Bachelor of Arts in Journalism (BA (Journ))
The programme prepares students to work in Journalism field. Its content is adequate to achieve the learning outcomes and it builds-up gradually from simple to complex concepts, theories and knowledge. All students joining the programme do eight (8) 100 series core courses and one (1) elective course when they are in the first level. These are foundational courses. One of the courses is practical (OJO 124 Practicum) on News Writing or Broadcasting. Four courses at this level are taught by other departments, these include OCP 100 Introduction to Microcomputer Studies and Information Technology; OFC 017 Communication Skills; OPR 121 Critical Thinking and Argumentation; and ODS 101A Concepts and Theories of Social Development. Among core courses five have one unit each and three have two units each while the two electives have one unit each.
In their second year they do nine (9) courses one of these is practical (OJO 220 Practicum). Three of these courses have one unit each and six have two units each. These 200 series courses prepare them for specialization. Students choose the areas of specialization which include photojournalism, print media journalism and broadcasting. In their third level they do six courses whereby one of these is a practical course (OJO 320 Practicum) on News Writing or Broadcasting and there is also dissertation (OJO 325 Dissertation). Four courses at this level have two units each, one has one unit and the dissertation has five units. Therefore, the programme has a total of 24 courses where 22 are core and two are electives. All the courses, except those taught by other departments, are journalism oriented. For the student to obtain a degree of the Bachelor of Arts in Journalism has to pass all the courses covered in three levels and at least must attain a total of 36 OUT units which are equivalent to 360 TCU credits.
Programme Summary
Programme Informations
For the student to be admitted into the Bachelor of Arts in Journalism must fulfil general University Entry requirements plus the Faculty requirements. The general University Entry Requirements for the various categories are:
Option I
- Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (C.S.E.E.) or East African Certificate of Education (Ordinary Level) or equivalent, with passes in FIVE approved subjects, obtained prior to the sitting of the Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (A.C.S.E.E.) or equivalent. And
One of the following combinations of passes in Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (A.C.S.E.E.) or equivalent;
Either
(i) Two principal Level passes (in appropriate subjects) or
(ii) An appropriate equivalent Diploma/Certificate approved by the Senate of The Open University of Tanzania.
(iii) Any Two or more Principal Level Passes plus ‘O’ Level credit passes in History, Kiswahili and English. A Pass on the subjects at O-level but a good principal at A-level may be considered or an appropriate equivalent Diploma/Certificate in Journalism with Credit or Higher Grades.
Option II
Candidates who have satisfied Examiners in the Mature Age Entry Examinations set by recognised university will be considered for admission. Written evidence of a satisfactory pass will be essential.
Option III
Candidates who do not qualify under options I and II may register for Foundation Courses (OFC) offered by The Open University of Tanzania. Those who pass examinations set at the end of the course will be eligible for registration for the Bachelor of Arts in Journalism degree programme.
Option IV
Candidates with awards from other Institutions of Higher Learning will be considered on their own merits. These include a degree or an advanced Diploma in relevant field. More information on the admission criteria can be from the Open University of Tanzania, Prospectus 2015/2016 (http://www.out.ac.tz)
Table 1: Number of Courses and Units to be covered by Journalism Students
Level | Number of Courses | Number of Units | Equivalent to TCU Credits |
1 | 9 | 12 | 120 |
2 | 9 | 16 | 160 |
3 | 6 | 14 | 140 |
Payments are done per unit where as one unit costs 60,000. In addition to tuition fee, students will be required to pay other charges like examination fees, essential reference books, stationaries and other related costs for attending practical sessions.
| NAME | CONTACTS |
Bujo Ambosisye | Phone number: +255 712 524 825 Email:bujo.ambosisye@out.ac.tz |
The programme is expected to produce graduates who will be able to examine, evaluate and apply diverse theoretical concepts, approaches and theories of journalism and mass communication such as civic journalism and agenda setting among others. This will help the creation of news that aim not only at informing and entertaining but also giving the public information that will help them realise their rights and responsibilities as citizens and how they should participate into socio-political and economic activities for the betterment of the country. This will create an environment whereby the public will not only be perceived as mere consumers of news but as responsible citizens with real concerns that need to be addressed
The distribution of marks for each course is 30% for Main Timed Test (MTT) and 70% for Annual Examination (AE). At the end of each academic year, a student failing a course or more than one course is allowed to take a supplementary examination in the failed subject(s). If the student fails again after doing supplementary examinations is given a chance to repeat the course. A pass in supplementary and repeat examination is recorded as ‘C’ whatever the marks scored by the candidate.
