| NOTE: | The information in this file matches the corresponding print edition. More current information may be found at www.asu.edu/aad/catalogs/. |
Professors: Craft, Cronkite, Doig, Foote, Godfrey, Merrill, Sylvester, Watson
Associate Professors: Allen, Barrett, Bramlett-Solomon, Galician, Lentz, Matera, Russell, Russomanno
Assistant Professors: Keith, Schwalbe, Silcock
Clinical Professors: Itule, Leigh
Lecturers: Casavantes, Nichols
Senior Administrative Professional: Leigh
The primary purpose of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication is to prepare students to enter positions in media fields. The school strives to meet its mission through a three-pronged approach:
In addition to preparing students to assume positions in the media and media-related enterprises, the school provides courses that lead to a better understanding of the role and responsibility of the media in society’s public and private sectors.
Students admitted to ASU also may be admitted to the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication with preprofessional status. Preprofessional admission to the school does not guarantee admission to the upper-division professional program. All preprofessional students enrolling in courses in the school must complete a minimum of 30 semester hours with a minimum 2.50 GPA before they are permitted to enroll in school courses at the 200-level. All preprofessional students who intend to take courses beyond the 100-level must pass an English proficiency examination administered by the school.
Admission to the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication professional program, which enrolls students in their junior and senior years, is competitive and based on available resources. Once a student is granted admission, the upper-division professional program may require two years to complete.
A separate application procedure is required for entry to the upper-division professional program. To be eligible to apply for admission to the professional program, students must
As described above, students must have completed specified lower-division courses. Preprofessional status students must complete the following courses:
| JMC 201 | Journalism Newswriting L (3) |
| MCO 110 | Introduction to Mass Communication SB (3)
or MCO 120 Media and Society SB (3) |
| Total: 6 |
To be considered for admission to the school’s upper-division professional program, students must obtain an application form from the school office in STAUF A231. Precise application procedures and submission deadlines are outlined on the form. Completion of the minimum requirements for eligibility does not guarantee admission to the upper-division professional program. The admissions committee considers a variety of criteria, including major and cumulative GPA, media experience, writing ability, and commitment to the field.
The Cronkite School has created a fast-track admissions program designed to reward students who have demonstrated high levels of academic achievements at the high school level. All students accepted to the Journalism and Mass Communication major are evaluated to determine eligibility for the fast-track admissions program. To qualify, a student must have a minimum 3.80 high school GPA (Arizona Board of Regents GPA based on 16 competency courses) and a composite ACT score of 29 or higher or a composite SAT score of 1300 or higher. Students qualifying for this program are notified in writing that they have earned this status and are placed immediately on professional status, needing only to select their concentration area by their junior year.
Students should follow the sequence of courses outlined on school curriculum check sheets and the advice of the school’s academic advisors. All students who enroll as preprofessionals or who seek and ultimately gain professional status should meet regularly with Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication academic advisors. Conscientious, careful planning and early advising are crucial to students who desire to progress through the program in a timely fashion.
The school offers a program leading to one Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. Students select one of five concentrations: journalism, media analysis and criticism, media management, media production, or strategic media and public relations.
The school offers a program leading to the graduate degree Master of Mass Communication.
Transfer students must be admitted formally to ASU and must adhere to the admission procedures to be considered for admission to the professional program in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Students completing their first two years of course work at a community college or four-year institution other than ASU should consult the school’s academic advisors at least one full semester before they hope to be considered for admission to the school’s professional program. Transfer student admission to ASU does not guarantee admission to the upper-division professional program.
Because the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, its students are required to take a minimum of 80 semester hours in courses outside the majors of Broadcasting or Journalism, with no fewer than 65 semester hours in liberal arts and sciences. This requirement ensures that students receive a broad academic background.
At least 18 semester hours of major courses required by the school, including one writing course, must be taken at ASU. A student must receive a grade of “C” or higher in all courses taken in the major and in the required related area.
All students are required to demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English (a spoken language or American Sign Language). Proficiency is defined as completing the second semester intermediate level, or higher, of a language other than English with a grade of “C” or higher.
The undergraduate major in Journalism and Mass Communication consists of a minimum of 30 semester hours in Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication courses.
Required core courses (12 of the 30 to 36 hours are required of all students in all five concentrations):
| JMC 201 | Journalism Newswriting L (3) |
| MCO 110 | Introduction to Mass Communication SB (3) |
| MCO 302 | Media Research Methods (3) |
| MCO 402 | Mass Communication Law L (3) |
| Total: 12 |
Students complete the required core courses of the major (12 semester hours) plus the required courses of one concentration area (15 semester hours) and elective courses (from three to nine hours) from other areas.
These courses are in addition to other degree requirements. See “University Graduation Requirements.”
Related Area. Each student is required to complete a 12-semester-hour related area to complement the courses taken in the major concentration areas.
Students must satisfy the university General Studies requirement found in “General Studies” and the College of Public Programs course requirements found under College of Public Programs, “College Degree Requirements.” Students are advised to review carefully the appropriate school curriculum check sheet to be sure courses taken move the student toward graduation with the least amount of delay and difficulty. Note that all three General Studies awareness areas are required.
General education requirements for the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication follow.
Students are required to take one course in each of the following areas: communication (applied speech), computer science, economics, English composition (beyond the freshman level), English literature, history, mathematics (numeracy requirement), two natural science lab courses, philosophy, political science (either POS 110 or 310), and psychology.
The Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication offers a minor in Mass Communication consisting of the required course MCO 120 Media and Society and 12 additional semester hours of upper-division ASU Main campus resident credit taken from a list of approved courses. The following courses are included:
| JMC 270 | Public Relations Techniques (3) |
| MCO 418 | History of Mass Communication SB, H (3) |
| MCO 430 | International Mass Communication G (3) |
| MCO 435 | Emerging Media Technologies (3) |
| MCO 450 | Visual Communication HU (3) |
| MCO 456 | Political Communication SB (3) |
| MCO 460 | Race, Gender, and Media C (3) |
| MCO 494 | Special Topics (3) |
To take upper-division courses, the student must be at least a sophomore (25 semester hours). To pursue the minor in Mass Communication, the student must maintain a minimum 2.00 overall GPA, must obtain a minimum “C” grade in each course in the minor, and must have a major other than Journalism and Mass Communication.
A concentration in mass communication is available under the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (B.I.S.) degree, a program intended for the student who has academic interests that might not be satisfied with existing majors. Building on two academic concentrations (or one double concentration) and an interdisciplinary core, students in the B.I.S. program take active roles in creating their educational plans and defining their career goals. For more information, see Division of Undergraduate Academic Services, “Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies.”
Master of Mass Communication. The curriculum for the M.M.C. degree is designed to help students achieve intellectual and professional growth, to prepare students for positions in the mass media, and to provide a background to enable those currently in the media to advance their careers. Information on the Master of Mass Communication program is detailed in the Graduate Catalog.
| Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC) Courses |
| Mass Communication (MCO) Courses |
| Omnibus Courses: See omnibus courses that may be offered. |
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November 16, 2005 | Visits to this page: |