Temple University switchboard: 215-204-7000
TDD: 215-204-5919
Temple University Home Page -- Undergraduate Bulletin Main Page
School of Communications
and Theater Main Page
JOURNALISM, PUBLIC RELATIONS, AND ADVERTISING
David L. Womack, Chair
James L. Marra, Associate Chair
(215) 204-8436
The basic curriculum for Journalism, Public Relations, and Advertising (referred to as JPRA) students is designed with the conviction that proficiency in the field requires a broad educational background coupled with rigorous professional training. The curriculum, therefore, emphasizes subject matter from other disciplines, particularly those in traditional liberal arts and sciences.
At the heart of the JPRA program is a strong academic advising system. While students must ultimately be responsible for their own academic programs, each student will first be assigned to the Academic Advising Center and later to a faculty adviser who represents the program of study the student is following.
Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts in
Journalism, Public Relations, and Advertising
The degree of Bachelor of Arts may be conferred upon a student
majoring in Journalism, Public Relations, and Advertising by
recommendation of the faculty and upon satisfactory completion of
a minimum of 126 semester hours of credit with a cumulative
average of 2.0 overall and in the major. Students must meet:
Degree Requirements
(see requirements at http://scat.temple.edu/jpra/)
One of the following:
The remaining semester hours required outside the department may be taken in any department of the University except Business Education and the Center for Contemporary Studies. The department also does not count towards graduation credits earned through Sec. Ed. 0317, the Special Recruitment and Admissions Program (SRAP), Topical Studies, Military Science, or the Extern Program.
JPRA 0051 Mass Media Writing Style Lab, a two-credit course, may be required of some students as preparation for department writing courses. Other students may test out of it, based on standardized test scores.
Only eight semester hours will be accepted from activity courses of the College of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, except in special programs run in cooperation with the Department of Journalism, Public Relations, and Advertising. No more than 15 hours total from HPERD may be applied to a degree program. No more than six hours total of courses in Psychoeducational Processes (PEP) may be taken, and no more than 30 hours may be taken in any single CAS department or other SCAT department without special written permission from the Department of Journalism, Public Relations, and Advertising. These requirements are to ensure a broad-based liberal arts education for each major.
It is the student's responsibility to meet prerequisite requirements for an outside course according to the mandates of the department that offers the course.
Students required to take English 0040 must complete that requirement before enrolling in any Journalism, Public Relations, and Advertising course.
A maximum of 12 semester hours of JPRA coursework may be transferred from a program accredited by the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC). (This includes classes in public relations and advertising.) Students transferring from all other institutions will be allowed a maximum of 9 s.h. of JPRA transfer credit, including JPRA C055 (Introduction to Mass Media) and JPRA 0150 (Writing for Mass Media). Credit for JPRA 0150 will be allowed only if the student passes the department-wide examinations required of all Temple journalism students. Under no circumstances will credit be allowed for duplicate courses.
The department does not award credit for academic or life experience. Students with extensive experience may present evidence and petition for a waiver of department course requirements.
Journalism, Public Relations, and Advertising majors must receive a grade of C- or higher in all required department courses and must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the department as well as the 2.0 overall average required by the University to qualify for graduation. Students who fall below a 2.0 average for a semester, for all department courses or in their overall University courses, will be placed on probation or academic warning, the first step toward dismissal.
The department prepares students for both a career in communications and life as informed productive media consumers.
As preparation for a communications career, the department requirements provide a solid foundation for students who are likely to shift directions as they and the industry change during that career. The department believes that effective writing is central to communication and should be a present and common theme in the department curriculum.
Following these principles, the major allows students flexibility in selecting coursework in traditional specializations, such as advertising, newspaper, magazine, or broadcast journalism, public relations, or photography for the mass media (all of which are available in the department), and allows opportunities for in-depth study in concentrations of publishing, design, news gathering, management, or writing for the media. Professional advisers and faculty work with students to identify their strengths and interests. (An honors program paralleling University Honors is offered within the department; consult the department's honors director for details.)
Department Requirements
All majors must complete at least 36 but no more than 39 credit
hours in Journalism, Public Relations, and Advertising, Film and
Media Arts, and Broadcasting, Telecommunications, and Mass Media
courses. Requirements include:
Courses
Prerequisite to JPRA 0150: Pass department's writing/grammar
entrance proficiency exam or pass (with a C or better) a
two-credit-hour JPRA 0051 Writing Style Lab. Completion of JPRA
C055 and 0150 with grades of C- or better is required before
students enroll in any JPRA classes numbered 0200 or higher or
Capstone course.
Capstone course (minimum: one course)
Minor in Science and Health Communications for the
Journalism, Public Relations, and Advertising Major
A minimum of 21 s.h. minor is available to Journalism, Public
Relations, and Advertising students who wish to add a
sub-specialty in science, environmental, or health communication.
News-Editorial, Magazine, and Public Relations students most
easily can adapt their schedules to satisfy this minor. Courses
taken to satisfy other University or department requirements may
be used to satisfy requirements of this minor.
Required of all Minors:
JPRA 0350 Science Writing | 2 s.h. |
Science Background, two courses in one discipline of the
following:
Bio. C083, C084 General Biology I, II | 4, 4 s.h. |
Bio. C071 Human Biology | 4 s.h. |
and either:
Bio. C072 Ecosystems and Man | 4 s.h. |
Bio. C074 Plants, Food, World Hunger | 4 s.h. |
Bio. C075 Heredity and Man | 4 s.h. |
Bio. C080 Human Development, or Bio. C085 Marine Biology |
4 s.h. |
Chem. C061/63, C062/64 Introduction to Chemistry I and II | 4,4 s.h. |
Physics C053 Physics: Matter and Motion | 4 s.h. |
and either:
Physics C054 Physics: Waves and Modern Physics, or Physics C056 Introduction to Astronomy |
4 s.h. |
Geology C050 Introductory Geology | 4 s.h. |
and either:
Geology C051 Catastrophic Geology | 4 s.h. |
Geology C057 Evolution | 4 s.h. |
Geology C062 Oceanography | 4 s.h. |
Geology C077 Perspectives on Energy, or Geology C081 Environmental Geology |
4 s.h. |
Skills and Research, two courses:
JPRA 0221 Public Relations Principles | 3 s.h. |
JPRA 0223 Public Relations Writing and Editing I | 3 s.h. |
JPRA W231 Magazine Article Writing | 3 s.h. |
JPRA 0378 Mass Media Research | 3 s.h. |
English W102 Technical Writing | 3 s.h. |
Medical, Health Systems, and Environmental Contexts, two courses:
Hlth. Rel. Prof. 0110 Microbiology (CAHP) (Spring) | 4 s.h. | permission required for non-majors |
Hlth. Info. Mgt. 0003 Medical Terminology (CAHP) | 3 s.h. | For non-majors |
Hlth. Admin. X101 Introduction to Health Services Systems (SBM) | 3 s.h. | |
Hlth. Admin. 0201 Current Issues in Health Administration (SBM) | 3 s.h. | Prerequisite: Hlth. Admin. X101 |
Econ. 0262 or W262 Health Economics | 3 s.h. | Prerequisite: Econ. 0052 or 0053 |
GUS 0050 Environment and Society | 3 s.h. | Prerequisite: Geology 0050 |
EE C020 Evolution of Modern Electrical Systems (Engr.) | 3 s.h | Prerequisite: Any first level Core science course |
Minor in Journalism, Public Relations, and Advertising
A 20 s.h. minor is available to undergraduate students. The minor
is intended to broaden the educational experience of students
majoring in other disciplines. A notation on the transcript will
indicate successful completion of the minor.
The requirements for a minor in Journalism, Public Relations, and Advertising are as follows:
Passing grades on department's Newswriting and News Style exams. (These two courses are to be taken before any upper-level courses.)
The remaining courses to complete the minor may be selected from among any courses listed by the department subject to stated prerequisites. Transfer courses from other institutions are not accepted for credit for the minor in Journalism, Public Relations, and Advertising, with the single exception of JPRA C055.
Students must receive the permission of their adviser before starting in this program and register for the minor in the School of Communications and Theater Advising Center, Third Floor, Annenberg Hall. Once the minor has been approved, students must follow the academic rules of the Department of Journalism, Public Relations, and Advertising for all Journalism, Public Relations, and Advertising courses. Minor credit is not given for Journalism, Public Relations, and Advertising grades below C-. Students must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA in the minor. Students with Journalism, Public Relations, and Advertising averages under 2.0 for more than two semesters will be dropped from the program. Students with averages under 2.0 may not begin the program.
Economics Minor
In conjunction with the Department of Economics, students
majoring in JPRA may complete a minor or certificate (two courses
in addition to the course required in Economics of JPRA majors)
in Economics. See SCAT advisers for information.
London Program
The department participates in the School of Communications and
Theater's Temple London (fall semester) and British Mass Media
Seminar (summer) programs that offer special opportunities for
study and research.
Return to the list of
programs.
Aram A. Aghazarian, Chair
(215) 204-1882
The Department of Speech Communication combines a liberal arts emphasis with a communication perspective designed to provide majors with strong analytic and performance skills for a wide variety of communication contexts and careers where advocacy is the goal, for example, law, business, public relations, public policy, government, etc. Performance skills are gained through theoretical and practical courses in public speaking, argumentation, debate, and speech writing, while analytic skills are gained through courses in the strategies and tactics of persuasion and campaigns and movements. Students are encouraged to apply theory and practice in career settings via independent study and internship experiences.
Speech Communication students are encouraged to enhance their career preparation by taking elective courses in other programs of the School, in the School of Business and Management, the College of Arts and Sciences, and throughout the University.
Requirements
Spch. Comm. 0065 Public Speaking
Spch. Comm. R082 Campaigns and Movements
Spch. Comm. 0174 Argumentation
Spch. Comm. 0180 Persuasion
Spch. Comm. 0274 Rhetorical Theory
Spch. Comm. 0300 Seminar in Communication and Advocacy
Spch. Comm. 0302 Rhetorical Criticism
Spch. Comm. 0398 Independent Study or Spch. Comm. 0399 Internship
Minor
Students wishing to minor in Speech Communication must complete
the following requirements:
Return to the list of
programs.
Comments and questions concerning this web version of the bulletin or requests for adding reference marks for linking to subsections of a page may be sent to Robert Schneider.