Webster University: Department of Communications and Journalism

Communications and Journalism Department

Majors and Degrees Offered

Minors Offered

Certificates Offered

Broadcast Journalism
Community Journalism
Magazine Production
Media Literacy
Outdoor/Environmental Journalism
Sports Journalism
Teacher Certification in Journalism (9-12th grades)-See School of Education for more information

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, Missouri Botanical Garden, 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.

Minors

The following apply to all minors:

A minor must be comprised of 18 credit hours taken at Webster University.

No course counted toward a major can also count toward a minor. If a student pursues a minor that requires a course also required for the student's major, the student should contact his or her advisor or the department chair to discuss an appropriate substitution.

Students may have a major and a minor within the same department in the School of Communications; they may not major and minor within the same area of emphasis.

Students must earn a grade of C- or better in any course they wish to apply toward a minor.

In addition to the requirements for all minors listed above, the following additional criteria apply:

Advertising and Marketing Communications

Required Courses

MEDC 1050 Introduction to Media Writing	3 hours
MNGT 3510 Advertising	3 hours
Additional credit hours of ADVT	12 hours

Students planning to minor in this area should see their advisors in Advertising/Marketing Communications to help plan their specific programs.

Journalism

Required Courses

MEDC 1010 Introduction to Mass Communication	3 hours
Additional credit hours of JOUR	15 hours

Media Communications

Required Courses

MEDC 1010 Introduction to Mass Communication	3 hours
Additional credit hours in the School of Communications	15 hours

Media Literacy

Required Courses

MEDC 1010 Introduction to Mass Communications	3 hours
And 15 additional credit hours from the following:
MEDC 1500 Introduction to Media Writing	3 hours
MEDC 1630 Media Literacy	3 hours
MEDC 2630 Media Literacy II	3 hours
MEDC 3190 Introduction to Media Research	3 hours
MEDC 3850 Television: A Critical Study	3 hours
MEDC 4110 Media and Digital Culture	3 hours
MEDC 4620 Senior Overview	3 hours
MEDC 4850 Seminar in Media Studies	3 hours

Public Relations

Required Courses

MEDC 1010 Introduction to Mass Communications	3 hours
PBRL 2100 Fundamentals of Strategic Communications and Public Relations	3 hours
PBRL 2920 Writing for Public Relations	3 hours
Additional credit hours of PBRL	9 hours

Scriptwriting

Required Courses

MEDC 1050 Introduction to Media Writing	3 hours
SCPT 2900 Scriptwriting	3 hours
And 12 additional credit hours from the following:
SCPT 3110 Script Analysis	3 hours
SCPT 3150 Topics	3 hours
SCPT 3400 Television Scriptwriting	3 hours
SCPT 3500 Writing Screenplays for Film	3 hours
SCPT 4090 Screenplay Development	3 hours
SCPT 4400 Advanced Television Scriptwriting: Genres	3 hours
SCPT 4500 Advanced Scriptwriting	3 hours

Speech Communication Studies

Required Courses

Any 18 credit hours from SPCM courses.

Students may also count POLT 1550 OR 3550 toward this minor.

A minimum of 6 credit hours must be at the 3000 or 4000 level.

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 and JOUR 4700 Professional Development in 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.