Minimum curriculum requirements for Magister Programmes
in JOURNALISM AND SOCIAL COMMUNICATION

 

1. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Magister programmes in Journalism and Social Communication last 5 years. The total course load for magister programmes in this field of study is ca. 3600 hours, including 1740 hours covered by the minimum curriculum requirements.

2. OUTLINE OF THE FIELD OF STUDY AND PROFILE OF THE GRADUATE

Magister programmes in Journalism and Social Communication are designed to equip the student with all the knowledge and skills required to practise the profession of journalist as well as various media-related professions, these linked not only with the press, radio and television, but also with the broadly defined area of social communication, including public relations, advertising, promotion, and work in institutions providing media education. The curriculum should comprise basic knowledge in the area of humanities and economics, mass communication media and social communication as well as courses preparing specialists for journalism, editing, advertising and promotion, public relations, and media and social communication research.

3. COURSE GROUPS AND MINIMUM COURSE LOAD

GENERAL COURSES	660 hours
BASIC COURSES	240 hours
MAJOR COURSES	840 hours
Total:	1740 hours

4. PRACTICAL PLACEMENT

Students are required to complete a 4-week practical placement in a press editor’s, radio or television broadcaster’s office.

5. COURSES BY GROUP AND MINIMUM COURSE LOAD

GENERAL COURSES
Philosophy	30
Sociology	30
Logics with Semiotics	30
Social Psychology	30
Fundamentals of Economics	30
Fundamentals of Political Science	30
Main Trends in the World and Polish Literature of the 20th Century	30
Elective course	30
1st Foreign Language: English as compulsory	240
2nd Foreign Language	120
Physical Education	60
BASIC COURSES
Introduction to Communication Science	60
Social and Cultural Impact of the Media	60
Media Research Methods	30
International Political and Economic Relations	60
Political System in Poland	30

MAJOR COURSES
History of the Press and Media in Poland and the World	60
Contemporary Media in Poland and the World combined with National and International Press	90
Stylistics and Culture of the Language	30
Journalistic Rhetoric	30
Genres in Journalism	60
Workshop Seminars: Introduction to Press, Radio and Television Journalism	90
Photography in the Press	30
Press Agencies and News Bulletins	30
Sources of Information for the Journalist	30
Local and Community Media	30
Press Law and Journalist Ethics, Radio and Television Law, Copyright	90
Advertising in the Contemporary Information Society	45
Moulding Public Opinion	45
Computer in the Journalist’s Work	90
Working in a Foreign Language (the language to be chosen by the student)	60
Magister seminar	30

NB.: The names of courses may be changed, and courses may be combined in groups or divided.

6. CURRICULUM CONTENTS AND REQUIRED SKILLS

1. GENERAL COURSES

1. PHILOSOPHY

Philosophy in a historical overview (main trends, their representatives and links with the contemporary man’s lifestyles and ways of thinking). Main trends in contemporary philosophy, its role in the contemporary man’s individual development and expression of his identity.

2. SOCIOLOGY

Basic sociological concepts and mechanisms governing human communities. Main schools of sociology: a historical overview. Main trends and directions in contemporary sociology. (The aim of the course is to equip students with concepts and tools for independent analysis and reflection concerning social development and current changes in the contemporary society.)

3. LOGIC WITH SEMIOTICS

Fundamentals of pragmatic logic and basic semiological concepts (language, sign, code, etc.). Upon completion of the course, students should be able to undertake independent logical and semiotic analysis of their own texts as well as to read and analyse critically other authors’ texts in terms of their coherence and meaningfulness.

4. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Basic categories of social psychology and its main trends; mechanisms and patterns of human behaviour; conformism, aggression, positive and negative stereotypes of interpersonal relations. Analysis of social phenomena in the micro- and macro-scale.

5. FUNDAMENTALS OF ECONOMICS

Basic principles of contemporary economic theories together with possible uses of theoretical tools for analysis of the economic reality. Basic economic concepts; the theory of the firm, the theory of consumer; inflation, unemployment. Macroeconomic policy, macroeconomic calculations, the role of the State in the economy, public goods. Role of information in economic processes. Analysis of the economic policy in Poland after 1989.

 

6. FUNDAMENTALS OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

Main political systems in the contemporary world; theory and practice of their functioning, with special regard to issues such as system principles, party systems, social organisations, contemporary political doctrines.

7. MAIN TRENDS IN THE WORLD AND POLISH LITERATURE OF THE 20^TH CENTURY

Most estimable and most controversial phenomena in the world and Polish literature of the 20^th century; presentation of trends and currents in literature, and presentation of writers and selected works that have given the most comprehensive picture of spiritual and social changes in the 20^th century. The selection of contents should highlight these trends and phenomena which may provide an inspiring context for the journalist (literature as communication and information; objective truth of a work, great writers-journalists; impact of media on literature and vice versa; image of media in literature).

8. ELECTIVE COURSE

Depending on the student’s interests, this course offers the possibility of gaining additional knowledge in the area of culture studies, the sciences or other areas not directly linked with the field of study.

9. 1^st FOREIGN LANGUAGE (ENGLISH AS COMPULSORY)

Students achieve fluency in the English language (speaking and writing skills).

10. 2^nd FOREIGN LANGUAGE – French, German, Russian or Italian (to be chosen by the student)

Students achieve the level of proficiency in the chosen foreign language which allows them to read international press and perform basic journalistic tasks in this language.

11. PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Physical activities: general physical development activities, sports, tourist or rehabilitation activities (to be chosen by the student or in accordance with medical recommendations).

2. BASIC COURSES

1. INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION SCIENCE

Basic knowledge about the process of mass communication, its elements, phases and key determinants, role of mass communication in various types of communication between people, with a detailed discussion of hypotheses and theories explaining the effects of the reception of the mass media, incl. factors determining the effectiveness of the media (characteristics of the sender, channel and receiver). Latest and historical theories, orientations and trends in research on mass communication.

Status of the mass communication science, incl. its multidisciplinary character, research methods and techniques, main centres, institutions and periodicals concerned with mass communication issues.

2. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL IMPACT OF THE MEDIA

Views on the role of the mass media in the information society and the post-modernist culture. Latest research and hypotheses explaining the impact of the media at the sociological, psychological and cultural plane, incl. research on the impact of violence scenes on the young audience, the reception of political information contents, reactions to erotic scenes, influencing attitudes towards social and religious institutions, social control exercised through defining deviations.

3. MEDIA RESEARCH METHODS

Methods for analysis of organisations, methods for analysis of contents, and methods for audience research, opinion surveys and public opinion polls. Special emphasis should be placed on students gaining competence in statistical analysis methods and computer software used in media research.

4. INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS

Analysis of contemporary phenomena on the international arena, with special regard to issues such as: integration processes, genesis and course of major conflicts, role of international organisations, and Poland’s position in the contemporary world politics. The analysis of these issues should highlight the possibilities of using the knowledge of international political relations in the journalist’s work. The part of the course devoted to economic relations should cover analysis of phenomena occurring in the contemporary international economic life, incl. flow of capital, customs systems, international economic organisations and economic co-operation.

5. POLITICAL SYSTEM IN POLAND

Basic principles underlying the political system in Poland (Constitution, functioning of public authorities, the party system, social organisations). Role of the media in politics.

3. MAJOR COURSES

1. HISTORY OF THE PRESS AND MEDIA IN POLAND AND THE WORLD

Key stages in the development of the press in the world against the background of general conditions in individual epochs, with special emphasis on social and political changes, and the liberal concept of the press and the principle of freedom of speech. Most distinguished journalists in various epochs, most notable titles and key journalistic texts in a historical overview. History of the press and media in Poland; process affecting its development; overview of main titles published in a given epoch against the background of ideologies prevailing in that epoch; most distinguished Polish journalists and key Polish press texts in a historical overview. Role and impact of the press on the Polish society; technological changes and changes in the journalist profession. Censorship on the Polish territory in various periods of history.

2. CONTEMPORARY MEDIA IN POLAND AND THE WORLD combined with NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PRESS

Mass communication systems in selected countries of various regions in the world; press, radio and television markets; legal standards for the functioning of the mass media and self-regulation institutions (press councils, journalist organisations, codes of ethics) in individual countries. Intensifying processes of concentration, commercialisation and globalisation (of production and distribution) in the media. Problems related to the approximation of legislation concerning mass communication in the EU countries and judgements of the European Court of Justice. Contemporary media market in Poland; press system in the social structure; transformation of the media system; forms of press ownership in Poland; reading habits and reception. Individual media groups on the Polish press market (e.g. social and political, cultural newspapers and periodicals, tabloids, religious, sports, ecological newspapers and periodicals, etc); radio and television market in Poland; tasks of Krajowa Rada Radiofonii i Telewizji (National Radio and Television Council); public and commercial media: competition and co-existence. The part devoted to National and International Press should comprise regular reading and analysis of texts published in selected national and international press titles, with special regard to the specificity of the titles against the background of the media system in a given country. (The aim is to develop the habit of regular and critical reading of the national and international press.)

3. STYLISTICS AND CULTURE OF THE LANGUAGE

This course improves the proficiency in the Polish language and the stylistic adequacy of a media text. The theoretical part of the course should acquaint students with types of orthographic and orthophonic errors, principles of punctuation, functional styles, stylistic means in the media as well as language phenomena which particularly often involve difficulties for users of the Polish language. The practical part should comprise analysis of students’ own and other authors’ texts in terms of their correctness and style as well as basic principles of editing and proofreading. Emphasis should be placed on phenomena which are particularly disquieting in the context of the role played by the media in creating culture and language, these including: language borrowings, language fashions, neologisms, professional jargon terminology, colloquialisms and vulgarisms.

4. JOURNALISTIC RHETORIC

Communication as persuasion; linguistic persuasion means; persuasion techniques in the classical rhetoric; modern persuasion techniques, rhetorical devices. Designing a text in accordance with modern rhetoric recommendations. Rhetoric in politics and advertising. Language correctness criteria from the viewpoint of the effectiveness of impact. Developing the skills required for effective expression in speaking and writing, editing one’s own texts and assessing other authors’ texts.

5. GENRES IN JOURNALISM

Definitions, typology and history of journalism genres and types (incl. various research positions); use of this knowledge in practice. Factors determining the specificity of the press and media; specificity of the media language; truth and assertiveness in a journalistic work; specificity of radio and television genres as compared to press genres. During practical training organised as a follow-up to lectures covering the above-mentioned issues and run by working journalists, students should learn journalist working techniques through analysis of texts, discussion, creation as well as assessment of various genre forms.

6. WORKSHOP SEMINARS: INTRODUCTION TO PRESS, RADIO AND TELEVISION JOURNALISM

This is a practically oriented seminar: the first contact with the profession of press, radio and television journalists, preparing students for a practical placement in a press editor’s, radio or television broadcaster’s office. Emphasis should be placed on the development of reporting skills: separating facts from a commentary as the basic feature of modern journalism; collecting materials; verifying the material collected; writing short texts; establishing links with editor’s, radio and television broadcaster’s offices. Students should also receive basic information about radio and television techniques.

7. PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE PRESS

Practical training which covers skills such as making pictures for current needs of a press editor’s office, distinguishing high- and low-quality photographs, analysing relations between a photograph and a text. Basic knowledge about modern photographic techniques and their use for editing purposes.

8. PRESS AGENCIES AND NEWS BULLETINS

This course prepares students for work in news agencies and news sections of editor’s offices, covering, among other things, issues such as: speed of transmission, specificity of the language and short news texts, structure and internal dynamics of news bulletins, position of a news agency in the media system.

9. SOURCES OF INFORMATION FOR THE JOURNALIST

This courses prepares students to use basic sources of information for the journalist, these including observation, interview and documentation. Special emphasis should be placed on the skills required for verification of facts on the basis of various sources, and ethical problems encountered in the phase of material collection.

10. LOCAL AND COMMUNITY MEDIA

This course is an introduction to work in local and sub-local media: criteria distinguishing local media; types of local media; changes in the range of services offered by local media after 1988; relevance of local media services in the context of their audience’s needs; problems encountered by local and sub-local press in large cities and in communities; local radio, and factors determining its operations; local television’s chances in the struggle to attract viewers. Organisation of local media: financial basis; organisation of work in a local editor’s, radio or television broadcaster’s office; distribution; advertisement canvassing; topics; methods attracting audience. Local media systems in Poland and the world.

11. PRESS LAW AND JOURNALIST ETHICS, RADIO AND TELEVISION LAW, COPYRIGHT

Outline of the press law, radio and television law, copyright currently in force in Poland, and ethical dilemmas related to this legislation. Legal definitions of basic media-related concepts (journalist, editor, press, press material, etc.); history of the press law in Poland; freedom of the press and its limitations as laid down in the legislation; registration and organisation of publishing and journalistic activities; right to information; press criticism; journalist secret; corrections; communications; announcements; liability of the journalist in civil, penal and press law; legal position of the journalist and his work.

12. ADVERTISING IN THE CONTEMPORARY INFORMATION SOCIETY

Structure and pragmatics of the advertising agency’s operations; planning advertising campaigns; language and picture in advertising; research on the effectiveness of advertising; social impact of advertising. Advertising in the contemporary theories of culture; advertising and culture; advertising and media. Ethical issues related to advertising. Position of advertising and its prospects; basic legal determinants of advertising in Poland and in the global media system. Advertising as a phenomenon of great social impact, extending far beyond simple market determinants.

13. MOULDING PUBLIC OPINION

Information management in the public life spheres; activities carried out by public information services (government spokesman), local government agencies and commercial institutions to build up their institutional image as well as to inform the public and selected social groups about initiatives undertaken, these being based on the knowledge of detailed procedures underlying the MBO management system, legislation and ethical principles which regulate activities in the area of mass public information today.

14. COMPUTER IN THE JOURNALIST’S WORK

Practical training in three basic areas: computer text editing, computer typesetting, and use of Internet in the journalist’s work. Students acquire (or reinforce) knowledge and skills in the following areas: specificity of main text editors, operational principles of at least two of these editors (with special regard to optimisation and automatization of text insertion, use of dictionaries, correctors, creators), main concepts of computer typography (text justification, font styles and typefaces), arranging paragraphs and structure of texts (chapters, footnotes, titles, page headlines), editing other authors’ and one’s own texts by means of a text editor.

Students should develop skills necessary to use documents and other texts available in the Internet as a source of information which helps to write more profound commentaries, and to retrieve materials in the Internet, to write texts based on the material available in the Internet, to prepare and publish one’s own texts in the Internet.

15. WORK OF THE JOURNALIST IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (the language to be chosen by the student)

Practical training: students prepare journalistic materials and perform basic journalist tasks in a foreign language.

16. MAGISTER SEMINAR

Methodological and content-related support offered to students in the preparation of their magister theses.

7. RECOMMENDATIONS

To complete the study programme students are required to pass two examinations in a foreign language, including one examination at an advanced level (i.e. the level of an international examination taken in a given language).