Programmes Available – Ghana Institute Of Journalism GIJ
Programmes Available – Ghana Institute Of Journalism GIJ; The Institute offers programmes in communications studies at diploma, degree, masters levels and runs certificate courses.
PROGRAMMES OF STUDY
The Institute offers the following main programmes:
Two-year diploma in Communication Studies
A four-year B.A. in Communication Studies
Two-Year B.A. in Communication Studies (Top-Up and Weekend) for GIJ diploma graduates
One-Year M.A. in Journalism, Public Relations, Media Management And Development Communication
DIPLOMA IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES
The Diploma Programme consists of communication, social sciences and arts subjects and provides an opportunity for students to develop their potential in any of the specialised areas in communication. Specifically, graduates can further their education or work as professionals in areas such as TV, radio, on-line journalism, wire service, newspaper/ magazine journalism, public relations, advertising or marketing.
BACHELOR OF ARTS IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES
The Degree Programme in Communication Studies offers a concentration of media-focused courses mixed with social science and arts education. It is designed to enable students combine study areas from the social sciences and the arts, with theoretical and practical communication studies.
The programme is organised to give undergraduates a professional choice in either journalism or public relations. Accordingly, all students enrolled in the B.A. Communication Studies degree will pursue one of the following two sequences.
JOURNALISM
Print and Broadcast Journalism
The journalism programme prepares students for careers in broadcasting, on-line journalism, photo-journalism, and print media.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Public Relations / Advertising and Marketing
The PR programme prepares students for careers in public affairs, corporate relations management, and community affairs practice, as well as advertising, marketing, customer services, and others.
TWO-YEAR B.A. IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES (TOP-UP)
The Institute also runs a two-year programme starting from level 300. The objective of this programme is to afford the Institute’s past students who hold the Diploma certificate to further their education in Communication Studies.
CERTIFICATE COURSES (SHORT COURSES)
The Institute offers short courses for practitioners and the general public in communication-related areas. The courses include:
• Radio and Television Presentation
• Public Relations, Advertising and Marketing
• Advanced Advertising
• Advanced Public Relations
• Advanced Communications
• Advance Marketing
• Broadcast Journalism
• Action and Strategic Planning
• Radio Journalism
• T.V. Journalism
• Writing Skills
• Photo-Journalism
• Contemporary English Language
• Events Management
• Customer Care
• Writing for Newspapers & Magazines
• Effective Public Speaking, Speech Writing and Presentation
SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES AND RESEARC
THE PROGRAMMES ALIGNMENT WITH THE MISSION OF THE INSTITUTE
Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) was established in 1959 to turn out highly academic and professional communicators for the industry and society. In 2006, Ghana’s Parliament enacted Act 717 which gave the Institute full tertiary status under the Ministry of Education. The Masters programmes are Journalism, Public Relations, Media Management and Development Communication. They are to turn out highly effective and efficient postgraduate professionals in these specialised fields. These middle-level professionals will add more quality and technological innovations to the changing trends in the industry. In all, this programme will assist expand the frontiers of democratic governance and stimulate investment as well as the development of highly skilled self-motivated individuals who will inject greater efficiency into the various layers of our national development.
A strong motivation in designing this programme is to reduce the financial resources spent by the Government of Ghana, corporate entities and individuals to educate such professionals and students outside the country. For example, in the United Kingdom and the United States, a one-year postgraduate programme in any of the four specialised programmes costs (including living expenses) between $25, 000-$30,000. With the award of a Presidential Charter, GIJ is well positioned to award its own degrees, diplomas and certificates. In line with the vision, mission and new trends in an emerging economy, the introduction of postgraduate programmes has the capacity to meet national challenges and address the inadequacies in the media, journalism and communication industry.
POST-GRADUATE PROGRAMMES
M.A. IN JOURNALISM
This is a 12-month Master of Arts Degree programme. The focus is to train people from diverse backgrounds to apply and utilise concepts and models of journalism within the broad social science traditions of media and communication. We also recognise that journalism teaching and practice is assuming complex dimension due to the increasing deployment of technological tools. The application of digital revolution to journalism practice with its attendant variety offered by the internet via social media is defying the original notions of journalism practice. As the pioneer institution which blazed the trail in providing both pedagogic and didactic services to students and professionals across the discipline, the time has come for G.I.J. to diversify the field.
M.A. IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
As in the case of the Master’s in Journalism, the postgraduate programme in Public Relations is a one-year programme. The thrust of the programme is to develop the manpower potential of this brand of professionals to utilise public relations strategies in their organisations. It is also to bridge an intellectual gap. This void is the inability of our communication training institutions to focus on the specialised skills development and training of public relations practitioners. In the modern globalised democratic system, communication processes and even election campaigns have become sophisticated and complex phenomena in both developing and the established democracies. The adoption of integrated communications, marketing, organisational behaviour, crisis management and advertising among others are crucial to effective public relations work.
M.A. IN MEDIA MANAGEMENT
A postgraduate programme in media management is a virgin area ready to be tapped since this critical resource training is unavailable at the local level. When implemented, it will provide higher skills acquisition and knowledge to the men and women who are managing the media as well as the future generation of media practitioners aspiring to become media owners and managers. As Ghana’s constitutional democracy is crystallising, it is incumbent on the various players in the media industry to scale new heights by inculcating good management practices into the industry. This greater efficiency will make them remain relevant and financially solvent in order to contribute to the building of liberal democratic architecture. A Master’s Degree in Media Management is essential to professional development of the media and its sustainability.
M.A. IN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION
Driving force behind the introduction of this specialised field in communication is accentuated by the need to fill an intellectual and professional gap identified in educational and national development. Beside, rapid developments in communications technology and infrastructure are driving new agendas among development agencies for \\\\\\\\”knowledge transfer\\\\\\\\” and the use of information to support improvements in governance and access to opportunities for more secured livelihoods. Debates over accelerated development and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are better situated if we apply the nuances of development communication to build this understanding through a critical analysis of communication theory and practice within development contexts.
Aims and Objectives
Specifically, the programmes aim to:
- Provide a wide-ranging training, education, in-depth knowledge and aptitude to pursue a successful journalism career.
- Balance practical, theoretical, technical and analytical elements and skills to address the changing media environment and critical journalism across evolving media platforms.
- Equip graduates with the high-level research skills essential to all kinds of journalism and solid appreciation of the ethical and legal issues in the profession.
- Develop and write efficiently and clearly about public events and public issues.
- Ensure an in-depth understanding of local government and the public policy process and be able to write in both report and feature story forms and be a critical and analytical observer of local and international publics and policy processes.
- Develop a critical understanding of professional communication through the application of contemporary research and theory to public relations and related contexts.
- Examine modes of communicative practice including informative, persuasive, creative, promotional, digital and interpersonal discourses and to engage ethically with publics and communities.
- Develop the basic analytical skills for management, including fundamental concepts and principles from various management disciplines and the use and application of these skills.
- Provide an understanding of the economic, political and social environments in which business operates.
- Develop the capacity of the student to execute relevant quality changes in newsroom management and of content-driven research application.
- Develop skills necessary for effective decision-making in a business environment and in-depth knowledge of management contexts.
- Offer students a broad and thorough training to become active managers and technical supervisors.
- Develop a critical understanding of communication theory and the practical application of communication media in development contexts.
- Strengthen professional competence in the design, planning and management of information and knowledge interventions.
- Develop skills in designing, planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating communication strategies that accompany development policy interventions.
- Develop competency in project planning and implementation for development projects as well as the centrality of communication as a strategic management element in the design and implementation of development interventions and projects.
- Understand how to use development communication to influence, manage and disseminate information relating to development, communication policy, technological change, audiences etc.
Students’ Admission, Progression and Graduation Admission Requirements:
First Degree from a reputable university with minimum of Second Class Lower.
Students from non-English speaking countries must also meet a minimum level of English Language Proficiency.
a) Students’ Progression and Graduation Course Duration: 12 Months Total Credits Required: 60 Credits
To be awarded a Master’s degree a candidate must:
Obtain 51 credits at 50% or above in the taught courses
Have satisfactorily completed all course requirements (seminars and internships)
Achieve a mark of 50% or above in the dissertation
Mode of Delivery: Lectures, Laboratory sessions, Discussions, Seminars, Small Group Work