Media Studies and Journalism

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Media Studies and Journalism is designed as a field of study to be combined in a double-major track with other accredited social science and humanities programs at Masaryk University.

The study program provides students with knowledge of the history, theory, and practice of mass media, media communication, and the media market. Students can choose to specialize for future careers in news reporting or opinion journalism in all basic types of media. This field also allows students to specialize not only in journalism, but also to a certain extent in media studies, specifically as researchers and experts in mass communication. This part of the curriculum is further developed during the Master's degree program.

The programme aims to educate experts who will be able to:

(1) Actively engage in mass communication.

(2) Make qualified and critical judgements about media communication, its products and historical, social, economic, political, legal, ethical, and psychological contexts and aspects.

(3) Use current digital technologies, equipment, and information as well as editing systems and software designed for media communication.

Graduates are able to start their careers with a basic sum of knowledge and skills needed primarily in journalism but also in other communication-related positions.

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After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

  • actively engage in media communication and make educated and critical judgements about it;
  • understand past and present socio-cultural reality and apply this knowledge to his/her job, being able to view reality in an unbiased and objective way;
  • understand basic theoretical terms and concepts of media studies as well as of journalistic professional, and legal ethics and standards and actively apply these in his or her profession;
  • critically analyze and interpret media products;
  • find, collect, analyze, and interpret data and information;
  • use current digital equipment, information technologies, systems, and software necessary for journalism;
  • create basic types of journalistic products and genres for all types of media (print, online, radio, and TV);
  • apply the language capabilities, stylistic abilities, and basic communication skills necessary for journalism and other professions related to mass communication (spokespersons etc.).
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Graduates can work as journalists in print (newspapers, magazines), electronic (radio, TV), and online (news and content websites) media and also as entry-level and mid-level managers in all the above-mentioned types of media organizations. Moreover, they can work in professions related to mass communication (spokespersons etc.). Alternatively, graduates may also work as salaried employees in media research institutions.

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Media Studies and Journalism is a double-major full-time bachelor's degree program that can be combined with other fields of study offered at the Faculty of Social Studies as well as selected fields of study offered at the MU Faculty of Arts, the Faculty of Economics and Administration, and the Faculty of Sports Studies. The regular length of studies in this program is six semesters.

The study plan consists of required and elective courses. Required courses form the basis of the program, and students must pass all of them to be able to graduate. Individual required courses are offered according to a fixed schedule and must be completed in the requisite order. Elective courses may be selected from a group of courses offered by the department. From this group, students choose courses according to their interests and future career plans. Students must choose at least as many courses as are needed to obtain the required amount of ECTS credits. In contrast to compulsory courses, electives listed in the study plan are offered on a variable basis, based on the priorities of the department or on current levels of student interest. In addition to selecting required and elective courses, students may choose to replace a total of 5 elective ECTS credits by 5 ECTS credits obtained in optional courses. Optional courses are courses offered by other departments, faculties, and university institutes that are not included in the study plan of the student's primary field of study.

To be allowed to take the Final State Examination, a student must complete the following requirements:

A) Obtain at least 90 ECTS credits in the field of Media Studies and Journalism. The credit requirements, as detailed below, differ according to whether the student writes and submits a Bachelor's thesis in this field (indicated by the number before the slash) or not (the number after the slash):

- 64/72 required ECTS credits

- 23/15 elective ECTS credits

The overall number of 90 ECTS credits includes 3 ECTS credits gained in PE and sports classes and for demonstrating a minimum required level of language ability.

B) Write and submit a Bachelor's thesis before the submission date (unless the student chooses to write the Bachelor's thesis in his or her second major). While writing the Bachelor's thesis, students must enroll in two required thesis seminars: ZUR161 Bachelor's Thesis Seminar I and ZUR162 Bachelor's Thesis Seminar II. Students must enroll in the first no later than two semesters prior to the planned submission and defense of the thesis (ideally in the 5th semester) and they must enroll in the latter in the semester in which they plan to submit and defend the thesis (ideally in the 6th semester). Students may not enroll in both seminars in one semester. Detailed rules for passing individual thesis seminars and for writing and formatting the Bachelor's thesis can be found at: http://medzur.fss.muni.cz/informace-pro-studenty/szz.

C) Demonstrate a minimum required level of language ability set by the university for a Bachelor's program graduate. This requirement is governed by the respective university/faculty regulation.

D) Complete the requirements for PE and sports classes set by MU. This requirement is governed by the respective university/faculty regulation.

E) Complete, at any time during the studies, at least one course taught in English offered among the courses of the student's field of study in each of her or his fields. This requirement is governed by Faculty of Social Studies Directive No. 4/2014 O předmětech v anglickém jazyce (Directive Regulating Courses Taught in English). In the case of interfaculty studies, the directive is only applied to the field(s) of study studied at the Faculty of Social Studies.

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The study plan includes a required 12-week internship in the editorial offices of Czech or foreign print, online, or electronic (radio and TV) media. The purpose of the internship is to develop new journalistic skills as well as to apply those obtained during studies. Students can participate in the internship only after passing the required courses in applied journalism. The Department recommends doing the internship during the 4th or 5th semester. It can also be completed during the summer between these two semesters. This period is especially recommended for students wishing to write their Bachelor's thesis in this field. After successfully completing the internship, the student will obtain 16 ECTS credits. For more information, go to http://medzur.fss.muni.cz/informace-pro-studenty/odborna-praxe/informace-k-odborne-praxi.

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The Bachelor's level Final State Examination consists of three parts or subjects, which are evaluated separately. These are the Obhajoba bakalářské práce (Bachelor's Thesis Defense), Teorie masové komunikace (Theory of Mass Communication) and Praktická zkouška ze žurnalistiky (Practical Exam in Journalism). The Bachelor's Thesis Defense is only required in the case of students who write their Bachelor's thesis in the field of Media Studies and Journalism.

The FSE is structured so that the content covered by the individual parts corresponds with the content of basic required theoretical and history courses as well as applied journalism classes.

The Theory of Mass Communication section focuses on theoretical knowledge obtained during the program, encompassing the content of the following required courses: ZUR104 Introduction to Media and Communication Studies, ZUR105 Introduction to News Reporting, ZUR110 Introduction to Mass Communication Theory: History of Changes in the Research on Mass Media Effects, ZUR138 Introduction to the Study of Culture, and ZUR139 Introduction to the Study of Media History. This is a written exam.

The Practical Exam in Journalism is related to the applied journalism classes and encompasses the following required courses: ZUR108 Current Affairs Genres in Print Media, ZUR109 STISK – Training Medium (Workshop), ZUR130 Introduction to News Reporting (Seminar), and ZUR144a Journalistic Practice. The exam covers the student's journalistic knowledge and practical skills obtained during the course of study and the internship. This is a written exam.

The Bachelor's thesis defended in the Bachelor's Thesis Defense is based on all required courses of the study program, but primarily – based on the chosen topic and method – on relevant elective courses. The Bachelor's thesis should show that the student is familiar with the topic of the thesis and that he or she is able to do scholarly work under supervision. The thesis defense is oral and the evaluation is based on the level of mastery and understanding of the topic as well as the level of presentation. For more information, go to: http://medzur.fss.muni.cz/informace-pro-studenty/szz.

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Graduates of the Media Studies and Journalism Bachelor's degree program may continue to any Master's degree program provided that they meet the admission requirements. At the MU Faculty of Social Studies, graduates can enroll in the follow-up Master's degree program of Media Studies and Journalism.

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Field of study specifications

Field of Study: Media Studies and Journalism
Abbreviation: ZUC
Code: 7202R004
Type: lifelong learning
Degree: Bc.
Accreditation: to 31/12/2024
Programme: B6701 B-PL Political Science
Faculty of Social Studies
Field of study guaranteed by:
Faculty of Social Studies