What is the Business Communication Track?

The Department of Journalism has selected a menu of graduate business courses from which M.J. students may choose in order to strengthen their understanding of strategic and technical areas in various business disciplines. These business disciplines include general management, health care administration, marketing, finance and human resources/ organizational communication.

The course from which MJ students may select are regularly scheduled at Temple¹s Fox School of Business and Management. They are not designed specifically for communication students. Rather they are low- to intermediate-level graduate courses taken by students pursuing their Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. These particular courses have been chosen because they offer a solid grounding in the business areas most useful to communication professionals, without demanding specialized preparation or overly technical expertise.

Are these business courses associated with any particular track in the MJ program, or can any MJ student benefit from them?

The Business and Communication Track is for any MJ student with interests in covering business issues for news editorial, magazine or online outlets.

How many business courses can I take?

The Business Communication Track allows MJ students to take up to 12 credit hours of MBA courses. These courses are generally 3 credit hours each, so students can take up to four courses in the School of Business and Management. (However, students do not have to take 12 credit hours. They may only take one or two MBA courses if they choose.)

Will the business communication track be listed on my official transcript?

No. You may wish to mention your business specialty on your resume, but only the Master of Journalism will be listed on your transcript.

Do I have to pick one business specialty, or can I take various types of business courses?

There is no need to take all of your business courses in the same area. You could choose four courses in the same field, or a couple of courses from one area and a course or two from another area. However, be aware that some intermediate-level course have prerequisites, so you may have to take more than one course in a given specialty.

Can I select business communication as a comprehensive exam area?

Perhaps. You could request approval of a special interest topic among the three subject areas of the exam. However, present MJ policy requires that your exams be administered by Journalism faculty. So the question would have to be written by someone on the MJ Graduate Faculty with expertise to administer and grade the comp question.