The Eugene S. Pulliam School of Journalism offers a broad-based
degree program in journalism or public and corporate communication
that prepares students for mass communication careers.
Journalism Major
Students who choose to major in journalism will select a
concentration area in news-editorial, public relations or
integrated communication.
Students concentrating in news-editorial prepare for careers as
reporters, writers and editors for local, regional, national and
international publications. These students are intellectually
curious and enjoy being "in the know" and uncovering the "back
story" when it comes to cutting-edge and breaking news events and
issues. News-editorial students learn to probe and investigate when
gathering information and to write with precision, using concise
language and structure. Indianapolis, the nation's 25th largest
media market, provides students with numerous opportunities for
developing and refining reporting and news writing skills.
Students choosing this concentration area prepare for careers
that involve the building and managing of relationships between an
organization and the various groups and individuals on whom its
success depends. In public relations courses, students learn the
basic public relations process as it is practiced across multiple
application areas, such as media relations, employee relations,
crisis communication, community relations, consumer relations,
government relations and investor relations. Students research,
plan, monitor and evaluate public relations projects and campaigns,
and are encouraged to explore the theory and ethics of public
relations, while applying campaign methods to solve specific client
problems.
The integrated communication concentration area includes courses
in both public relations and advertising, and is designed to
address a rapidly expanding international market for coordinated
strategic business communication. This concentration area teaches
students how to develop and design effective communication
campaigns and gives them the option of starting a career in the
public relations, advertising or integrated communication
field. It also combines coursework in public relations
and advertising with courses in psychology, law and business,
giving students a well-rounded understanding of mass communication
in the corporate world.