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Curricula in Journalism
The study of journalism at Texas A&M
reflects the diversity and range of modern public communication.
It prepares students for careers in news reporting and editing
for newspapers, television, and other mass media, and it goes
well beyond those traditional fields. More of the department's
graduates go into public relations, for example, than into any
other field. These jobs usually are with private businesses,
government agencies, or professional and charitable organizations.
Other graduates go into areas of specialized communication such
as science, medicine or business. Still others look to careers
in "new media"--satellite communication, interactive
computer systems, and data-based infor-mation distribution. The
journalism program also is excellent preparation for law school.
The department offers the Bachelor of
Arts and the Bachelor of Science degrees in Journalism. The B.A.
degree requires a foreign language sequence. The B.S. degree
requires a set of courses in statistics, computing, accounting,
mathematics or science in place of the foreign language.
The department believes that study in
journalism should be part of a broad and flexible education and
that the total academic experience is more important than any
single part of it. Accordingly, three-fourths of a student's
work must be done outside of journalism.
All students must pass a departmental
grammar-spelling-punctuation test in their first semester as
journalism majors or to change into the major. Students also
are expected to be proficient in the use of computer keyboards
for writing.
Accreditation. The Department of Journalism
is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism
and Mass
Communication.
Teacher Certification. Students who would
like to teach journalism in Texas secondary schools must meet
additional requirements
that vary according to whether journalism is their first or
second teaching field. (For information on the requirements
for teacher certification, see the section on College of Education.)
Bachelor of Arts. Journalism
. 27-33 hours, which must include 9 hours of Core courses,
9 hours
selected
from either
a Written Communication or Visual Communication cluster,
and 6 hours of concepts courses. No more than 33 hours of
journalism may be counted toward the 128 hours required for
the degree. An average of 2.50 must be maintained in the
first 9 hours of journalism and for the remainder of the
major. No journalism course may be transferred from elsewhere
in substitution for a Texas A&M course in which the student
made less than a C.
Additional requirements: (1) JOUR
102 must be completed in the first semester of the program
for students transferring in from another major at Texas
A&M or from another institution. (2) Students wishing
to transfer into journalism from another major at Texas A&M
must first pass the departmental grammar-spelling-punctuation
test. Students entering the department as freshmen or transfers
from other institutions must pass the departmental grammar-spelling-punctuation
test in the first semester. (3) JOUR 200 must be completed
in the second semester of the program for students transferring
in from another major at Texas A&M or from another institution.
(4) JOUR 203 must be completed in the third semester of the
program for students transferring in from another major at
Texas A&M or from another institution. (5) A grade point
ratio of 2.50 must be attained in JOUR 102, 200 and 203 before
a student may advance in the major. (6) Students must maintain
an overall GPR of 2.50 to remain majors.
Credit
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9
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Core courses: Take (in sequence)
JOUR 102 American Mass Media, JOUR 200 Mass Media
Information and JOUR 203 Media Writing I with an
overall GPR of 2.50 in those 9 hours.
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3
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Media Law course: Take JOUR 301
Mass Communication Law and Society.
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9
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Cluster courses: Choose either 9
hours from JOUR 303 Media Writing II, JOUR 304
Editing for Mass Media, JOUR 305 Magazine Writing,
JOUR 310 Newspaper Editing or JOUR 357 Public Relations
Media; or choose 9 hours from JOUR 302 Graphics,
JOUR 313 Photojournalism, JOUR 315 Multimedia,
JOUR 311 Television Newscasting or JOUR 326 Television
Production.
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6
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Concepts courses: Choose two from
JOUR 401 Mass Media and Technological Change; JOUR
406 International Communication; JOUR 407 Women,
Minorities and the Mass Media; JOUR 408 Mass Media
and Public Opinion; JOUR 409 History of Mass Media
or JOUR 440 Mass Media and the Community.
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0-6
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Optional: Choose a maximum of two
from other JOUR courses.
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College and University Requirements. Courses
in the following blocks satisfy College of Liberal Arts and
University Core Curriculum requirements.
Complete lists of acceptable courses for each block are available
from the Department of Journalism office and from the College
of Liberal Arts Undergraduate Advising Office.
Credit
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12
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English: ENGL 104 and one course from
ENGL 203, 210, 235, 236, 241, 301; and two courses
from the following: ENGL 212, 221, 222, 227, 228,
231, 232.
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14
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Foreign Language: Most students will
take a four-course sequence totaling 14 hours of
credit in one of the languages offered by the Department
of Modern and Classical Languages. Some students
may take fewer hours, depending on their prior proficiency
in the language.
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6
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Mathematics: At least 3 hours must
be in mathematics (excluding MATH 102, 103, 104,
130, 150, 165, 365, and 366); 3 hours may be in logic
(PHIL 240 or other acceptable logic course).
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3
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Statistics: STAT 201 or 303 or other
acceptable statistics course.
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8
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Natural Sciences: At least one course
must include a laboratory. At least 4 hours must
be from the following list: BIOL 113 /123; BOTN 101;
CHEM 101, 103 /113; GEOL 101; PHYS 201, 218; ZOOL
107. See the University Core Curriculum section of
the catalog.
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9
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Humanities and Visual and Performing
Arts: Three courses to be selected from history,
literature, humanities, philosophy, arts, and other
courses on the approved list. See the University
Core Curriculum section of this catalog.
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6
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Social and Behavioral Sciences: ECON
202 or 203 and one other course to be selected from
economics, cultural anthropology, cultural geography,
psychology, sociology, and others on the approved
list. See the University Core Curriculum section
of this catalog.
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12
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U.S. History and Political Science:
POLS 206 and 207 and two courses in American history.
One of the history courses may be Texas history.
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(6)
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International and Cultural Diversity:
To be selected from approved list. This course may
also be used to satisfy any other requirement.
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*2
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Kinesiology: KINE 198 Health and Fitness
Activity and KINE 199 Required Physical Activity.
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23-29
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General Electives: The number of electives
will vary according to the number of courses taken
in journalism and foreign language. In any case,
the hours counted toward the degree must total 128.
(Journalism courses may not be
used for elective hours.)
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Minor. Journalism majors may select a minor
but are not required to do so. Minors must conform to the minor
requirements of the College of Liberal Arts. A grade of C or
higher is required for each course counted toward a minor.
Bachelor of Science
Journalism. 27-33 hours, which must
include 9 hours of Core courses, 9 hours selected from either
a Written Communication or Visual Communication cluster,
and 6 hours of concepts courses. No more than 33 hours of
journalism may be counted toward the 128 hours required for
the degree. An average of 2.50 must be maintained in the
first 9 hours of journalism and for the remainder of the
major. No journalism course may be transferred from elsewhere
in substitution for a Texas A&M course in which the student
made less than a C.
Additional requirements: (1) JOUR
102 must be completed in the first semester of the program
for students transferring in from another major at Texas
A&M or from another institution. (2) Students wishing
to transfer into journalism from another major at Texas A&M
must first pass the departmental grammar-spelling-punctuation
test. Students entering the department as freshmen or transfers
from other institutions must pass the departmental grammar-spelling-punctuation
test in the first semester. (3) JOUR 200 must be completed
in the second semester of the program for students transferring
in from another major at Texas A&M or from another institution.
(4) JOUR 203 must be completed in the third semester of the
program for students transferring in from another major at
Texas A&M or from another institution. (5) A grade point
ratio of 2.50 must be attained in JOUR 102, 200 and 203 before
a student may advance in the major. (6) Students must maintain
an overall GPR of 2.50 to remain majors.
Credit
|
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9
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Core Courses: Take (in sequence)
JOUR 102 American Mass Media, JOUR 200 Mass Media
Information and JOUR 203 Media Writing I with an
overall GPR of 2.50 in those 9 hours.
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3
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Media Law Course: Take JOUR 301
Mass Communication Law and Society.
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9
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Cluster courses: Choose either 9
hours from JOUR 303 Media Writing II, JOUR 304
Editing for Mass Media, JOUR 305 Magazine Writing,
JOUR 310 Newspaper Editing or JOUR 357 Public Relations
Media; or choose 9 hours from JOUR 302 Graphics,
JOUR 313 Photojournalism, JOUR 315 Multimedia,
JOUR 311 Television Newscasting or JOUR 326 Television
Production.
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6
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Concepts courses: Choose two from
JOUR 401 Mass Media and Technological Change; JOUR
406 International Communication; JOUR 407 Women,
Minorities and the Mass Media; JOUR 408 Mass Media
and Public Opinion; JOUR 409 History of Mass Media
or JOUR 440 Mass Media and the Community.
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0-6
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Optional: Choose a maximum of two
from other JOUR courses.
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College and University Requirements. Courses
in the following blocks satisfy College of Liberal Arts and
University Core Curriculum requirements.
Complete lists of acceptable courses for each block are available
from the Department of Journalism office and from the College
of Liberal Arts Undergraduate Advising Office.
Credit
|
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12
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|
English: ENGL 104 and one course from
ENGL 203, 210, 235, 236, 241, 301; two courses from
the following: ENGL 212, 221, 222, 227, 228, 231,
232.
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12
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Quantitative skills:
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1. 6 hours required. STAT 201, or
303, or 307; SOCI 220; or acceptable equivalent.
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2. 6 hours required. Choose from ACCT
209; or any course fulfilling computer usage requirement;
or any Tier I or Tier II science course not used
to fulfill science core requirement; or any MATH
course not used to fulfill mathematics core requirement.
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6
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Mathematics: At least 3 hours must
be in mathematics (excluding MATH 102, 103, 104,
130, 150, 165, 365, and 366); 3 hours may be in logic
(PHIL 240 or other acceptable logic course).
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8
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Natural Sciences: At least one course
must include a laboratory. At least 4 hours must
be from the following list: BIOL 113/123; BOTN 101;
CHEM 101, 103/113, GEOL 101; PHYS 201, 218; ZOOL
107.
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9
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Humanities and Visual and Performing
Arts: Three courses to be selected from history,
literature, humanities, philosophy, arts, and other
courses on the approved list.
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6
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Social and Behavioral Sciences: ECON
202 or 203 and one other course from economics, cultural
anthropology, cultural geography, psychology, sociology
or approved list.
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12
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U.S. History and Political Science:
POLS 206 and 207 and two courses in American history.
One of the history courses may be Texas history.
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(6)
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International and Cultural Diversity:
From approved list. May also satisfy other requirements.
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*2
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Kinesiology: KINE 198 Health and Fitness
Activity and KINE 199 Required Physical Activity.
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9
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From one of the following: ANTH, ECON,
GEOG, HIST, POLS, PSYC or SOCI (6 hours at 300- or
400-level).
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19-25
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General Electives: The number of electives
will vary according to the number of courses taken
in Journalism. (Journalism courses may not be
used as elective hours.)
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Minor. Journalism majors may select a minor
but are not required to do so. Minors must conform to the minor
requirements of the College of Liberal Arts. A grade of C or
higher is required for each course counted toward a minor.
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