Courses

• COM JO 358: British Journalism, Culture, and Society
  Provides an opportunity for intensive study of British media in the context of the political, cultural, and social life of the United Kingdom. Close attention is paid to the practical aspects of television, radio, and newspapers, together with the social, economic, and commercial background against which the British media function.
• COM JO 403: Magazine Writing and Editing
  Students learn to research, write, and edit lengthy articles of national magazine quality.
• COM JO 408: Magazine Workshop
  This final magazine writing course is designed to create a published magazine as a writing portfolio for students. This is a studio course, taught by two professors, which covers writing and design in a setting that captures the dynamics of professional practice. Students within each group, assume professional positions and conceptualize, write, edit, design, and publish magazines. Magazines are designed and published using QuarkXPress and Adobe Photoshop. Design concepts and techniques, along with computer programs used in this course, are taught with step by step instructions. 4 cr, either sem.
• COM JO 410: Advanced Photography for Nonmajors
  A course for students outside of the photojournalism major who are interested in acquiring and advancing the skills required of present day journalists, including digital photography and its use in multimedia productions. 4 cr., 1st sem.
• COM JO 411: Professional Journalism Internship
  Valuable on-the-job practice of journalism skills. Provides student with portfolio of professional work. The student works 150 hours per semester or summer at the internship. Assistance in placement; instructor must approve project. Comprehensive paper, employer evaluation, and portfolio required at end of semester.
• COM JO 412: Professional Journalism Internship
  Valuable on-the-job practice of journalism skills. Provides student with portfolio of professional work. The student works 150 hours per semester or summer at the internship. Assistance in placement; instructor must approve project. Comprehensive paper, employer evaluation, and portfolio required at end of semester.
• COM JO 413: Broadcast Journalism Internship
  On-the-job observation and training at a television or radio station. Comprehensive paper/employer evaluation required at end of semester.
• COM JO 416: The Foreign Correspondent: Covering London
  see Journalism
• COM JO 431: Enterprise Reporting
  Broadcast journalism majors only. Students will produce in depth video reports similar to what is seen on network TV news magazine programs, news Web sites or local television series. 4 cr., 2nd semester.
• COM JO 435: Radio Newsroom Online
  Students will produce a half hour LIVE news show on the student radio station, WTBU, during each class. Students will report, write, produce and engineer all the news sports and commentary in the program on deadline. Students from London, Washington and State House programs will file stories for the news show. Students will be expected to file frequently and to critique programs from NPR, BBC, WBZ and other audio news outlets. The best productions will be pitched to WBUR and State House clients for their websites. 4 cr. 1st sem.
• COM JO 437: Special Studies
  Current offerings: Basic Research Methods, offered in the fall, covers on-line reportorial and research techniques. Sampling the Media, offered only in the spring, covers all aspects of the media.
• COM JO 451: Television Newsroom
  Students produce a half hour newscast, broadcast on cable TV and the Internet, with live coverage and video reports on local, national and international news as well as sports highlights and weather. Students rotate positions weekly, using television studios and the control booth, collaborating to broadcast a fresh, informative and accurate newscast while facing the daily deadlines of a working newsroom. 4 cr, 1st sem.
• COM JO 490: Directed Studies
  Students work with faculty on individual research, professional training, or special studies.
• COM JO 491: Directed Studies: Broadcast Journalism
  Students work with faculty on individual research, professional training, or special studies.
• COM JO 500: Media Criticism
  How well have the media covered the war in Iraq? Do the media have political biases? What effect has Fox News had on the mainstream media? In the face of growing competition from the Internet, what is the future of traditional journalism? Do news-oriented personalities such as Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert elevate or debase the political process? This timely course takes a critical look at the strengths, weaknesses and limitations of the media, including current media controversies. 4 cr. either sem.
• COM JO 501: Introduction to Business and Economic Reporting
  Comprehensive training in writing business and economics stories, using articles in The Wall Street Journal and other publications as examples. Emphasis on developing clear, simple language to describe complex issues. Articles may be published in teh Worcester Telegram and Gazette. No previous economics or business experience is required. 4cr. either sem
• COM JO 502: Journalism Special Topics
  Every year several courses have been created under this category to examine current journalism issues in seminar format. See the department for specifics.
• COM JO 504: Arts Criticism
  This course explores the nature of arts and entertainment criticism, and helps students develop their critical writing skills. Topics include: structuring a review; critical biases; profiling celebrities from a critical perspective; cultural criticism - how to write about entertainment or the arts to make broader points about our culture; and, style - how to get it. Assignments include TV, film and theater reviews, screenings and a trip to a Boston theater. Guest speakers feature some of Boston's most prominent critics. 4 cr, either sem.
• COM JO 506: Columns and Editorials
  This is a course in writing with a point of view. It includes instruction in op-ed columns as well as personal columns, which are short personal essays.
• COM JO 508: Electronic Copy Editing
  This course is designed to train copy editors for newspapers, magazines, and the Internet. The primary focus is on newspapers, but other applications are also considered. Class sessions will focus on writing and editing/copying editing skills, and layout and design skills using Quark Xpress. 4 cr, both sem.

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