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• Undergraduate Spring 2025
• Journalism

Undergraduate Journalism

2025 Spring Term

Class Schedule

FOUNDATIONS OF ADVERTISING

JOURNLSM 220

A survey of advertising and its role as an institution in society, both as a marketing tool and as a communication process.

Class Schedule

WRITING FOR NEWS MEDIA

JOURNLSM 227

Introduction to journalistic writing in the styles appropriate to various mass media. Includes a review of writing fundamentals. Emphasis is placed on selecting, organizing and structuring information. Practice in writing for print, broadcast, and Web journalism is included.

Class Schedule

REPORTING FOR NEWS MEDIA

JOURNLSM 237

An introduction to reporting for the news media. Students will learn interviewing and research skills, develop news and feature stories, and work with basic digital equipment to create content for print and online news operations. Stories will be told through text and through audio, video and other digital formats.

Class Schedule

ELECTRONIC MEDIA COPYWRITING

JOURNLSM 241

The course is designed as an introduction to the theory and practice of writing for the electronic media, principally radio and television. The course will provide intensive practice through writing assignments of commercial copy, program continuity copy, and public service announcements for radio and television. There will also be practice in the development and organization of various program types including talk, interview, discussion, news, and documentary programs.

Class Schedule

PUBLICATION EDITING

JOURNLSM 245

The course covers the proper use of language, spelling, punctuation and accepted writing style in news stories. It concentrates on use of the Associate Press Stylebook to check capitalization, abbreviations, numerals, and titles. Grammar fundamentals, sentence structure and news format are covered.

Class Schedule

PUBLICATION LAYOUT

JOURNLSM 248

This course is a study of newspaper, magazine and on-line production that integrates working with text with layout and technological considerations. Building on the editing, writing of headlines and cutlines, proofreading and considering of newsworthiness practiced in Publication Editing, the course integrates these skills with selection and placement of graphic elements, proofreading page layout, selection and placement of stories, editorial responsibilities and basics of print media production, including newspapers, magazines, newsletters and online services. This is a lecture/demonstration/laboratory course in which information is presented for students to apply in practical situations.

Class Schedule

SCHOOL PUBLICATIONS: EDITORIAL

JOURNLSM 251

A laboratory journalism course in which the student elects to work on the University newspaper or photo staff. A student may earn 1 hour of credit for each term of work and a maximum of 3 credits toward graduation.

Class Schedule

SPORTS JOURNALISM

JOURNLSM 304

Methods, techniques and writing styles of past and present sports reporters, to emphasize sports writing and to focus some concern for the social and political issues that affect sports and sports coverage.

Class Schedule

MEDIA ETHICS

JOURNLSM 309

This course exposes students to ethical theory in the context of rapid technological change and the means to acquire ethical analytical abilities. This two-tiered approach first examines the relationship between professional ethics and social philosophy to establish a framework for understanding the relationship between media practice and democratic society.

Class Schedule

ADVERTISING COPYWRITING AND LAYOUT

JOURNLSM 320

Study of the strategy and principles used to develop copy and visuals for persuasive messages in advertising, sales promotion, direct response, interactive and other brand communication. Students will apply the principles they learn by writing and designing messages across various media and for a variety of products and services. Students will also gain presentation experience.

Class Schedule

ADVERTISING MEDIA PLANNING AND BUYING

JOURNLSM 322

This course provides an overview of the development of advertising media objectives and strategies. It examines the characteristics of the various media and the principles of media scheduling and buying. Students will learn how to evaluate media for the purpose of selecting the media and media vehicles that will most effectively deliver advertising messages to the target audience. Students will receive instruction in effective media planning and buying and will be able to practice putting media plans into action. This course examines the media of advertising and emphasizes development of advertising media objectives and strategies and provides practice in implementing those strategies.

Class Schedule

PRACTICUM IN TELEVISION NEWS

JOURNLSM 332

The core of the class will be the planning and execution of regularly scheduled live television news programs produced in the studio of Cable 6. The instructor of the class will guide the students in that activity. Students in the course will each have a specific role to play in the production. The number of credits is variable.

Class Schedule

JOURNALISM FOR THE WEB

JOURNLSM 347

Students will become proficient in the use of Web-related journalistic tools to attract and retain an online audience. Topics will include site design, content management systems, social media and Web metrics.

Class Schedule

ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS ACCOUNT MANAGMENT

JOURNLSM 364

This course provides students with specific knowledge and preparation for the effective managment of a corporate department or independent agency in public relations or advertising. Special emphasis will be on insights from research and practice, especially in terms of the social and economic affects of public relations' and advertising's communication efforts. Additional analysis and assessment of operations decision making for public relations and advertising situations and cases will also be covered.

Class Schedule

ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS

JOURNLSM 423

Sales problems in advertising; the planning and execution of an advertising campaign; choice of advertising media; market and consumer research; a study of advertising as an institution and its role in communications, society, our economy and business.

Class Schedule

COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC OPINION

JOURNLSM 430

The role of the mass media of communication in the formation of public opinion. Use of social science techniques for studying public opinion will be examined.

Class Schedule

JOURNALISM CAPSTONE: PUBLIC AFFAIRS

JOURNLSM 486

This senior-level course brings together those skills of writing, reporting and media production. Assignments will focus on coverage of government, including meetings and public documents. Each student will produce a capstone project in text, audio, video, still photography or a hybrid of those media.

Class Schedule

INTERNSHIP ADVERTISING

JOURNLSM 493A

Professional experience in which the student who aspires to a career in advertising works for an approved employer in his/her area of interest under the supervision of a professional in that field.

Class Schedule

INTERNSHIP IN JOURNALISM

JOURNLSM 493G

Professional experiences in which the student who aspires to a career in journalism works for an approved internship setting in broadcasting, on-line, or print journalism under the supervision of a professional in that field.