Journalism and Promotional Communication, B.A.

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At-a-Glance

Minimum hours required for major: 44

Admission: Students must complete COM 225 - Media Writing with a minimum grade of B-.

Special tracks: Three areas of concentration are available within the Journalism and Promotional Communication major: Journalism, Public Relations, and Advertising.

Career information: A major in Journalism and Promotional Communication will prepare students for jobs in the news media, public relations, and advertising. Students with expertise in journalism can be hired as reporters, editors, or technical writers for newspapers, magazines, and online media. An education in public relations can open doors to jobs in PR firms and companies that use promotional strategies to craft a public image. Graduates with expertise in advertising can find employment in ad agencies, working in research or creative advertising development departments. Students who have an interest in effects of media and promotional communication may want to pursue graduate work to prepare for a career as a researcher or professor of mass communication.

Evening Program: No

Advising: Contact the School of Communication office 216-687-4630 or Professor Cheryl Bracken at 216-687-4512.

Financial Aid: Scholarship assistance awarded to students in the School of Communication. Scholarships awarded annually. Call main office at 216-687-4630 for information.

Max Axelrod Scholarship. Students with journalism emphasis.
Raymond Dorsey Journalism Scholarship. Physically disabled student with a preference for journalism emphasis.
Jana V. Stone Scholarship. Public relations emphasis.
W.O. and Naomi Walker Scholarship. Students in the School of Communication.
Donald Marcus Scholarship. Students with advertising emphasis.

Student organizations: Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), Cleveland State Advertising Association (CSAA), Student Association for Promotional Communication (SAPC)

The Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Promotional Communication offers students a unique combination of academic excellence and career-related training. Students will receive a comprehensive, ethically grounded education in journalism and mass communication. Students in this program learn about both the impact and responsibilities of mass media in a contemporary capitalist democracy, obtaining training in the gathering, production, and strategic dissemination of information. Media reporting and writing, as well as the design of public relations and advertising campaigns, comprise the course work of this intensive program. The curriculum represents a balance among professional skills, academic approaches to mass communication, and a liberal-arts background.

A minimum total number of 128 credit hours are required for every student in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. All degree seeking, CLASS students must complete a specific number of General Education (GenEd) requirements which are comprised of University and College requirements. This is in addition to the credits for their major field of study. Students are responsible for ensuring the appropriate selection of courses to satisfy GenEd requirements. Students are highly encouraged to consult with both their general education advisor and faculty advisor regarding the applicability of selected courses each semester. A comprehensive description of Cleveland State University’s General Education Requirements for undergraduate students is available online at http://www.csuohio.edu/academic/gened/summarytable.html.

Major-Field Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 44 credits and maintain a 2.25 GPA to graduate with a major in Journalism and Promotional Communication. All School of Communication Majors are required to successfully complete COM 101 (Principles of Communication) and COM 303 - Communication Inquiry with a minimum grade of C. The major consists of four core courses, five required sequence courses and two elective sequence courses. Students should be aware that professionally oriented courses require considerable commitment of time and effort in addition to traditional class meeting times. Transfer students must obtain at least 20 credit hours from Communication courses at Cleveland State University.

Journalism Sequence

Students concentrating in this area are required to take 28 credits of the following courses in the Journalism sequence.

Required Journalism Sequence Courses: (20 credit hours)

Journalism Elective Courses: (8 credit hours); choose two of the following:

Public Relations Sequence

Students concentrating in this area are required to take 28 credits of the following courses in the Public Relations sequence.

Required Public Relations Sequence Courses: (20 credit hours)

Public Relations Sequence Elective Courses: (8 credit hours); choose two of the following:

Advertising Sequence

Students concentrating in this area are required to take 28 credits of the following courses in the Advertising sequence.