Webster University: Department of Communications and Journalism

Communications and Journalism Department

Majors and Degrees Offered

Minors Offered

Certificates Offered

Course Listings

General Education Requirements

A minimum of 36 credit hours must be taken from the liberal arts and sciences with the following distribution:

Category One - Humanities - 18 hours
Literature, history, foreign language, general studies, religious studies, philosophy, visual art, dance, theatre, music, composition

Category Two -Social Sciences - 12 hours
Political science, sociology, psychology, anthropology, women's studies, multicultural studies, international relations, international studies, economics, human rights

Category Three - Math/Computer Science - 6 hours
Computer applications, computer science, mathematics, natural sciences, physical sciences

Special Study Opportunities

Internships

Students have opportunities to learn about their fields of interest through internships and externships in communication businesses and organizations. In recent years, students in the department of Communications and Journalism have secured internships at organizations in St. Louis as well as in New York, Chicago, Nashville, California, London, Japan, Switzerland and Thailand.

Prestigious internships have included: MTV Network in New York, NBC "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," ABC "The View" in New York, KSDK-TV, KMOV-TV, KPLR-TV WB Channel 11, Busch Entertainment Corp., KTVI-TV Fox Channel 2, KETC-TV Public Broadcasting Service Channel 9, KMOX Radio, St. Louis Post-Dispatch , Fleishman Hillard Public Relations, Mary Engelbreit Studios, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, The Vision Factory, Waylon Advertising, Clayton Studios, The St. Louis Botanical Gardens, The St. Louis Science Center, The Ronald McDonald House, The Hughes Group, Zipatoni, the St. Louis Rams, Nestle Purina, Petcare and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Independent study and reading courses add further flexibility to the established curriculum.

Double Majors

An area of concentration (major) in the School of Communications may be combined with a major in another Webster University School or College as part of the student's bachelor of arts degree plan. Double majors are not allowed between the departments of the School of Communications.

Special Requirements

Portfolio Review

Students declaring a major within the Department of Communications and Journalism (except in speech communication studies) complete a portfolio of their work as part of their degree requirements. Students majoring in advertising and marketing communications, public relations, scriptwriting, media literacy and media communications must complete a portfolio review with a panel of faculty within their major after they have successfully completed the following course requirements:

EPMD 1000 Introduction to Media Production
MEDC 1010 Introduction to Mass Communications
9 credit hours as defined by each major

In the review students learn to develop personal portfolios of their work in their areas of interest. In addition, this mid-program review process enables the faculty to gauge the talent, aptitude, and potential of the student in his or her area of study.

The student’s portfolio is judged on both the quality and presentation of the material. Faculty members consider accuracy, creativity, content, and technical expertise in the work presented, and enthusiasm and professionalism of delivery when judging the student for formal admittance into his or her major in the School of Communications. Portfolio deadlines are announced each academic year, and reviews are held each semester.

Instead of the portfolio review panel, students majoring in journalism and global journalism complete a portfolio of their work as part of the requirement of JOUR 3300 Newspaper Production Workshop, under the guidance of their professors. Students majoring in broadcast journalism complete a résumé and résumé tape as part of the requirements for BJRN 4700 Professional Development in Broadcast Journalism, under the guidance of their professors. Students majoring in speech communication studies incorporate elements of all their coursework in their culminating senior overview in place of a portfolio review.

Students should contact their academic advisors in the School of Communications for more specific information about portfolio review requirements as soon as they enter Webster University.

Capstone Course

Successful completion of a capstone class with a grade of B or better is part of the degree requirement for each major and emphasis. A capstone class is an advanced course designated by the major in which students learn to demonstrate their mastery of the subject matter. The capstone class should be taken in the student's senior year.

Grade Requirements

Students must earn a grade of C- or better in any course they wish to apply toward their major or toward the 36 required credit hours in general education. The pass/fail option is not available for courses that students wish to apply toward their major or toward their general education requirements, unless those courses are offered only under the pass/fail option. (For example, creative writing courses in the English Department are offered only as pass/fail and may count toward Category I of general education.)

Transfer Students-Pre-Enrollment Interview

Transfer students with prior coursework in communications must submit a portfolio of their work in a pre-enrollment interview to determine placement within the curriculum and their standing regarding portfolio review. If the student meets the portfolio review criteria, this pre-enrollment interview may serve as the portfolio review.

Transfer students should not expect to obtain a degree in the Department of Communications and Journalism in less than four full semesters of sequenced courses.

Transfer students who have completed the associate of arts (AA) degree will have satisfied the school's general education requirement.