THE HENRY W. GRADY COLLEGE OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

Journalism Building, (706) 542-1704

FAX: (706) 542-2183
Homepage URL:http://www.grady.uga.edu
E-Mail: gradyabj@uga.edu

Administrative Officers
E. Culpepper Clark, Ph.D., Dean
Alison Alexander, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Jeff Springston, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies


General Information

PURPOSE 
The mission of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication is to prepare students to be effective users and practitioners of the mass media, to assist the mass media in providing more and better services for their consumers, and to assist the public in using the mass media to meet personal and community needs. Teaching, research, and service are integral parts of this mission.
  1. Teaching. The College provides instruction at undergraduate and graduate levels to prepare students for careers in advertising, broadcast news, magazines, newspapers, news services, photojournalism, publication management, public relations, telecommunications, and new media. Teachers help students to think critically about the media and understand the roles and impact they have in society, the history of mass media, and how to deal with ethical and legal questions as well as help them learn how to gather, analyze, and present information in a clear, concise way through various media. The role of a free and responsible press in a democracy characterized by diversity is emphasized.

    Degrees include the Bachelor of Arts in Journalism (A.B.J.), Master of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication (M.A.), and Doctor of Philosophy in Mass Communication (Ph.D.). The A.B.J. degree is intended primarily to prepare practitioners for employment in the mass media. The M.A. and Ph.D. degrees also help students prepare for positions in mass media research and teaching.

  2. Research. Through basic and applied research, the Grady College seeks to raise and answer questions related to the media and their roles in and influence on society. This research is facilitated by College units, including the James M. Cox Jr. Center for International Mass Communication and Research, the James M. Cox Jr. Institute for Newspaper Management Studies, the Dowden Center for New Media, and the Faherty Broadcast Management Lab.
  3. Service. Through public service and outreach, its centers and institutes, and its faculty working on individual projects, the Grady College provides myriad services for the mass media and the public. Beneficiaries of service programs include the public, the mass media, and students from elementary grades through college.
ORGANIZATION
The Grady College is organized into three departments: the Department of Advertising and Public Relations, the Department of Journalism, and the Department of Telecommunications.

FACILITIES
The Grady College is housed in a multimillion-dollar communication center that provides some of the best instructional facilities available. Included are classrooms equipped with color televisions, two large theater-style auditoriums, audio studios, color-equipped television studios, complete packages of portable color television cameras and videotape recorders, videotape editing facilities, satellite communications equipment, state of the art advertising, graphics, photography, news writing and editing laboratories, seminar rooms and conference rooms. The Drewry Learning Resources Center supplements the University of Georgia Libraries. An elevator makes all floors accessible to persons with disabilities.

Academic Information

ACCREDITATION
The Grady College is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.

REQUIREMENTS TO APPLY
The Grady College is an upper-division program, admitting students who have earned a minimum of 45 semester hours of credit. First-and second-year students in pursuit of the ABJ degree are admitted as Pre-Journalism majors in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. Applicants must be enrolled at the University of Georgia and have completed the following minimum requirements before submitting an application to the College's Admission Committee:

ADVISING
Journalism and Mass Communication students are assigned to professional academic advisors. Ultimately it is a student’s responsibility to stay informed of degree requirements and register for appropriate courses; however, advisors are available to assist in planning schedules for registration and for reviewing progress toward the A.B.J. degree. Pre-Journalism students are advised by professional academic advisors in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and are expected to be ready to apply to the Grady College upon reaching third-year standing.

DEGREES
The Grady College offers an undergraduate degree of Bachelor of Arts in Journalism (A.B.J.) and advanced degrees of Master of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication (M.A.), and Doctor of Philosophy in Mass Communication (Ph.D.)

MAJORS
Seven majors are offered: Advertising, Broadcast News, Public Relations, Magazines, Newspapers, Publication Management and Telecommunication Arts.

GENERAL DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
A.B.J. degree candidates must meet general degree requirements applicable to all students at the University as set forth in the general information section of this bulletin.

COLLEGE-WIDE DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
See College-wide requirements

CORE CURRICULUM
See the University of Georgia Core Curriculum

CHANGE OF MAJOR
A change of major within the College requires approval by the Admissions Committee and cannot be assumed as automatic; therefore, careful thought should be given to a choice of major at the time of application. Further, approval to change majors does not imply approval of courses already taken in another major. Loss of graduation credit could occur.

DOUBLE MAJORS AND DEGREES
Students may not earn more than one undergraduate degree within the Grady College.

SECOND UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE
A person who has earned a baccalaureate degree in a field other than journalism and mass communication may apply for a second undergraduate degree. Applications are accepted from those who have completed core areas I-V, have met the minimum requirement of 2.8 overall grade point average, and have written the Statement of Interest. Those presenting the highest qualifications are accepted. Depending on the major, satisfactory completion of 30-32 semester hours of journalism and mass communication courses are required to earn a second undergraduate degree. For more information, contact Undergraduate Services, Room 208, Journalism Building.

POST-BACCALAUREATE AND TRANSIENT STUDENTS
Post-baccalaureate and transient students are non-degree seeking at the University of Georgia and do not apply for admission to the Grady College. Post-graduate students have earned an undergraduate degree and usually are enrolled for a limited time. Transient students are candidates for degrees at other institutions and may be admitted as Pre-Journalism majors in the College of Arts and Sciences for a semester with the intention of transferring credits to their parent institutions. Availability of journalism and mass communication courses for students in these categories cannot be assumed.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
The advisors monitor each student’s progress toward completion of requirements for the A.B.J. degree. The purpose is to identify and solve problems that could delay graduation. Students may make an advising appointment using the online advising site accessible through the Grady College web site.

HONORS PROGRAM
The College encourages superior academic achievement by endeavoring to identify, recruit, and assimilate into the University’s academic life students with outstanding academic potential. Honors students may be able to develop programs of study that have greater flexibility and include more challenging courses. Qualified students have opportunities for individual readings and projects, honors theses, honors option courses, and area study majors.

COURSE CHALLENGE
Students who are degree candidates in the Grady College and are currently enrolled for resident course work may be allowed to attempt a challenge of certain journalism and mass communication courses if they can demonstrate skills mastered through experience outside the classroom. Requirements may differ but can include a review of work skills, a practical examination, a written test, and an oral examination. A decision must be made prior to the examination whether the challenge is for credit or for exemption without credit. A course may be challenged only once and the challenger may not be currently or previously enrolled in the course or a prerequisite for the one being challenged. The attempt to challenge must first be approved by the head of the department that teaches the course.

PETITION
A waiver in Grady College rules or curriculum requires a written petition to the College’s Executive Committee which meets once each semester after midpoint. Petition forms may be obtained by contacting the Director of Undergraduate Services in Room 208 Journalism Building. To facilitate a timely response, petitions must be submitted not later than midpoint of the semester.

STATEMENT OF INTEREST
The Statement of Interest essay is administered by the University Testing Services Center in Clark Howell Hall. For more information, please visit the Testing Services website at www.uga.edu/testing/

ORIENTATION
Orientation for newly-admitted students is an effort to make the transition into the Grady College as smooth and enjoyable as possible. Key faculty and staff inform students of such matters as advising, registration, internships, rules, requirements and procedures specific to the Grady College.

KEYBOARDING SKILLS
Students enrolling in journalism and mass communication courses are expected to have adequate keyboarding skills to meet course requirements.

Other Services and Programs

STUDY ABROAD
Students are encouraged to add an international learning experience to their college education by participating in one of the more than 80 study abroad programs sponsored by the University of Georgia. Included among programs in which Grady students are active are Grady at Oxford and the Cannes Film Festival. A financial aid officer can answer questions on specific types of financial aid that may be used for study abroad, including the HOPE Scholarship.

NATIONAL STUDENT EXCHANGE
Grady students who participate in the National Student Exchange Program should plan their course selections early and carefully with their advisors. Credit earned through NSE is evaluated as transfer credit.

Students majoring in journalism and mass communication at other colleges and universities that participate in NSE are usually admitted to the University of Georgia as Pre-Journalism majors in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences for a specified period of study and do not apply for admission to the Grady College.

CAREER SERVICES
The Grady College Career Services office, located in 211C Journalism Building, and the UGA Career Center partner to help students and alumni in their career planning and development.

They offer individual counseling sessions for students to discuss career options, job and internship search strategies, resumes and cover letters and interviewing skills. They also provide workshops on topics related to career planning and development.

Courses of Instruction
Courses for the College of Journalism and Mass Communication are listed under the following prefixes: