Sample Course Descriptions
Journalism
Core Courses
Foundations of Journalism
All students who are accepted into the Journalism M.A. program are required to complete Foundations of Journalism. The class meets twice a week 9a.m. to 5p.m. for the last three weeks in August and will count for 3 graduate credit hours. Students must pass the course with a "B" or better before the beginning of the graduate program in the fall.
Reporting Public Affairs/Local
Students cover local events alongside working professionals. They report, against deadline, on events in Chicago City-County Building such as meetings of the City Council and Cook County Board of Commissioners, as well as other downtown news events including press conferences, political campaigns, elections and rallies.
53-6610, 3 credits
Local Government and Politics Seminar
Working reporters and urban specialists join in seminars that provide the students the understanding necessary to report and write about public affairs including the coverage of city and county government, health, education, housing, recreation, transportation and issues of race and poverty.
53-6615, 3 credits
Information Search Strategies
Demonstrations and practical experience in advanced reporting techniques including interviewing, using public documents and analyzing computerized data.
53-6620, 3 credits
Courts and the Law
Theory and practice are joined in this course introducing students to the basic of the law, structure of courts, philosophy and administration of justice, and how to cover the courts, from the lower municipal courts to the Supreme Court of the United States. Media law, including the First Amendment, libel and freedom of information laws, is included in the studies.
53-6625, 3 credits
Reporting Public Affairs/State
This course provides knowledge and practice in covering state affairs by various beats, including the elective offices and numerous departments, agencies, authorities, boards and commissions.
53-7020, 3 credits
State and National Government Seminar
Lectures and sessions outside the newsroom with government officials, legislators, lobbyists and other experts prepare students for covering state and national government operations, including executive functions, the legislative process, the judiciary, regulatory activities, and the roles of politics and lobbying.
53-7200, 3 credits
Reporting Public Affairs/National
Students continue expanding their knowledge of national affairs and put into practice what they have
learned by covering the major federal offices with regional headquarters in Chicago. These include the major Cabinet-level departments like Housing and Urban Development as well as agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency.
53-6640, 3 credits
Elective Courses
Broadcast Journalism I & II
Students first learn the specialized technique of writing for broadcast through intensive practice. Later the class will simulate a day in the life of a TV newsroom operation, building to an afternoon news update. Students will rotate assignments as reporters, camera operators/editors, producer and writer. In the second sequenced course, students get more experience in the use of field equipment for both daily stories as well as packaged projects. The course focuses on shooting, editing and writing pieces for a television newscast or magazine format program.
53-6710, 53-7015, 3 credits each
The Business Beat
This course teaches students to understand and report on the economy, big and small business, financial markets, technology and the media, labor, real estate and more.
53-2101, 3 credits
Covering Science and Medicine I & II
The ability to write and report clearly about scientific, health and environmental subjects is an increasingly useful skill in writing for newspapers, magazines, broadcast, book publishers, business and industry. The second course is an opportunity to do advanced writing and reporting on research and issues in the areas of science, health and environment.
53-5410, 53-2211, 3 credits each
Magazine Journalism I& II
These courses teach the wide range of skills necessary to write for and edit consumer and trade magazines. They include a brief survey of the magazine industry with emphasis on what makes some magazines succeed while others fail. Students apply this knowledge when writing several articles of varying lengths for different audiences. They also simultaneously act as editors for their peers. In the second course, students get more experience in writing and editing for magazines.
53-5730, 53-6735, 3 credits each
International Reporting
This course is a practical guide to covering international stories from here and abroad. Students will analyze issues of importance in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas and Europe. In exploring reporting strategies for print and broadcast, students will learn to include historical perspective and provide social, economic, political and cultural context; they will also learn to look for the human element and downplay crisis-oriented coverage.
53-5610, 3 credits
Thesis
Graduate Thesis Project
As the final requirement for the Master?s degree, students must satisfactorily complete a 5,000 word, publishable or producible piece (or series) pertaining to a public affairs issue. These are judged on the basis of the student?s research, reporting and writing, as well as source list. This final work is designed to be a culmination of what each student has learned and a showcase of their ability. (A Thesis Seminar is offered each Fall and Spring to help guide students through the process of picking a topic, developing a proposal, outline, research and writing schedule and producing rough drafts).
53-8000, 3 credits