MDJ 60007 Research Methods (3 Credit Hours)
This course investigates social science methods applicable to the study of mass communication, including survey, content analysis, experimental, and focus group approaches. Emphasis is on original and secondary data collection, data analysis, and interpreting and reporting research results for scholarly and lay audiences.
MDJ 60011 Theory and Societal Role of Mass Media (3 Credit Hours)
This course reviews theories of the processes and effects of mass communication and how these apply to the work of media professionals or those in the scholastic and collegiate journalism teaching environment. It examines origins, nature and consequences of mass communication and mediated interactions.
MDJ 60012 Mass Communication Law & Ethics (3 Credit Hours)
This course offers a general overview of issues and problems in mass communication law and ethics including, libel, privacy, copyright, intellectual property, regulation of advertising and broadcasting, ethical decision making, ethical decision making tools and a simple review of ethical theory.
MDJ 60003 Teaching Journalism Ethics (3 Credit Hours)
This course builds on the brief introduction to ethics provided in JMC 60012 Mass Communication Law and Ethics. It delves more deeply into ethical issues faced by scholastic journalism teachers, advisers, their students and school administrators. Due to conflicting court decisions and pressure from society to limit student expression, scholastic media advisers and teachers not only have to understand legal and ethical issues but also how to demonstrate to others the importance of student journalists portraying their roles as responsible and informed citizens, in other words, to clearly make ethical decisions enhancing their program. Knowledge of ethical theories and how those apply to decision-making is a vital skill they will develop.
mDJ 60396 Master’s Professional Project (3 Credit Hours)
Professional projects are meant to provide a means for students to demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills learned through study in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication graduate program. Professional projects are flexible and should be designed to help the student now or in the future. They generally identify a question, challenge or problem in the field and offer some response or solution to it. In doing so, they attempt to expand existing knowledge in the field.
* JMC 60199/6029 Thesis I, II are options but not recommended for online students