Martin Hall, home of the Reed School of Media and Communications
The Bachelor of Science in Journalism (BSJ) program was recently named a West Virginia University Board of Governors Program of Excellence. It is the first and only program to receive the title since 2021.
According to the Board of Governors, a “Program of Excellence” must receive state or national recognition, have qualified faculty who achieve scholarly pursuits, have a high graduate success rate and feature a strong curriculum.
Emily Hughes Corio, associate director of the Reed School of Media and Communications, nominated the program in fall 2023.
“I believe the Journalism program stands out as a ‘Program of Excellence’ because we are competitive at a national level,” Corio said. “Our students and faculty have won prestigious awards from several professional organizations, including the Broadcast Education Association (BEA). Those awards are indicative of our high-quality curriculum and faculty and span journalism genres from video and audio to immersive storytelling with augmented and virtual reality.”
A full journalism degree program has been available to students at WVU since the 1920s, and Perley Isaac Reed helped to establish the independent School of Journalism in 1939. Although the journalism curriculum continually evolves to include the latest legal cases and technologies, it remains traditional in its focus on ethical standards and high-quality writing and editing. Students begin their journalism courses as freshmen, where they hone grammar, learn the AP style, and become proficient with various audio, video and photography software programs.
Popular courses include Video and Audio News Writing, Beat Reporting, Investigative Journalism, Editing and Curation, Media Design and Advanced Video Reporting and Producing. Courses also including the weekly student-produced newscasts “Mountaineer Playbook” and “WVU News.” Extracurricular opportunities to work at an independent student newspaper and radio station provide students with additional hands-on experience.
“This recognition by the Board of Governors is a testament to our faculty’s dedication to journalism and journalism education,” said Diana Martinelli, director of the Reed School and vice dean of the College of Creative Arts and Media.
The School’s journalism faculty is comprised of both doctoral-level academics and industry professionals who bring real-world experience into the classroom. Graduates of the program have gone on to win Pulitzer Prizes and Emmys and have worked as journalists and communicators for major publications and worldwide agencies.
This is the second time a program in the Reed School of Media and Communications, formerly the Reed College of Media, has been named a Board of Governors “Program of Excellence.” The Integrated Marketing Communications online graduate program received the honor in 2020.
The Reed School of Media and Communications is one of only 119 programs accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC). To learn more about the BSJ program, visit mediaandcommunications.wvu.edu.