MASS COMMUNICATIONS AND JOURNALISM
The health of a democracy is deeply connected to the health of a free press. Thomas Jefferson thought so highly of the importance of the press’ role in guarding the people’s rights that he stated: “If I had to choose between a government without a free press and a free press without government, I would choose the latter.” From the hey-day of its nationally celebrated civil rights leader and alumnus Whitney M. Young, Jr. to its connections with Kentucky’s black owned or operated newspapers and indeed throughout its some 120 years of great achievements and challenges, Kentucky State University’s own history has been deeply entwined with the exercise of a free press. All three aspects of Kentucky State’s mission – liberal studies, land grant status (especially the mass communications facilities of the land grant program), and its status as an HBCU –, coalesce together in a B. A. program in Mass Communications and Journalism.
Unconditional admission to the B. A. program in Mass Communications and Journalism requires the following:
The student must be in good academic standing with the University;
The student must have completed with a passing mark (C or above) the pre-requisite English courses, namely, ENG 101-English Composition I and ENG 102-English Composition II;
The student must have a 3.0 Grade Point Average (4.0 scale) in English courses taken prior to application to the Journalism major;
The student must submit a letter of application articulating his or her interest in Journalism.
Students who do not hold the 3.0 GPA in English coursework may be considered for conditional admission, but must receive consent of the Journalism faculty and will be placed in a probationary status for the first academic year of coursework in Journalism.
Major Program in Mass Communications and Journalism
The major has three components: 1) a 21 credit hour “core” of fundamental coursework in basic journalism (the existing B. A. Minor in Journalism), 2) a 9 credit hour “concentration” in the student’s choice of more advanced coursework options in Print, Public Relations, or Broadcast Journalism, and 3) a 6 credit hour selection of elective courses which offer appropriate, relevant support for the student’s choice of a Journalism concentration:
I. 21 Credit Hour “Core” for All Concentrations
ART 307 Digital Photography I ENG 204 Journalism ENG 361 Journalism II ENG 362 News Editing ENG 364 Desktop/Web Publishing ENG 365 Advanced Public Affairs Reporting ENG 366 Seminar in Public Relations
These courses are all part of the existing Minor in Journalism and are present in the current KSU Catalogue.
II. 9 Credit Hours in a Selected Concentration
Concentration in Print Journalism
ENG/JOU 368 Community Journalism (Print) ENG/JOU 401 Special Topics in Print Journalism ENG/JOU 434 Practicum in Print Journalism
Concentration in Public Relations
ENG/JOU 370 Public Relations Campaigns ENG/JOU 371 Public Relations Special Events Planning
ENG/JOU 436 Practicum in Public Relations
Concentration in Broadcast Journalism
ENG/JOU 367 Television and Radio Production ENG/JOU 369 Community Journalism (Broadcast) ENG/JOU 435 Practicum in Broadcast Journalism
III. 6 Credit Hours Selected From a Menu of Appropriate Supportive Electives
ART 322 Intro to Digital Photojournalism ART 407 Digital Photography II HIS 202 U. S. History Since 1865 POS/PSY/ SOC 300 Statistics for BSS POS 160 State and Local Government PUA 305 Contemporary Public Policy Issues SPE 200 Public Speaking (Or other courses as approved by the Division of LLP Chair and Journalism Faculty)
Total Credit Hours in the Major:
KSU CATALOGUE, 2008-2009 100
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