About the WKU Journalism Program

The Journalism degree we offer is one of four degree programs within the School of Media, which is a part of the Potter College at WKU. The journalism multimedia curriculum offers students the opportunity to pursue a wide range of careers including: news reporting and editing for all media; public information officers; corporate communications; and nonprofit communications.

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 Journalism Major

The major in Journalism (ref. # 736) requires 42 semester hours and leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree. It is our goal to prepare students for professional careers in the media, instill in students a high degree of professionalism, which consists principally of practical competence and ethical understanding, and enhance students’ understanding of the role of the news media in a democratic society. We have crafted a 4-year plan to help guide you through the Journalism major in consultation with your faculty adviser. Every student will finish with a unique plan, depending on their second major or minor, etc.

The School of Media at WKU is ACEJMC accredited for majors in Broadcasting, Journalism and Photojournalism.

A potiental merger is being discussed by WKU’s School of Media and the Department of Communications. To learn more about the potiental merger, visit the link below to view a story by Michael Crimmins featured on the College Heights Herald:

WKU student studying outside
girls hugging after WKU graduation
WKU students walking outside of the School of Media

Journalism Writing Minor

The minor in Journalism Writing (ref. #403) requires a minimum of 21 hours. Students pursing the minor can gain valuable knowledge and skills in professional news writing and journalistic storytelling. Some examples of required courses include Introduction to News Writing, Feature Writing, and Intermediate Reporting.

Fleischaker/Greene Scholars in First Amendment Studies

The Fleischaker/Greene Scholars in First Amendment Studies program provides students in the WKU School of Media the opportunity to take an advanced special topics class once a year. Taught at the junior/senior level, this unique journalism class includes a field trip, a national speaker, a First Amendment module, a gallery exhibit and the development of a Web presentation. Emphasis is placed on using First Amendment tools, such as open records laws.

Students must apply to be selected for this class. The Fleischaker/Greene Scholars program welcomes nationally recognized journalism speakers each year to an open lecture on campus.

Each year, the Fleischaker/Greene Scholars also take a field trip to report stories on a specific topic. Students help to create a gallery show and a Web-based multimedia presentation of their work.

 

Fleischaker Green Logo

Fleischaker/Greene Student Articles

The articles below were written by students during their time in the Fleischaker/Green First Amendment Studies course. 

Looking back to look forward

Looking back to look forward

(Editor’s note: Photo by Mike Labrum on Unsplash.) By Hannah Claussen I stepped out of the car on a chilly Friday in October. My heels sunk into the soft dirt, so I walked on my toes. My eyes stayed...