Graduate Courses

The faculty has approval to offer the following courses in the academic years 2019–2020 and 2020–2021; 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 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. May be repeated 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 4: Qualitative Methods.

J 381F. Fundamentals of Statistics.

An introduction to descriptive and inferential statistical procedures commonly used in communication research. Explore basic underlying assumptions of common statistical procedures, how to test hypotheses using these statistical procedures and what inferences can be drawn from the results, how to critically evaluate statistical analyses of others, and how to conduct descriptive and basic inferential statistics using SPSS for analyses. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.

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 4: Agenda Setting.
Topic 5: Media Sociology. Journalism 382 (Topic: Media Sociology) and 382 (Topic 5) may not both be counted.

J 383M. Frameworks of Media Innovation.

Survey of innovative practices in media. Three lecture hours and three lab hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of the graduate adviser.

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. 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 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 387M. Media Images: Theory and Methodology.

Explores theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of images in media. Examines the biology and psychology of vision and how images "work" in media. Explores contemporary research on images in news, visual persuasion, political campaigns and criminal investigation. Methods for the study of media images, include content analysis, multi-modal discourse analysis, semiotics and effects experiments. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Journalism 387M and 395 (Topic: Media Images: Theory & Methodology) may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

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. Journalism 387P and 395 (Topic: History of Photography) may not both be counted.. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

J 387S. Photographic Storytelling and Social Justice.

Explore the production of images related to social justice issues. Three lecture hours and one and a half lab 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 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 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; additional prerequisites vary with the topic.

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 4: Documentary Tradition of Latin America. Same as Latin American Studies 381 (Topic 22). 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. Journalism 395 (Topic 4) and Latin American Studies 381 (Topic 22) may not both be counted.
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 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 21: Historical Perspectives in Journalism. Examines the development of the mass media through social, economic, and political factors that have contributed to changes in the press. Journalism 395 (Topic: Historical Perspectives in Journalism) and 395 (Topic 21) may not both be counted.
Topic 23: Ethics in Journalism.
Topic 24: Media Law. Examination of legal rights and restrictions for online and print journalism, including Constitutional guarantees, libel, invasion of privacy, and contempt of court. Only one of the following may be counted: Journalism 395 (Topic: Media Law), 395 (Topic: Media Law and Freedom of Expression), 395 (Topic 24).
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.
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.
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 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 Web site.
Topic 46: Gender and the News. Explores how gender relates to news, both historically and currently, and the role of the news media in reinforcing and/or challenging prevailing stereotypes and attitudes about gender. Focuses on women both as producers of journalism and as subjects of media portrayals. Journalism 395 (Topic: Gender and the News) and 395 (Topic 46) may not both be counted.
Topic 47: Living in the Information Age. Examines communication and information technologies, and how individuals, media organizations and corporations employ the Internet for their benefit. Explores how the communication and information technologies evolve and the cultural, economic, political, and social implications of such technologies for society. Journalism 395 (Topic: Living in the Information Age) and 395 (Topic 47) may not both be counted.
Topic 48: Mobile News Application Design. Students will work toward building an iPhone application in one semester, with the goal of having an application accepted in the Apple App Store. Journalism 395 (Topic: Mobile News Application Design) and 395 (Topic 48) may not both be counted. Additional prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Topic 49: Media and Politics.
Topic 50: News for a Mobile Audience. Examines the mobile world and how journalism and the news audience fit in it. Journalism 395 (Topic: News for a Mobile Audience) and 395 (Topic 50) may not both be counted.
Topic 51: Quantitative Research Practicum. Contemporary social, professional, and intellectual concerns with the practice of journalism. Journalism 395 (Topic: Quantitative Research Practicum) and 395 (Topic 51) may not both be counted.
Topic 52: Reporting on the Environment. Journalism 395 (Topic: Reporting on the Environment) and 395 (Topic 52) may not both be counted.
Topic 53: Studio Photography. An investigation of the fundamentals of photography using principles of studio lighting, theory and practice of contemporary color, location lighting, and production of portfolio-quality work, as applicable to advertising, photographic illustration, and photojournalism. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with additional hours to be arranged. Journalism 395 (Topic: Studio Photography) and 395 (Topic 53) may not both be counted.
Topic 54: Web Design for Journalists. Journalism 395 (Topic: Web Design for Journalism) and 395 (Topic 54) may not both be counted.
Topic 55: Economics of New Media. Subjects include the structure, behavior, and performance of media operations; audience behaviors and preferences; competition; and social implications. Journalism 395 (Topic: Economics of New Media) and 395 (Topic 55) may not both be counted.
Topic 56: Covering the Global Economy. Journalism 395 (Topic: Covering the Global Economy) and 395 (Topic 56) may not both be counted.
Topic 57: Journalism and Religion. Explores some of the world's belief systems, including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Baha'i, Hinduism, Buddhism, and atheism. Journalism 395 (Topic: Journalism and Religion) and 395 (Topic 57) may not both be counted.
Topic 58: Media Management. Examines how and why media leaders behave and operate by assessing current and past research, theories, and practice to arrive at a better view of what it is like to direct and manage a media organization. Students will investigate issues such as market orientation, diversity, group culture, competition, ownership, structure, ethics, and leadership from a media organizational standpoint. Journalism 395 (Topic: Media Management) and 395 (Topic 58) may not both be counted.
Topic 59: Long-form Feature Writing. Explores long-form journalism for print, online and books. Students will study the use of narrative, immersion, profile/biography, plots, back stories, and voice. Journalism 395 (Topic: Long-form Feature Writing) and 395 (Topic 59) may not both be counted.
Topic 60: Media, Culture, and Civic Engagement. Journalism 395 (Topic: Media, Culture, and Civic Engagement) and 395 (Topic 60) may not both be counted.
Topic 61: Sports for Reporting Texas. Designed to serve reportingtexas.com, the School of Journalism's open-content news Web site. Students will produce original and high-quality journalism for and about Central Texas. Journalism 395 (Topic: Sports for Reporting Texas) and 395 (Topic 61) may not both be counted.
Topic 62: Reporting with Data. Examines how to find compelling data sets, clean and analyze the contents, and then present that result through a variety of methods, including online interactive charts and maps. Only one of the following may be counted: Journalism 395 (Topic: Data Visualization), 395 (Topic 45), or 395 (Topic 62).
Topic 63: Oral History in Multimedia Storytelling. Instruction in the use of oral history to generate long-term archival material and short-term multimedia stories. Covers concepts and methods of gathering oral history; a topic (varies by semester) centering on U.S. Latinos; and ways to build a multimedia representation of the interview.
Topic 64: Online Incivility. Explores online incivility - defined as nasty remarks intended to hurt that often contain profanity, capital letters to indicate yelling, and put-downs or name-calling - in news story comments and social media. Critically assess the impact of incivility on public discussions online and how that influences journalists and other media practitioners. Journalism 395 (Topic: Online Incivility) and 395 (Topic 64) may not both be counted.
Topic 65: Introduction to Coding for Journalists. The basics of coding for journalism. Learn necessary coding skills to perform in digital newsrooms, from simple things like interactive news graphics to more sophisticated tools like machine learning. Journalism 395 (Topic: Introduction to Coding for Journalists) and 395 (Topic 65) may not be counted.
Topic 66: Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Learn how the digital revolution has disrupted the media industry, creating opportunities for entrepreneurial, innovative initiatives. Study cases of successful media startups, and develop a startup project, using digital technologies and human-centered design. Journalism 395 (Topic: Entrepreneurial Journalism) and 395 (Topic 66) may not both be counted.
Topic 67: Digital Production and Analytics. Examine the digital publishing process, including planning, production, tracking, and marketing. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.

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 399W, 699W, 999W. Dissertation.

May be repeated for credit. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree.