Mar 28, 2024  
OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2012-13 
    
OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2012-13 [Archived Catalog]

Journalism Major (B.S.J. in Journalism) [offered through Honors Tutorial College]


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Major Code BJ1923

Honors Tutorial College
35 Park Place
Athens, OH 45701
Phone: 740.593.2723
Fax: 740.593.9521
honors.college@ohio.edu
www.ohio.edu/honors

Bernhard Debatin, director of studies/contact person
debatin@ohio.edu
 

Program Overview

The Honors Tutorial College program in journalism offers exceptional students the opportunity to study the many aspects of journalism and mass communication in one-on-one relationships with faculty members. Maximum opportunities will be afforded for the student to progress well beyond the materials found in conventional courses. The primary purpose of the tutorial program is to serve as preparation for graduate study. Students will receive a degree of Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the Honors Tutorial College.

Nine tutorials in Journalism are required, including two thesis tutorials. To allow maximum flexibility, tutorials can vary between 1 and 15 hours per semester, though non-thesis  tutorials are usually taken for a minimum of 4 hours and thesis tutorials for a minimum of 6 hours. Students must also complete regular journalism courses, general education/liberal arts requirements, and a specialization. Honors Tutorial students are required to enroll in a minimum of 15 hours per semester.

Honors Thesis

Students are required to complete an honors thesis, investigating a problem of concern to both scholars and practitioners. The thesis can either be a scholarly piece or a professional project. The thesis committee is usually composed of the director of studies and the thesis advisor, who will monitor the thesis work. Its acceptance, dependent upon an appropriate mixture of research and analysis, relies upon the judgment of the advisor.
 

Admissions Information

Freshman/First-Year Admission

Students are selected by the director of studies of the journalism tutorial program and the Honors Tutorial College on the basis of superior ability and sustained motivation. We look for good scores on standardized tests (30 composite score on the ACT or a combined score of 1300 on the SAT), but we also require a good high school record (class standing in the top 10%). An interview with the director of studies is required for acceptance into our program. Recommendations from two high school teachers are required. Portfolios with writing samples and/or broadcast or multimedia productions are strongly encouraged (showcasing students’ experience with journalism and mass media). The personalized aspects of the tutorial system occasionally make it possible for us to accept students who have not performed well on standardized measure of ability but who demonstrate exceptional aptitude in other ways. The deadline for application for admission is December 1st, and admission interviews are held in January.

Change of Program Policy

First-year students at Ohio University may apply to transfer in to the journalism tutorial program and the Honors Tutorial College. These students must meet the same entrance requirements as entering freshmen. The deadline for application is December 1st, and admission interviews are held in January.

External Transfer Admission

First-year students at another institution may also apply to transfer in to the journalism tutorial program and the Honors Tutorial College. These students must meet the same entrance requirements as entering freshmen. The deadline for application is December 1st, and admission interviews are held in January.
 

Opportunities Upon Graduation

Most students graduating from the HTC journalism program will work in the field of journalism, mass communication, PR, or advertising. Journalism graduates are often hired into other jobs, as well, due to their general abilities (critical thinking, writing skills, analytical facilities, computer literacy, etc.). The bachelor degree in journalism is also a great preparation for graduate school. Students may apply for graduate school in journalism or related fields, including law school, business school, and political science.
 

Requirements

Major Hours Requirement


The journalism major requires a minimum of 126 hours.

HTC Grade Requirements


Complete all courses with a grade of B (3.0) or higher; and maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

University English Composition Requirement


Complete one First-Year Composition course (1E) and one Junior Composition course (1J).

HTC Seminar


Complete the following course:

Journalism HTC Tutorials


Core Tutorials


Core tutorials consist of: Communication Law, Journalism History, Mass Communication Theory, and Media Ethics. Complete the following tutorials; however, if the tutorials in Communication Law or Ethics, Media and Society are not completed, then the corresponding journalism core courses (JOUR 3110 or 3200) are required:

Advanced Tutorials


Advanced tutorials typically consist of one tutorial on Specialized Journalism issues and one tutorial on Topics, Concepts, and Theories in Journalism. Complete the following tutorials:

Research Tutorial


Complete the following two-part tutorial consisting of two 7-week sections during spring semester of junior year:

Thesis Tutorials


Complete the following tutorials during final year of study focused on the development and completion of an advisor and director of studies approved thesis or professional project:

HTC Thesis Requirement


Complete an advisor or director of studies approved thesis or professional project.

Journalism Core Courses


Complete the following course:

Journalism Professional and Conceptural Courses


Complete three Journalism courses.

General Education/Liberal Arts Requirement


Complete one course in each of the following areas:

  • African American Studies (AAS) or Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS)
  • Applied Science
  • English (ENG, beyond University’s 1E and 1J requirement)
  • Fine Arts (FA)/Interdisciplinary Arts (IART)
  • History (HIST)
  • Natural Science
  • Political Science (POLS)
  • Psychology (not PSY 1110)
  • Sociology (SOC) or Anthropology (ANTH)
  • Statistics (ECON 3810, MATH 2500, PSY 1110)
     

Complete two courses in each of the following areas:

  • Economics (ECON)
  • Foreign or Sign Language (same language for both)
  • Philosophy (PHIL 1200, plus an additional PHIL course or one in Classics and World Religions (CLWR))

Area of Specialization


Complete 18 hours in subject area other than Journalism, Media Arts and Studies, or Visual Communication. Complete one of the following options:

Option 1


Complete 18 hours in a single department within the College of Arts and Sciences, with 6 hours at the 3000-level or higher.

Option 2


Complete 12 hours in a single department within the College of Arts and Sciences, with 6 hours at the 3000-level or higher and 6 hours in any other department/school or an advisor approved collection of related courses.

Internship


Complete an advisor approved journalism internship (minimum of 200 hours).

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