The University of Louisiana at Monroe

Department of Mass Communications

Main page

Journalism courses were first taught in the mid-1930s at what was then the Northeast Center of Louisiana State University. In 1952, the Department of English developed a journalism curriculum offering news-editorial and radio-television options, culminating in a Bachelors degree. An Associate of Arts in Photojournalism was added in 1973-74. In 1975, the journalism program combined with the Speech Department to form the Department of Communication Arts.

A 1983-84 reorganization brought several changes: Radio-television became a separate degree with several options, Journalism acquired public relations and broadcast journalism options, and Photojournalism was upgraded to a 4-year degree. In 1985, Speech and Journalism collaborated to transform the Master's degree in Speech into an interdisciplinary M.A. in Communication.

Effective with the 1989-90 academic year, the Board of Regents approved creation of a School of Communication with a Director and four departments: Communicative Disorders; Speech Communication and Theatre; Journalism, with news-editorial and public relations concentrations and a photojournalism degree; and Radio, Television, and Film (RTVF), with broadcast news, filmmaking, management, performance, and production concentrations. The School also administers two Master's degrees, an M.S. in Communicative Disorders and the interdisciplinary M.A. in Communication. The Department of Communicative Disorders received national accreditation in 1991 and the Department of Journalism in 1994. RTVF underwent streamlining in 1994 which folded filmmaking into production and eliminated performance, thereby reducing five concentrations to three.

Change is again underway at ULM. In January 1998, the faculties of the Departments of Journalism and Radio/TV/Film, under new leadership (Dr. Bette J. Kauffman began July 1, 1997 as Head of Journalism and Acting Head of Radio/TV/Film) and with the advice of an ACEJMC consultant, proposed merger into a Department of Mass Communications. The Board of Regents approved administrative merger in August 1998. As part of its self-study process, the faculty of the Department of Mass Communications spent the 1998-99 academic year drafting a new integrated curriculum consisting of public relations, journalism (print, broadcast), management and marketing, and media production options leading to a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications. After fleshing out with with course outlines, the new curriculum will embark this fall upon a journey to approval which begins with the College of Liberal Arts Curriculum Committee and ends with the Louisiana Board of Regents.

Next: mission statement

04701