School of Communication unveil its new journalism curriculum

Texas Southern University’s School of Communication has recently taken steps to make its curriculum 21st century friendly.

The school’s updated curriculum will include courses that will integrate multimedia tools and skills needed to compete in the new media world of journalism.

Journalism professor Serbino Sandifer-Walker designed and developed the curriculum after noticing that the current courses in place were outdated and did not benefit her students with the new tools used in the industry.

“These courses will be innovative with a 21st century flair that will be appealing to perspective students,” said Sandifer-Walker.

The new courses added include Social Media Network Correspondent, Enterprise-Multiplatform Reporting, and Smartphones as Reporting Tools.

“The industry is changing rapidly,” said Sandifer-Walker. “Our students must be prepared with these tools that will assist them in getting jobs in the journalism field.”

The professor also created courses designed to fit TSU’s special purpose mission , designated in the 1970s.

“TSU is a special purpose institution that is required to have programs that address urban critical issues,” said Sandifer-Walker. “I have proposed several courses that will meet those requirements.”

Courses such as The Black Press, Urban and Political Reporting, Health and Consumer Reporting, and Environmental and Science Reporting were created to fall under TSU’s special purpose institution guidelines.

“It was time for our curriculum to get a needed face life,” said James Ward, Dean of the School of Communication. “I am very pleased at the work Professor Sandifer-Walker has put in to make our school a better place to get a degree.”

The new changes to the curriculum have recently been approved and the new courses should be in place by next school year.