Required Credit Hours and Courses for a Major

All students working for a bachelor's degree at Drake must complete the Drake Curriculum (Areas of Inquiry) . A minimum of 124 total credit hours are required to graduate, including 31 to 37 credit hours in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC). All SJMC majors must complete JMC 30 Communications in Society, JMC 40 Pre-Professional Workshop, JMC 54 News and Reporting Principles, JMC 59 Introduction to Visual Communications, JMC 66 Media Responsibility over Time ( JMC 66 Required of students entering Drake after Summer 2003 ), and JMC 104 Communications Law and Ethics. A minimum of 65 credit hours must be taken in Arts and Sciences course work and must include Economics 1, Political Science 1 and Sociology 1. 40 credit hours must be in upper division courses numbered 100 or above.

Area of Concentration: In addition the JMC graduate completes a 21 credit-hour block of non-JMC courses approved by the adviser and dean. This concentration, taken in a single department or as a unified area of concentration crossing departmental lines, usually is one particularly appropriate to the student's major or otherwise of special interest. At least 12 credit hours in the concentration must be taken in courses numbered 100 and above. Courses taken to satisfy other graduation requirements also may count toward this requirement.

Required Courses for the Broadcast News Major

• JMC 57 Video Production - Introduction to radio and television production. Includes considerable studio experience. For declared broadcast majors only.
• JMC 67 Digital Audio Writing & Production- Planning, writing and producing radio programs and program elements. Digital audio production for alternative delivery methods. Producing and hosting a weekly program on KDRA-LP. Student may not take both JMC 57 and 67 in the same semester.
• JMC 73 Radio News Reporting and Editing - Editing broadcast news from a variety of sources. Writing for the ear. Story and newscast timing and formats. Producing radio actualities, voicers and wraparounds for on-air use.
• JMC 100 Television Field Photography - Producing and editing visual stories; field video production of material for activities and programs sponsored by the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
• JMC 173 Broadcasting Public Affairs - Reporting complex news stories for broadcast. Investigative and interpretative reporting of public affairs, particularly governmental. Producing significant stories for news programs sponsored by the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
• JMC 193 Broadcast News Practicum - Story and newscast production for the community audience.
• HIST 76 US History - The course is divided into two periods. From 1877 to 1920, rapid industrialization both created a new social order and generated profound economic, political and cultural tensions. Since 1920, the lives of most Americans have been shaped by the growing power of the state and large corporations, the development of mass culture, international tensions, and the attempt to create equality for women and racial minorities.

See the Forms/Handbooks page for downloadable checksheets!

Required Courses for the Radio/TV Producing Major

• JMC 57 Video Production - Introduction to radio and television production. Includes considerable studio experience. For declared broadcast majors only.
• JMC 67 Digital Audio Writing & Production- Planning, writing and producing radio programs and program elements. Digital audio production for alternative delivery methods. Producing and hosting a weekly program on KDRA-LP. Student may not take both JMC 57 and 67 in the same semester.
• JMC 100 Television Field Photography - Producing and editing visual stories; field video production of material for activities and programs sponsored by the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
• JMC 114 Producing Television Sports- Techniques of production, including music selection, casting, blending video and audio effects.
• JMC 163 Broadcast Management - Management of a broadcast station, including fiscal management, government regulation, sales management, programming and industry relations.
• JMC 194 Radio-Television Practicum - Program production for specialized audiences.

See the Forms/Handbooks page for downloadable checksheets!

Academic Preparation
There are no special academic requirements. Students who excel tend to bring backgrounds in the performing arts, high school journalism, public speaking or television/radio/cable.

Travis Monroe sits on the studio set of the Drake Relays Telecast. The live TV event is one of the largest student-run productions in the country.