123 ELECTRONIC MEDIA APPLICATIONS A required course for mass communication majors and minors with an emphasis in broadcast journalism or online journalism. Practical experience working in the studios of Channel 6 TV or KUCA-FM as a staff member. Each level may be repeated for a total of 2 hours credit each. Production. Fall, spring, summer.

2300 BEGINNING REPORTING A required course for mass communication majors with an emphasis in broadcast journalism, online journalism, or print journalism. Learn news gathering and reporting skills. Involves writing and editing of various types of news stories for publication. Lecture/Production. Prerequisite: WRTG 1320. Fall, spring.

2301 BROADCAST ANNOUNCING An elective course for mass communication majors with an emphasis in broadcast journalism. Training in vocal techniques needed in television and radio announcing, including work with IPA as a means of voice improvement, are emphasized. Attention is given to types of announcing careers with an audition tape being prepared for the career opportunities ahead. Lecture/Production. Spring.

2305 BASIC PRESS PHOTOGRAPHY A required course for mass communication majors with an emphasis in print journalism. Beginning course in theoretical and applied aspects of photojournalism. Includes study of cameras and basic photographic techniques, with an emphasis on black and white darkroom procedures. Assignments will cover making newsworthy and feature photographs for publication. Students will also learn the legal aspects of photojournalism, including libel, privacy, and copyright law. Students must provide an adjustable 35 mm or larger camera. Lecture/Production. Fall.

2325 PRINCIPLES OF ONLINE JOURNALISM A required course for mass communication majors and minors with an emphasis in online journalism. Students in this course learn how to report and write for Internet news sites and other online media. Fall.

2340 BROADCAST JOURNALISM PRODUCTION I A required course for mass communication majors and minors with an emphasis in broadcast journalism. An introduction to the techniques of broadcast journalism production, terminology, and operation of digital video cameras, lenses, lighting, audio recording, and non-linear digital editing equipment; and an exploration of the relevant aesthetics and practices of broadcast journalism production. Spring.

3300 ADVANCED REPORTING A required course for mass communication majors with an emphasis in print journalism and an elective course for mass communication majors with an emphasis in broadcast journalism or online journalism. Continued development of reporting skills through the study of specialized beats, including city, county, and state government. Involves study of the organization and functions of state and local government. Students should be available for off-campus assignments. Prerequisite: MCOM 2300. Lecture/Production. Fall, spring.

3305 PUBLICATION DESIGN AND MAKEUP A required course for mass communication majors with an emphasis in print journalism and an elective course for majors with an emphasis in online journalism. Beginning course in using desktop publishing software and related hardware to achieve electronic pagination. Emphasis on newspaper, magazine, and brochure production. Prerequisite: MCOM 2300 or consent of instructor. Lecture/Production. Fall, spring.

3308 NEWS EDITING A required course for mass communication majors with an emphasis in broadcast journalism, online journalism, or print journalism. Introduction of copy-editing techniques for newspaper and magazines. Shows the student the role, the work, and the responsibility of copy editors on newspaper and magazine staffs. This course covers the theory of copy editing, with supervised practices in editing copy and writing headlines. Lecture/Production. Prerequisite: MCOM 2300. Spring.

3311 DIGITAL IMAGING A required course for mass communication majors with an emphasis in online journalism and an elective for the broadcast journalism and print journalism emphases, the digital filmmaking program, and the mass communication minor. The course examines the use of current computer software for preparation, enhancement, and manipulation of photographs and for creating graphics for publication and illustration purposes in print, web, and broadcast media. Students will need a digital camera with at least four megapixels. Prerequisite: MCOM 2300 and 2305 or consent of instructor. Spring.

3321 INTERNSHIP A 120-hour internship. Required for mass communication majors and an elective for digital filmmaking majors.

3334 NON-FICTION WRITING A required course for mass communication majors with an emphasis in print journalism and an elective for mass communication majors with an emphasis in broadcast journalism. This course combines the skills of feature and magazine writing and looks at writing the in-depth article. The course includes the skills of researching, writing, and marketing the article. Prerequisite: MCOM 2300 or consent of instructor. Spring.

3345 ONLINE PUBLISHING I A required course for mass communication majors and minors with an emphasis in online journalism. An introduction to the World Wide Web with an emphasis on news storytelling. The course focuses on fundamentals of design and usability, creating functional web sites, working with multimedia for the web, and web develepment, including leading scripting and server technologies and content management techniques. Fall.

3346 ONLINE PUBLISHING II A required course for mass communication majors and minors with an emphasis in online journalism. This course provides advanced processes for publishing to the World Wide Web with an emphasis on news storytelling. The course focuses on applying design and usability techniques to database-driven web sites through use of leading scripting and server technologies and content management systems. Prerequisites: MCOM 2300 and 2305 or consent of instructor. Spring.

3363 AUDIO JOURNALISM An elective course for digital filmmaking majors and mass communication majors with an emphasis in broadcast journalism. Provides in-depth study and practice of advanced audio production techniques for video, film, dramatic presentations, music, and multimedia. Prerequisite: Film 2366 OR MCOM 2340. Fall.

3365 BROADCAST MANAGEMENT A required course for mass communication majors with an emphasis in broadcast journalism. The role of the manager in broadcast production, economics, advertising, and regulation. Prerequisite: MCOM 1362 or consent of instructor. Lecture. Spring.

3373 NEWS DOCUMENTARY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS PRODUCTION An elective for Journalism majors and minors, this course is designed to help journalism students shoot and edit short documentary videos incorporating accuracy, fairness and objectivity in news reporting. The course will stress identification and research topics, as well as preproduction structuring of the projects and production values. Lecture. Prerequisites: Media and Society (MCOM 1300), Beginning Reporting (JOUR 2300), and Broadcast Journalism (JOUR 2340) or permission of the instructor. Fall.

3374 BROADCAST JOURNALISM PRODUCTION II A required course for mass communication majors with an emphasis in broadcast journalism. This course emphasizes techniques of studio production, industry terminology, and the operation of television studio equipment. Students will gain a practical understanding of cameras, lenses, video switchers, audio mixing boards, lighting instrument and character generators. Prerequisite: MCOM 2366 and consent of instructor. Production. Fall, spring.

4313 WRITING FOR ELECTRONIC MEDIA An elective course for digital filmmaking majors and mass communication majors with an emphasis in broadcast journalism, online journalism, or print journalism. Seminar in writing creative material and commercial copy for electronic media. All types of continuity, news, and dramatic material will be included. Prerequisite: MCOM 1362. Lecture/Production. Spring, even years.

4315 BROADCAST JOURNALISM PRODUCTION III A required course for mass communication majors with an emphasis in broadcast journalism and an elective course for digital filmmaking majors. Students will develop proficiency in advanced production processes used in planning, executing, and constructing television programs. The primary activity will be the application of these processes in the creation of programming for Channel 6. Production. Prerequisite: MCOM 3374 or consent of instructor. Fall, spring.

4331 IN-DEPTH AND COMPUTER-AIDED REPORTING An elective course for mass communication majors with an emphasis in broadcast journalism, online journalism, or print journalism. In-depth reporting on public issues, including some reporting for publication. The course undertakes the techniques of investigative and computer-assisted reporting. Students should be available for off-campus assignments. Prerequisite: MCOM 3300. Lecture/Production. Spring.

4333 WRITING EDITORIALS AND REVIEWS An elective course for mass communication majors with an emphasis in print journalism. Various approaches to persuasive writing, with final products including newspaper editorials, opinion columns, and reviews of movies, television programs, stage plays, and books. Prerequisite: MCOM 3300 or consent of instructor. Lecture/Production. Fall, odd years.