Riga Stradins University

Riga Stradins University

Department of European Studies

Department of Communication Studies

Academic Study Programme

“Journalism”

for the Social Science Bachellor’ s Degree

in Communication Science

(code 43321)

Attachments to accreditation application

Riga – 2007

Contents

1. Introduction 4

2. Assessment of the Academic Bachelor Study Programme “Journalism” 6

2.1 The goals and objectives of the programme 7

2.2 The structure and organization of the programme 7

2.3 The practical implementation of the programme 10

2.4 Forms and methods of study 12

2.5 Characterization of the students 13

2.6 The scoring system, forms and ways of assessment 15

2.7. The research work connected with the studies 16

2.7.1. Involvement of the students in research and academic

activities 17

2.8. Student opinion polls and analysis 17

2.9. Sources of funding financial means 20

2.9.1 The technical equipment and facilities 20

2.10. Cooperation with prospective employers 21

2.11. Public Relations (outsourcing) 22

3. Prospective assessment of the “Journalism” study programme from the outlook

of its significance to the Latvian State 22

3.1. Its compliance with the State Standard of Academic Education 25

3.2. Comparison with similar study programmes abroad 26

3.2.1. Tallinn University 27

3.2.2.Helsinki University 28

3.2.3. Vilnius University 29

3.2.4. Tampere University 29

3.3. Comparison with the same level Higher Education Programme

in Latvia 30

4. Description of stydy courses 31

5. Curriculum Vitae (CV) of Academic Staff Involved in study programme

Realization 105

6. SWOT analysis of the study programme 153

6.1. External factors: opportunities and threats 154

6.2. Internal factors: strengths and weaknesses 154

7. Study Programme development plan 155

8. Plans for recruitment, renewal, instruction and development of the academic

staff in the next 6 year period 157

9. Scientific research directions of the academic staff 159

9.1. Publications and presentations at scientific conferences, workshops

and symposiums by staff lecturers ion the programme in the

period from 2004 through 2007 (selection) 161

Addenda 168

1. An extract from the minutes of the Program Licensing Committee

meeting on 15 June, 2006 169

2. The contents of the academic bachelor study program Journalism 172

3. Information proving the fact that at least 50% of the elected academic staff

work at the higher school, and that at least 50% of the elected academic staff

at the University have a Doctor’ s degree 174

4. Admission rules 175

5. The regulation of RSU concerning the work at bachelor paper and its defence 183

6. A sample of the Social Science Bachelor Diploma and its addendum 185

7. The curriculum of the ESF academic bachelor study program Journalism

for 1st to 4th years 193

8.Summarising lists:

8.1. The list of the courses of the program of higher education in the

form of a chart 202

8.2. The list fo Academic staff 203

8.2. The list of the rest of the documents necessary for the accreditation 206

Index of charts

Fig. 1 Allocation of credits for optional and mandatory courses at RSU and LU

Fig.2: Appropriation of the courses to parts A, B and C for three years of study (%)

Fig.3 List of lecturers participating in “ Journalism” program

Fig. 4 Qualification of the lecturers and the courses they are teaching

Fig.5 Number of students involved in the program during 2005-2007 academic years

Fig.6 Dynamics each year in comparison to Public Relations Program

Fig 7. The number of fourth year students. and the % of graduates each year

Fig. 8 Ratio of selection of the program (according to 2007 poll)

Fig 9 Indices of the study quality ( according to 2007 poll)

Fig.10 Satisfaction with the module system( according to 2007 poll)

Fig.11 Fee according to the academic year

Introduction

The academic programme Journalism at BA level has been designed to conform to the following regulations:

·  The Law of Higher Educational Institutions of the Republic of Latvia;

·  The Higher Educational Institution Accreditation Regulations No.370, issued by the Cabinet of Ministers on the 28th November, 1995.

·  Regulations on accreditation of higher educational institutions , colleges and higher education programmes;

·  The Regulations of the Higher Education Standard.

The topicality of the ”Journalism” programme launched at the faculty of European Studies (ESF) of Riga Stradins University (RSU) and its significance in the community development of Latvia is determined by several essential factors:

New developments in technology, marketing and media bring along new approaches to journalism. Journalists’ mission, functions and methods of work change radically. We need professional people with an in-depth understanding of this challenging modern environment. The academic training program” Journalism” at the faculty of European Studies (furtherESF) of Riga Stradins University (further RSU) was developed to educate such people, having all the main professional skills they will need to succeed either working in Latvia or other EU countries reporting, writing, editing or broadcasting news or conducting any news organization as a business.

Since 1990ies both media and ethical principles of the journalists’ work have changed in Latvia as well. Market economics have comercialised journalistics. Journalists have to accept, endure and find ways to deal with the growing pressure from public relations professionals and advertisers, thus adjusting to the changing environment becomes essential for survival.. In Latvia, media have stabilised during last 17 years, there is a clear distinction between commercial ans social media. The internet has established its palce among the media. Media audience has also changed; it has different structure, lifestyle and attitude to the media.

Media research work is lagging behind all those changes..It has been neither permanent nor systematic.. Proprietors and directors of mass media have demonstrated eagerness to cooperate with the Department of Communications with regard to such research work.

The above developments continue to influence changes in media work and journalism has to comply with exigent requirements.Regardless of the fact that media professionals are under permanent pressure from competitors and new technologies, the news organization proprietors seldom provide them with appropriate education, complying with the changing media environment. That is why editorial boards, producer groups and other members of rapidly developing media world are permanently in need of well educated professionally adequte journalists, able to cope and flourish in dinamic and stressful media environment.

The fast economic development and growth of the role of Latvia in the strategic development of the European Union as well as globalisation of international communication bring about new challenges and tasks for journalism:

1. To weld national media concept with the knowledge of international experience and trends.

2. To consolidate media influence by attaining ethical and professional perfection;

3. To achieve cooperation between media reserch and professional spheres, thus being able both to notice the dinamics of the media environment and to be flexible enough to catch on.

4. To ensure permanent renewal and development of the academic teaching staff and research traditions

Contents and practical application of academic bachelor’s programme ”Journalism” provides training of specialists competent in both national and regional media work as well as being able to survive the above global challenges. They will ensure professionally superior journalism level and development of media culture, feeling responsibility for retaining their special social position and democratic values.

The understanding of the above mentioned tasks and processes makes it clear that reaching the permanent strategic goals is and will be impossible without highly qualified specialists in journalism.

Quite a lot of professionals working in journalism nowadays – editors, commentators, reporters, producers, moderators and other media people may have acquired morally dated knowledge or may work without special qualification in this field (having not graduated from a higher educational establishment). They may have undergone some short in-job training, however, such training cannot be considered an academic qualification. Thus we can perceive a void and the necessity to fill that void with academically educated specialists who can use the acquired academic knowledge purposefully for the benefit of the practical media environment.

The academic bachelor programme “Journalism” offers training of such specialists. Ours is the second programme training journalists. We are essentially different from the journalism programme at LU in our approach: their journalism course is integrated in the communication study, our course offers extensive and comprehensive knowledge in the field of media and journalism. Besides major focus on media and journalism students are offered specific courses both in public relations and advertising, as well as in psychology of communication. Such courses provide understanding of communications and media as a system. The conclusion is that no other higher educational establishment in Latvia offers equally comprehensive and qualified education in journalism.

One of the main priorities of the journalism programme: the synthesis of academic and professional knowledge is the key to the advantages and uniqueness of the programme. It can be accomplished by involvement of highly specialized teaching staff and improvement of their academic capacity.

The programme ensures training of specialists for the media market of EU and Latvia as well as for the academic purposes, such as research work and teaching, thus improving all of these fields by providing newly qualified specialists .

2. Self- assessment of the Academic bachelor study course Journalism

2. Self- assessment of the Academic bachelor study course Journalism

2.1. The goals and objectives of the programme

The goal of the academic social science bachelor study programme in communication science Journalism is educating social science bachelors in the communication science giving them professional skills in journalism and understanding of the media communication, its economics, ability to analyse and forecast socio-political processes, participate in editorial work and produce the media as well as theoretical knowledge and practical skills in methods of information compilation in journalism, genres of journalism and the principles of work in various kinds of media.

The aim of this programme is to give journalists academic education and professional skills enabling them to compete in the media labour market and use their theoretical knowledge and professional skills to analyze and improve the work of mass media in Latvia.

Thus the programe provides the following:

1.  Theoretical knowledge in different subjects of the communication science and communication research methods;

2.  The theory of journalism and practice in news and press agencies, electronic mass media and the internet;

3.  International exchange of students and gaining experience during short-term academic visits to the EU and other European country higher educational establishments.

4.  Promotion of creativeness and research skills of the students during project work, writing course papers and bachelor papers;

5.  Courses in other social sciences (economics, politics, communication psychology, international relations etc)connected to the integration of Latvia in the EU;

6.  Preparation of the students for further study in masters courses to ensure the emergence of new teaching professionals in higher education at ESF RSU;

7.  Skills in Latvian and foreign languages;

8.  Computer literacy and skills to work with modern communication technologies, work on the internet and in multimedia.

The strength of the academic programme journalism for the social science bachelor degree in communication science is the equilibrium between the academic theories and practical skills, its structuring into mandatory and optional courses, as well as practical journalism courses combined with adjacent side-line courses. The programme constantly adheres to the principle of interdiscipline links.

2.2 The structure and organization of the programme

The academic bachelor study programme Journalism is designed for full-time day department students. The subjects follow successive order, the student’s individual work has an important role, the scoring of the knowledge and practical skills is many-sided. Intensive research work starts during the first year and is completed in the bachelor paper. Along with the research work large part of the study programme is devoted to acquiring practical skills developed by creative practical work in journalism, editing, producing, project work and participation in creative seminars that develops creative and analytical reasoning and deepens understanding of various journalistic problems.

The Bologne declaration has put in motion a series of reforms needed to make European Higher Education more compatible and comparable, more competitive and more attractive for students and scholars. In compliance with that since the 1st September 2006 the program is 3 years long. To ensure logical shift to the new programme length, the second through 4th year students are continuing their old programme period -4 years. A similar shift is taking place in other higher school of Latvia, such as the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Latvian University, where both programmes are being taught in the same way.

The 3 year period is divided into semesters: 2 semesters each academic year. A student has to get 20KP each semester, working for 800 hours.

Each semester is divided into modules consisting of 5 weeks and 4 months, at the end of which there are examinations, tests and presentations of individual project work. The system of modules is popular in several higher schools of Northern Europe. It is an alternative for the traditional semester system.

The module provides intensive work, a course lasts 4 months (in the long module- for fundamental subjects with more credits) or 5 weeks (for specialized and optional subjects). Thus students can study two courses simultaneously (foreign languages are learned additionally), the courses are more intensive and focused. The flexibility allows to introduce new courses and invite guest lecturers from other countries.

The module system has many advantages, howeve, there are also some shortcomings. The advantages are the intensity, time saving, and the possibility to gain specialized knowledge during the first year of study, consolidating it at practice during the second year.

Small number of modules during one semester lets them concentrate on the subjects, not diverting their attention. It is especially effective for reading the academic literature and other sources. As there is lack of specialized literature in the area of communications science and journalism, the lecturers provide the students with specialized literature for students to read 1000 pages a course. The time for reading is provided by envisaging smaller number of courses during one semester. The students study the original texts in native and foreign languages that are given to them and write short summaries about the topics to be studied As the result the important rule prerequisite of academic study is met: the students read original texts and topical publications are included in the process of training as well as in the in the project works. The dynamics of module studies is especially effective in work at bachelor paper: the vast amount of texts read during the semesters on variety of topics can be systematized in the bachelor paper.