Massive changes in the journalism and advertising programs are going to help prepare students for the “real world.”

“We [the communication department] are finding that employers want their employees … to know how to work with content and the web, so incorporating these new courses will give students more background in different areas,”  said Barbara Penington, associate professor and chair of the communications department.

Two of the major curriculum changes in the department will affect the advertising and journalism programs.

Courses being added to the advertising curriculum are media ethics, advertising and public relations research and advanced advertising creative.  The advertising major is adding credits as well, now requiring 39 credits instead of 36 credits to graduate.

However, more massive changes will be seen in the journalism program. Classes being added to the journalism curriculum include: journalism for the web, media ethics, revolutions in journalism and business journalism.

“We are also requiring students to have practicums in two different areas adding up to three total credits,” Penington said. “Students must take two different practicums total to satisfy these credits.  This way, students get a varied experience.”

The new curriculum goes into effect in spring 2012.   The communications department will help students transition from their current curriculum to the new curriculum because some will be caught between the two.

“The rule is that you go with the curriculum you declared your major in, or students would have the choice to change,” Penington said. “We will help people transition as far as substituting courses and so on.”

Although major changes are going on in the communications department, Penington said “we are not hiring any more staff, but we are moving professors around and changing things.”

In fall 2012, a new major, corporate and health communications, will be starting up in the communication department.