Department of Journalism
Kimpel 116
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR 72701
479-575-3601
E-MAIL CONTACTS:
Patsy Watkins, Department Chair
Carol Rachal, Alumni contact
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Enrollment: Roughly 600 undergraduates
Faculty: 10 full-time faculty members and three instructors
All journalism instructors teach from their substantial experience in the profession and all have advanced degrees. One news/editorial faculty member has spent years on major national newspapers and has been a White House correspondent.
Two broadcast faculty members have won Emmys for their documentary videos. An advertising/public relations faculty member conducts research on international advertising issues in Ghana, and another investigates how advertisers market fast food to children.
The media law instructor is a lawyer who organizes annual media law workshops.
Another broadcast faculty member manages the highly successful public radio station in Northwest Arkansas.
Facilities:
Multimedia computer lab
News reporting lab
Digital video editing lab
A state-of-the art television studio
Four video editing suites in the new J.B. Hunt Transport Building
Digital still cameras and video cameras available for check-out by students in journalism courses.
The University of Arkansas has an outstanding Honors Program in which journalism majors can participate. Students can choose the Four-Year Honors Program, which involves a specific honors curriculum designed for four years of study, or Departmental Honors, which is less structured and puts more emphasis on a studentís major area. Students enter Four-Year Honors as freshmen and they enter Departmental Honors as juniors.
More information on Four-Year Honors is available through the Web site for the Honors College: honorscollege.uark.edu. Information specifically on the Fulbright College Honors Program can also be found at this site.
The Honors Adviser in journalism is Professor Dale Carpenter
(479-575-3601; dcarpent@uark.edu).
To qualify for Departmental Honors, a student must have completed at least 28 hours and not more than 85 hours, and must have a GPA of 3.25. To complete the program, the student must meet these requirements:
Complete JOUR 5043, the journalism research course
Complete at least one journalism honors colloquium, a special-topic seminar. Certain graduate courses may qualify as journalism honors colloquia.
Complete an honors colloquium in a second discipline (this must be approved by the studentís adviser).
Complete and orally defend an honors thesis based on the student's courses of study. Note that the student must register for honors thesis beginning the first semester of his/her junior year.
Maintain a 3.5 GPA in journalism courses.
Successful completion of Departmental Honors is recognized at graduation by the award of distinction Journalism Scholar Cum Laude or Scholar Magna Cum Laude, depending on the studentís degree of achievement. The highest level of honors, Scholar Summa Cum Laude, is generally reserved as a potential award for Four-Year Honors students.
The Walter J. Lemke Journalism Department has the most outstanding scholarship support of all departments and programs in Fulbright College. About $65,000 to $70,000 a year is awarded to journalism majors who meet requirements of the various departmental scholarships. Students must be journalism majors to apply for these scholarships. There are no scholarships designated for entering freshmen. The application process is usually in January and February for the following semester.
Scholarships are supported from several sources. Some come from endowed accounts established decades ago by admirers of Dr. Lemke, for whom the department is named. Others have been established more recently by professional groups and through funds that honor an individual by encouraging special studies in journalism. Professional groups that provide scholarship support include the following:
- Arkansas Broadcasters Association
- Arkansas Press Association
- Arkansas Association of Broadcasters
- Society of Professional Journalists
- Northwest Arkansas Advertising Federation
- Memphis Gridiron
Two recently established special scholarships include:
The Elizabeth Messner í38 Scholarship, which provides about $13,000 for one year to a student who excels in writing.
The Tony Dyke Scholarship in Sports Journalism, which provides about $16,000 for one year to a student who is passionate about sports reporting, whether in print or broadcast.
Applications are made available to students through the Department of Journalism office in Kimpel 116. The application deadline is generally in late February. Award decisions are made by the journalism faculty according to guidelines specified by the scholarship.
The important point about UA Student Media is that they are managed by students. Student staff members make all editorial decisions and oversee production. They are free to consult with faculty members but bear all responsibility for the content and quality of their products.
Participation in Student Media is open to any student at the University; it is not restricted to journalism majors. Students can join at any time, from their first day on campus, to get as much experience as they want.
The Arkansas Traveler is the student-run newspaper at the University of Arkansas. It publishes three days a week and includes sections on news, opinion, sports and lifestyle. A salaried editorial staff manages the paper. Beginning staff members start out as writers and are paid by the story.
(To learn more: Contact Professor Gerald Jordan, gjorda@uark.edu)
UATVis the student-run television station of the University of Arkansas. It is on air 24 hours a day, with student-produced programming running five to six hours a day. Leadership is provided by a station manager and UATV staff. Students interested in broadcast television can begin by volunteering for production positions and practice the skills they are learning in their journalism classes.
(To learn more: Contact Professor Larry Foley, lfoley@uark.edu)
The Razorback Yearbook is managed by a student staff directed by the yearbook editor. The book is published once a year. The staff works to design and write the content, meeting regular deadlines with the publisher over the course of several months.
(To learn more: Contact Steve Wilkes, swilkes@uark.edu)
KXUA is 24-hour-a-day student radio at the University. The student staff plans the programming schedule which includes more alternative music than local Top 40 radio, as well as news and live broadcasts of some student sports. This gives broadcast students interested in sports play-by-play the chance to try their skills.
(To learn more: Contact Professor Rick Stockdell, stockde@uark.edu)
The Lemke Department of Journalism offers three programs of study:
News/Editorial: traditionally an emphasis in writing for newspapers and magazines
Broadcast: preparation for careers in radio and television, with an emphasis on news
Advertising/Public Relations: focus on strategic planning and production of promotional messages using traditional and new media
Within these programs, students are trained in:
-identifying, reporting and writing news
-analyzing media audiences and their interests
-creating and planning advertising and public relations campaigns
-producing television programs
-taking photographs and publishing online
Special Interdisciplinary Options:
There are also two special combined major programs through which students can take a selection of courses from two areas for more specialized career paths:
Journalism/English Combined Major- Students take selected courses in journalism and English. Journalism courses can be from News/Editorial or Broadcast.
Journalism/Political Science Combined Major- Students emphasize either American or international areas in political science, and combine those courses with journalism studies in News/Editorial, Broadcast or Advertising/Public Relations.
Students interested in design of ads, magazines and Web sites can major in either Advertising/Public Relations or in News/Editorial and take five to six courses in the Art Department to further develop their skills.
Courses Required for Journalism Majors
Students in the undergraduate program follow an outline of courses which include "core" courses mandated by the University and Fulbright College, journalism requirements determined by the department, and a number of general electives selected by the student and his/her adviser. Journalism majors frequently select electives in marketing, history, political science, English, sociology, psychology, anthropology and art.
For UA catalog descriptions of all journalism courses, you can visit our Web site at journalism.uark.edu
The degree in journalism is a Bachelor of Arts and requires completion of 124 hours of course credit.
Requirements:
Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences Core: 66 hours
Journalism Requirements: 33 hours
General Electives: 25 hours*
*Note that Advertising/Public Relations students take 6 hours of marketing; this reduces their General Electives to 19 hours.
Details on Course Requirements
Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences Core
For information on these courses, it is best to visit the Fulbright College Web site at the University of Arkansas fulbright.uark.edu and look for the Advising Center.
Journalism Course Requirements
A minimum of 33 hours in journalism is required. This includes the core courses that all journalism majors must take:
Journalism Core (9 hours)
JOUR 1023- Media and Society
JOUR 1033- Fundamentals of Journalism*
JOUR 3633- Media Law
JOUR 498V- Journalism Writing Requirement (registration optional)
Note: A minimum grade of C is required in all courses that are prerequisites for advanced journalism courses. In specific cases a grade of B is required (See Advertising/Public Relations major).
Program Requirements
News/Editorial Sequence
For specific information on the News/Editorial Sequence, contact Professor Gerald Jordan, 479-575-3601, or gjorda@uark.edu.
News/Editorial Specified Courses (12 hours)
JOUR 2013- News Reporting I
JOUR 3013- Editing
JOUR 3123- Feature Writing
JOUR 3023- News Reporting II, or
JOUR 4553- Magazine Editing and Production
News/Editorial Electives (12 hours)
These include any journalism courses that support the student's interests and for which the student has prerequisites. We strongly recommend an internship as a journalism elective.
Broadcast Sequence
For specific information on the Broadcast Sequence, contact Professor Richard Stockdell, 479-575-6573, or stockde@uark.edu.
Broadcast Specified Courses (12 hours)
JOUR 2032/2031L- Broadcast News I
JOUR 3073- Broadcast News II
JOUR 4863- TV Reporting I
JOUR 4873- TV Reporting II
Broadcast Electives (12 hours)
These include any journalism courses that support the studentís interests and for which the student has prerequisites. We strongly recommend an internship as a journalism elective.
Advertising/Public Relations Sequence
For specific information on the Advertising/Public Relations Sequence, contact Dr. Phyllis Miller, 479-575-3601, or pmiller@uark.edu.
Advertising/Public Relations Specified Courses (15 hours)
JOUR 3723- Advertising Principles (minimum grade of B required)
JOUR 3743- Public Relations Principles (minimum grade of B required)
JOUR 4143- PR Writing
JOUR 4423- Creative Strategy and Execution
JOUR 4453- Media Planning
Marketing Requirement (6 hours)
MKTG 3433- Principles of Marketing
MKTG 4553- Consumer Behavior
Note: The prerequisites for Advertising Principles and Public Relations Principles are 60 credit hours and a cumulative GPA of 2.25.
Advertising/Public Relations Electives (9 hours)
These include any journalism courses that support the studentís interests and for which the student has prerequisites. We strongly recommend an internship as a journalism elective.