Graduate Courses

The faculty has approval to offer the following courses in the academic years 2013–2014 and 2014–2015; however, not all courses are taught each semester or summer session. Students should consult the Course Schedule to determine which courses and topics will be offered during a particular semester or summer session. The Course Schedule may also reflect changes made to the course inventory after the publication of this catalog.

 

Journalism: J

J 380. Introduction to Research Methods.

Research methods and ethics, from design to data analysis and report writing. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, and admission to the journalism master's program in research and theory or to the journalism doctoral program.

J 380F. Exploring Digital Media and Society.

Examines the connection between new media and society through a variety of theoretical and practical perspectives to explore the implications of the use of technology and new media in influencing community, social relationships, and public and private spaces, as well as the profession of journalism. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

J 380M. Advanced Projects in Photography.

Advanced projects to demonstrate professional competence. Three lecture hours and four laboratory hours a week for one semester. May be taken twice for credit. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, and consent of instructor and the graduate adviser.

J 380N. Advanced Projects in Journalism.

Designed to prepare students to write the master's report. Students develop professional projects to demonstrate their competence in specialized skills; students present, discuss, and critique their own and other students' work. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

J 380V. Visual Journalism.

Basics of aesthetics, visual design, photography, Web publishing, and videography. Two lecture hours and four laboratory hours a week for one semester. Required of first-year students in the journalism master's program professional track. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

J 380W. Writing and Reporting.

Three lecture hours and three laboratory hours a week for one semester. Required of all first-year students in the Master of Arts in journalism program, professional track. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

J 381. Research Methods Seminar.

Research techniques for investigating the control, content, audience, and effects of mass media. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. One topic is required of all candidates for the Master of Arts degree with a major in journalism. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Graduate standing.

Topic 1: Content Analysis.
Topic 2: Experimental Design.
Topic 3: Survey Research.
Topic 4: Qualitative Methods.
Topic 5: Advanced Journalistic Methods.

J 382. Seminar in Mass Communication.

Readings, research, analyses in mass communications; oral and written reports in an area approved by the instructor. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

Topic 1: Sources of Communication Theory.
Topic 2: Research in the Literature of Journalism.
Topic 3: Public Opinion and Persuasion Theories.
Topic 4: Agenda Setting.

J 383. International Communication Seminar.

Role of the press in a democracy, under a dictatorship, and in a revolution; the mass media in England, France, the former Soviet Union, Latin America, and other areas; flow of international communication and obstacles to clear interpretation. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

J 383P. Advanced Visual Design.

Advanced exploration of principles and processes of visual design, including design principles, visual perception, typography, image making, uses of color, printing techniques, and publication design. Three lecture hours and three laboratory hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Journalism 338F, 349T (Topic: Advanced Visual Design), 359T (Topic 3: Advanced Visual Design), 383P, 395 (Topic 5: Advanced Visual Design). Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

J 384. Mass Communication Theory.

Study of the processes and effects of mass communication. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, and admission to the journalism master's program in research and theory or the journalism doctoral program.

J 385. Social Functions and Role of the Mass Media.

Contemporary issues and problems of the mass media in the United States. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

J 386. Public Relations Seminar.

Readings, research, and analyses in public relations. Examination of the role of public relations in social, economic, and political campaigns. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

Topic 1: Research Analyses in Public Relations.
Topic 2: Public Relations and Management.
Topic 3: Specialized Application of Public Relations.
Topic 4: International Public Relations.

J 387P. Cultural Survey of Photography.

Development of photojournalism and commercial, documentary, amateur, and art photography, including historical processes, the evolution of stylistic trends, and the careers of major photographers. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Journalism 347G, 362E, 387P, 395 (Topic: History of Photography). Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

J 388. Seminar in Photographic Criticism.

Study of the basis for photographic styles and of their manifestations in the history of photography or in the student's own work. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

J 289, 389, 489. Problems in Specialized Fields.

Research project chosen from area of student's major interests; written report required. Independent study. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

Topic 1: Photojournalism. Additional prerequisite: Journalism 380M.

J 389E. Professional Experience in Journalism.

Supervised internship experience in a professional journalism setting. At least ten hours of fieldwork a week for one semester. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

J 189P. Independent Research: Photojournalism.

Independent study. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

J 390. Seminar in Journalism History.

Research projects in the history of communication media; examination of the social, economic, and political relationships of the media within historical environments. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

J 390P. Advanced Documentary Project.

Advanced exploration of documentary storytelling skills, with an emphasis on the skills required for the master's report. Three lecture hours and four laboratory hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and Journalism 380M.

J 391. Urban Communication.

Civic images, media dilemmas on urban growth, and decentralization; new telecommunications technology and the future "mediapolis" of postindustrial cities. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

J 392. Seminar in Media Law.

Research in selected areas of social and legal responsibilities of the media. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

Topic 1: Constitutional Issues in Media Law.
Topic 2: Studies in Regulation of the Mass Media.

J 395. Topics in Journalism.

Contemporary social, professional, and intellectual concerns with the practice of journalism. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or as required by the topic. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

Topic 1: Professional Writing for Journalists.
Topic 2: Advanced Photo Editing and Design. Advanced training in photo editing and publication design. Taught abroad; location may vary by semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Journalism 370K (Topic 1: Advanced Photo Editing and Design), 370K (Topic: Advanced Photojournalism in Czechoslovakia), 395 (Topic 2).
Topic 3: Documentary Video. Production and editing of video for television and online newspapers. Three lecture hours and four laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Topic 4: Documentary Tradition of Latin America. Same as Latin American Studies 381 (Topic 22: Documentary Tradition of Latin America). Study of still photographic and video documentary work by Latin Americans about Latin America. Production of photographic essays on Latin American culture. Three lecture hours and four laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Topic 6: Interactive Multimedia Research. Survey of research methods and theories related to new media, with a focus on emerging technologies of mass communication.
Topic 8: Editorial Column Writing. Hands-on work in column writing.
Topic 9: International Reporting. Designed to provide students with skills in foreign reporting and an understanding of international news production processes, with special emphasis on Latin America.
Topic 10: Multimedia Journalism. Review of online reporting techniques, advanced multimedia skills, and current issues in new media. Three lecture hours and three laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Topic 11: Advanced Writing and Public Affairs Reporting. Three lecture hours and three laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Topic 12: Advanced Social Science Methods.
Topic 13: Framing Public Issues.
Topic 14: Qualitative Communication Theory.
Topic 15: Political Communication.
Topic 16: Proseminar in Journalism. Introduces doctoral students to major areas of research and selected researchers in journalism. Designed to help students cultivate scholarly skills, ethical norms, awareness of funding possibilities, and teaching skills.
Topic 17: Reporting Asia: A Foreign Correspondent's Framework. Dynamic ways of looking at, thinking about, and reporting the world. Establishment of a framework for analyzing how the news media cover key events, issues, and processes that shape our lives in a global society. Only one of the following may be counted: Journalism 340G, 349T (Topic 17: Reporting Asia), 395 (Topic 17: Reporting Asia).
Topic 18: Theory Building.
Topic 19: Visual Communication.
Topic 22: Alternative Media. Journalism 349T (Topic 8: Alternative Media) and 395 (Topic 22) may not both be counted.
Topic 23: Ethics in Journalism. Journalism 349T (Topic 12: Ethics in Journalism) and 395 (Topic 23) may not both be counted.
Topic 25: Business and Financial Reporting. Conceptualizing, sourcing, and preparing news reports on global financial markets, commercial transactions, and company performance. Subject matter is global; the United States is a subset of material covered. Hands-on course during which students produce multiple news packages for publication. Journalism 395 (Topic 25) and 395 (Topic 7: Business Journalism) may not both be counted.
Topic 26: Covering Politics. Specialized research, reporting, and writing skills to cover issues, candidates, and campaigns. Journalism 395 (Topic 26) and 395 (Topic: Politics and the Press) may not both be counted.
Topic 27: Entrepreneurial Journalism. For-profit and nonprofit journalistic enterprises in the news media ecosystem. Impact of digital technology on the news industry, with emphasis on changes to business and distribution models, and ways people consume and produce news and information. Emphasis on projects and prototypes that include business plans and content planning.
Topic 28: Computer-Assisted Reporting. Study of computer-assisted journalism, including electronic document retrieval and manipulation, spreadsheet and database management, and Internet skills. Collaborative work on major investigative projects.
Topic 29: Oral History as Journalism. Modules include concepts and methods of gathering oral history; illustration of the techniques using the Vietnam War as a topic; and generating oral history-based coverage focusing on the Mexican American experience. Journalism 395 (Topic 20: Oral History as Journalism) and 395 (Topic 29) may not both be counted.
Topic 30: Investigative Reporting. Emphasis on determining what an investigative story is, finding investigative stories, and basic tactics in pursuing those stories. Three lecture hours and three laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Topic 31: Creative Nonfiction for Magazines and Books. Reporting and writing skills for producing narrative nonfiction, including writing book proposals, magazine pitches, and sample chapters. Journalism 395 (Topic: Narrative Storytelling) and 395 (Topic 31) may not both be counted.
Topic 32: Audio Storytelling. Examination and practice of writing news for audio platforms.
Topic 33: Explanatory Journalism: Storytelling in a Digital Age. Examination of the evolution of long-form explanatory storytelling from print and film to new forms of Web-based and interactive storytelling. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester. Journalism 395 (Topic: Storytelling in a Digital Age) and 395 (Topic 33) may not both be counted.
Topic 34: Advanced Visual Journalism: Photo. Explores intensive photographic reportage and documentation using the camera as a tool of investigation and interaction. Emphasis on creation of photo stories, photo essays, and feature stories, with editing and page layout. Three lecture hours and three laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Topic 35: Producing Social Documentaries for Television News. Instruction in the production of social documentaries for television, with emphasis on social issues often ignored by television news. Includes production of a twenty-minute long-form story. Three lecture hours and three laboratory hours a week for one semester. Additional prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Topic 36: Opinion Writing. Examines opinion writing and commentary in traditional print and evolving online formats.
Topic 37: Social Issues Reporting. Coverage of social issues such as immigration, health care, and child welfare. Examination of stereotypes, how they affect reporting, and how they change as student reporters encounter new subjects. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Topic 38: Reporting Latin America. Foreign reporting skills and international news production processes, with special emphasis on Latin America.
Topic 39: Covering the Latino Community in the United States. Development and challenging of views of the contemporary Latino community. Topics include a history of ethnic groups in the United States and their politics, education, organizations, immigration, culture, power, and media. Students will apply what they learn to other underrepresented people in the United States.
Topic 40: Reporting China: A Foreign Correspondent's Workshop. Contemporary social, professional, and intellectual concerns with the practice of journalism.
Topic 41: Reporting the World: A Critical Examination of the United States News Media. Examination of dynamic ways of looking at, thinking about, and reporting the world, both abroad and at home. Establishes a framework for analyzing how the news media cover key events, issues, and processes that shape our lives in a global society. Journalism 395 (Topic: Reporting the World) and 395 (Topic 40) may not both be counted.
Topic 42: Human Rights Journalism. Exploration of the role of journalists in exposing human rights abuses. Modules include case studies from El Salvador, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Bosnia, Sudan, Israel, and Russia, as well as the legal and moral obligations of journalists as witnesses to atrocities and genocide. Examination of the Bush Administration's global War on Terror and the legacy confronting the Obama Presidency.
Topic 43: Minorities and the Media. Issues concerning minority or nondominant groups in the United States. Survey of minority communication problems, including alienation, fragmentation, and media and Internet access. Criticism and feedback for minority groups based on racial/ethnic background, age, sex, disability, social or economic class, and sexual orientation.
Topic 44: Reporting Texas. Students work as online reporters, photographers, and editors for the School of Journalism's Reporting Texas website.

J 698. Thesis.

The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for two semesters. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: For 698A, graduate standing in journalism and consent of the graduate adviser; for 698B, Journalism 698A.

J 398R. Master's Report.

Preparation of a report to fulfill the requirement for the master's degree under the report option. The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in journalism and consent of the graduate adviser.

J 398T. Supervised Teaching in Journalism.

Teaching under the close supervision of the course instructor; weekly group meetings with the instructor, individual consultations, and reports required throughout the teaching period. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, appointment as a teaching assistant, and consent of the graduate adviser.

J 399R, 699R, 999R. Dissertation.

Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree and written consent of the graduate adviser received prior to registering.

J 399W, 699W, 999W. Dissertation.

Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: Journalism 399R, 699R, or 999R, and written consent of the graduate adviser received prior to registering.