Marshall adds new majors, minors this year

 HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Several new programs – a sports journalism major, a minor in African and African American studies and the first Master of Science in Health Informatics degree program in West Virginia – will be offered during the 2010-11 academic year at Marshall University. Sports journalism and African and African-American studies are available for enrollment this fall, while the Master of Science in Health Informatics will be available in the spring. 

Frances Hensley, associate vice president of academic affairs, said Marshall is "very judicious" when adding new programs to the curriculum. "We do so in response to market conditions or changes within the discipline, and we go through a very thorough review process, which includes approval from our board of governors."

Sports journalism is the newest major offered through the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications. The African and African-American studies minor is being offered through Marshall's College of Liberal Arts and the MSHI degree program, designed to train those who use health information data, will be administratively housed in the College of Health Professions. 

Sports journalism, beginning this fall, will ground students in classic news writing and focus on reporting tactics unique to the sports field.  Majors may concentrate in broadcast sports reporting, print sports reporting or the public relations aspects of the sports industry.

Students will have the opportunity to call live games on the campus radio station, WMUL FM; to write and photograph events for the campus newspaper, The Parthenon; to shoot video and report for television broadcasts; and to file stories for online coverage.

"We are pleased to offer the new major in sports journalism," said  Corley Dennison, dean of the school. "There is growing demand for this field and we plan to provide students plenty of practical experience to hone their skills in cross-media platforms."

The faculty proposed the major last fall in response to expanding demand for specialized preparation in the field, and the major was approved this spring.

Sports journalism is one of seven majors offered in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications including advertising, broadcast journalism, online journalism, print journalism, public relations and radio/television production and management.

For more information, contact Dennison by phone at (304)-696-2360.

The minor in African and African-American Studies, starting this fall, is designed to supplement a student's academic major with an interdisciplinary understanding of the history, social and political life, culture, and geography of the African diaspora.

The program uses an interdisciplinary approach whereby students engage in critical thinking across the spectrum of various disciplines such as geography, literature, history, social work, political science, fine arts, education and sociology.

The program serves students who are interested in understanding the cultural contributions and historical legacies of peoples of African ancestry in the United States and throughout Asia, Africa, South America and the Caribbean.

The program also serves Marshall University and the Huntington community through local research and programming within the field of African and African-American Studies.

David J. Peavler, assistant professor of history and director of the program, said it will lead to a more diverse faculty, student body and staff, and create a better university and community.