Undergraduate Degree(s) in Journalism:
Journalism has been taught at Texas Southern University since the Texas Legislature passed, enabling legislation for the creation of the university in 1947. Many of its graduates have formed a cadre of African American journalists who fill a void in American newsrooms, public relations agencies, government entities, and other innovative organizations nationwide.
The Department of Journalism is one of four departments in the School of Communication, which includes departments of Communication Studies, Entertainment and the Recording Industry Management, and Radio, Television, and Film. Journalism majors may choose from three concentrations:
- Advertising/public relations
- Print journalism
- Broadcast journalism
DEGREE CONCENTRATIONS
The Department of Journalism offers three-degree concentrations: print journalism, broadcast journalism, and advertising/public relations. All three concentrations require students to take three reporting classes: introductory, intermediate, and advanced. In addition, all students must take courses in news editing, law, and the media and computers in communication.
Broadcast journalism majors take introductory, intermediate, and advanced classes in broadcast journalism and courses in the Radio, Television, and Film departments.
Print journalism and advertising/public relations majors are required to have a minor. However, often they choose RTF to enhance their technical and digital skills. Broadcast journalism majors must take 19 hours of production classes in the Radio, Television, and Film Department and are not required to a minors.
On average, 150 students enroll as journalism majors. An estimated two-thirds are taking the broadcast journalism concentration. The other third is divided between print and advertising/public-relations concentrations. Only grades of C or better in School classes and in English are accepted for the major or minor in journalism.
STUDENT SUCCESS AS MEASURED BY STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
The Department of Journalism created a comprehensive assessment plan to measure student achievement that meets accrediting institutions' requirements. There are three goals:
- Writing and Storytelling Learning Goal: Students will demonstrate the ability to gather factual story elements and evaluate and express them in logical, narrative forms for multiple media platforms and audiences.
- Media Technologies and Production Learning Goal: Understand media content creation in the context of technology and production. Identify transformations in audiences, engagement, and business practice over time. Grasp the significance of advances in mass communication technology for cultural production in domestic and global media markets, from the printing press to the latest digital platforms.
- Research Learning Goal: Engage in in‐depth research and demonstrate an ability to accurately evaluate and use data (statistical and qualitative) in presenting information and images for the public.
The Department of Journalism also requires students to complete capstone courses in each concentration. The concentrations are Advertising and Public Relations, Broadcast Journalism, and Print. Students must also complete an internship in their respective concentrations.
OUR STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO A RICH VARIETY OF RESOURCES, INCLUDING:
- Award-winning faculty who are industry experts, working professionals, and accomplished scholars, including local, regional, and national award-winners.
- Alums who are national and international journalists, multimedia content creators, influencers, content branded creators, analytics managers, idea inventors, producers, and digital and public relations practitioners.
- State-of-the-art television, film, and radio facilities, including KTSU2, the School of Communication's multimedia student-run digital and streaming operation, and radio station KTSU 90.9 FM.
- Unparalleled real-world experience on and off-campus, including hundreds of internship opportunities within 30 miles of Houston, the 4th largest in the U.S.