Journalism

(BA, BS, minor)

Incoming first-year and transfer students may declare journalism as a major upon entering the University. Students of sophomore standing or above who wish to declare a major offered by the Department of Journalism must have achieved a TCU cumulative GPA of 2.5 before they can declare a major inside the school. A journalism minor is offered through the department.

Bachelor of Art in Journalism

The BA with a major in journalism requires 124 hours with 33 hours of journalism, including JOUR 10113JOUR 10203JOUR 20003JOUR 20203JOUR 30204JOUR 30543 and JOUR 40523. Students must take at least one class from the following: JOUR 40003JOUR 40203JOUR 40213JOUR 40453JOUR 40463JOUR 40643JOUR 40820 or JOUR 40983, meaning all journalism majors must have a minimum of one Capstone course. Also, students must take at least one class from the following: JOUR 10103JOUR 30853JOUR 40443JOUR 40553JOUR 40563JOUR 40573JOUR 40613JOUR 40813JOUR 40993JOUR 50143JOUR 50183JOUR 50193 or JOUR 50523, meaning all journalism majors must have a minimum of one seminar course. Five hours of journalism electives complete the degree requirements. By combining electives and required courses, a student may earn certificates that accompany the BA degree and demonstrate advanced proficiency in a specific area of news media.

The BA degree in journalism requires proven competency at the fourth semester of college-level foreign language (the equivalent of 12 hours, which can be accomplished either through taking courses or testing out through examinations as required by the foreign language programs on campus). This requirement is consistent with international opportunities in emerging media.

A minor is required. Additionally, students may pursue a specialty by fulfilling requirements for a certificate in broadcast journalism, sports journalism or business journalism.

Students must declare their intent to earn specific certificates in the semester in which they intend to graduate and prior to the beginning of academic advising in that semester. Declaration is made in writing to the chair or the chair’s designee.

The Journalism minor takes a minimum of four semesters to complete. The Department of Journalism welcomes minors in journalism who are committed to significant journalism instruction while they specialize in majors that educate them in broad subject areas that may relate to news coverage. Students should recognize that it usually takes four regular semesters to complete the journalism minor. Students are strongly encouraged to become active in TCU student media.

22 hours in journalism, including JOUR 10113, JOUR 10203, JOUR 20003, JOUR 20203, JOUR 30204, JOUR 40523, And be enrolled in JOUR 30204 before enrolling in any elective course in the Department of Journalism.

Bachelor of Science in Journalism

The BS with a major in journalism requires 120 hours with 39 hours of journalism, including JOUR 10113JOUR 10203JOUR 10303JOUR 20003JOUR 30204JOUR 40523 and JOUR 40983. Students must take at least one class from the following: JOUR 40203JOUR 40453JOUR 40463JOUR 40483JOUR 40643, or JOUR 40820, meaning all journalism majors must have a minimum of one upper-level reporting course. Also, students must take at least one class from the following: JOUR 30853JOUR 40443JOUR 40553JOUR 40563JOUR 40613JOUR 40813, or JOUR 40993, meaning all journalism majors must have a minimum of one seminar course. Eleven hours of journalism electives complete the degree requirements.

A minor is required. Additionally, students may pursue a specialty by fulfilling requirements for a certificate in broadcast journalism.

Students must declare their intent to earn specific certificates in the semester in which they intend to graduate and prior to the beginning of academic advising in that semester. Declaration is made in writing to the chair or the chair’s designee.

Minor in Journalism

The journalism minor is a complement to many majors and prepares students to apply journalistic skills to many fields, or produce journalism with an intense focus in another area. Minors will take several skills courses that provide them with experiential learning opportunities and can expect to create a significant body of work as part of the journalism minor. Minors must complete the four core courses of the minor and be enrolled in the Reporting before enrolling in any elective course in the Department of Journalism.

The Journalism minor takes a minimum of four semesters to complete. The Department of Journalism welcomes minors in journalism who are committed to significant journalism instruction while they specialize in majors that educate them in broad subject areas that may relate to news coverage. Students should recognize that it usually takes four regular semesters to complete the journalism minor. Students are strongly encouraged to become active in TCU student media.

22 hours in journalism, including JOUR 10113, JOUR 10203, JOUR 20003, JOUR 20203, JOUR 30204, JOUR 40523, And be enrolled in JOUR 30204 before enrolling in any elective course in the Department of Journalism.

Assessment Plan

In accordance with the requirement of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC), the department of journalism at Texas Christian University in 2018 adopted an assessment plan to better help it track and enhance student success and concerns. The plan uses both direct and indirect measures of assessment to evaluate program effectiveness and determine areas that need strengthening. The plan is subject to periodic review and update. Overall, the areas being measured are reflected in the department’s Schieffer Seven, the learning outcomes members of faculty are expected to build into their respective courses and syllabi. The Schieffer Seven aligns with the revised 10-point “Professional Values and Competencies” recommended by ACEJMC.

In this Assessment Plan students are expected to develop competencies in the following areas:

  1. Writing and editing: Students will learn to write clearly for diverse audiences across appropriate multimedia platforms, to apply the conventions of the language, to edit, and to critically evaluate their work and that of others. [ACEJMC’s Value #5: Writing correctly, clearly and in the appropriate style]
  1. The tools of mass communication—statistics, research and technology: Students will apply the tools of effective communication practice: research and the evaluation of research, the use of numerical and statistical concepts, and the technology skills used to communicate effectively in their professional area. [ACEJMC’s Values #4, #8 & 10: Using basic numerical and statistical concepts and appropriate technology for image communication and news presentation]
  1. Free media: Students will understand and value the principles and laws that underlie a free media system, including their historical antecedents. [ACEJMC’s Value #1: Understanding and application of laws of freedom of speech and the press]
  1. Diversity: Students will value diversity in a global society and its impact on information-gathering and adapting messages to an ethnically and culturally heterogeneous audience. [ACEJMC’s Values #2, #3 & #6: Understanding of history, DEI/Fault Lines and being culturally sensitive in communication and the media context]
  1. Critical and creative thinking: Students will apply critical, creative, and independent thinking to their professional projects. [ACEJMC’s Values #7 & #9: Critical thinking and methodological evaluation of work for accuracy, fairness, clarity etc.]
  1. Theory: Students will understand concepts and apply theories in the use and presentation of images and information [ACEJMC’s Value #4: The presentation of images and information effectively].
  1. Ethical standards: Students will understand professional ethical standards and their relationships to critical professional choices. [ACEJMC’s Values #6 & #9: Understanding of ethical principles and the pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness, diversity etc.].

Evidence:

This Assessment Plan uses both direct and indirect measures to determine program effectiveness and identify areas that need revisiting and strengthening.

Direct Measures:

These are quantifiable and knowledge-based measures of students’ competencies and learning outcomes across fundamental courses taken in the journalism department. The direct measures are based on a 100-point set of questions that are administered to entry-level student cohorts and again to exiting senior cohorts. The measures are administered to students each academic semester to gauge what they know getting into our program and what they learned leaving it. Students are duly informed that the questions are solely designed to obtain longitudinal data for our program accreditation and faculty evaluation, not for the purpose of class grades and GPA. Data collected are consequently tabulated, analyzed, stored and made available to faculty for deliberation at appropriate meetings. The questions were developed at the beginning of the 2017-2018 academic year, and are divided into four parts.

Part 1: Media Writing (64 Grammar and AP Style questions).

Part 2: Law and Ethics of Mass Communication (12 questions).

Part 3: Introduction to Journalism (12 questions on Theory and Concepts).

Part 4: Diversity & the Media (12 questions on DEI in relation to the media).

Indirect Measures:

The indirect measures of assessment are derived from what students have achieved, awards won, exit survey of graduating students in our program, reports from internships, the capstone Signature Learning Activity, and other indicators of learning outcome.

  • Exit survey of graduating cohorts: Graduating seniors complete an anonymous exist survey on a variety of issues including preparedness for professional engagement, levels of understanding of issues of DEI, law, ethics, numeracy, faculty and department response to students’ complaints, quality of facilities in the department, advising, availability of faculty, and ability to work with appropriate tools of technology.
  • Awards & Recognitions: They are awards won at Hearst competitions, our department’s Milner awards for excellence in news gathering and storytelling, competitive scholarships won, projects independently executed and published in our flagship TCU 360 news portal, and placement in the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors annual awards.
  • Internship Reports: These include supervisor reports and completed projects for course credit.
  • TCU 360 (https://tcu360.com/): This is a student-managed news and features hub in the department. It has a faculty director and advisor.
Project-based Measure:

This measure is our project-based, Multi-Platform Capstone/Signature Learning Activity class which was introduced in Fall 2021. In it, students are expected to choose their preferred topic as their project, and use all conceptual and skills competencies learned in our department to execute an independent project we call their Signature Learning Activity (SLA). Some of the projects are sent to some of our alumni for comments and feedback.

The department also regularly participates in TCU university assessment of required courses, which considers how students are mastering concepts in required courses and what instructors are doing to close possible loops that limit student comprehension and success.

Adopted 2018