Undergraduate Catalog

2007-08 Academic Year

Department of Radio, Television and Film

Main Departmental Office
Radio, TV, Film and Performing Arts Building, Room 262
P.O. Box 310589
Denton, TX 76203-0589
(940) 565-2537
Fax: (940) 369-7838

E-mail: RTVF@unt.edu

Web site: www.rtvf.unt.edu

C. Melinda Levin, Chair

Faculty

Professors Albarran, Craig, B. Levin. Associate Professors Benshoff, Goplerud, C. M. Levin, Sauls. Assistant Professors Liu, Park. Lecturers Campbell, Cook, Larke-Walsh, Slocum, Watkins.

Introduction

Electronic media and motion pictures play an increasingly important role in the lives of many people. Most Americans spend a great deal of time listening to the radio, watching television and going to the movies. Many report that these media provide their chief source of entertainment, news and information. For this reason, radio, television and film production constitute important areas of study. Whether a student plans a career in the media industries or simply wishes to have a more meaningful understanding of the cultural impact of these media products, a liberal arts education is required. The major in radio, television and film provides a comprehensive background, along with a focused study of electronic media and film.

Many students’ first thought when considering an RTVF major is the area of production. Although production is an important and necessary part of the degree program, students will also study the history of the media, the structure and economic basis of the industry, writing in the particular forms required by the media, and other topics. Essential for the well-educated RTVF major is the development of a keen understanding of how the media industries work, how their products are created, and the cultural impact these products have both on our own society and those of other countries.

Programs of Study

The department offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the following areas:

• Bachelor of Arts,
• Master of Arts,
• Master of Science, and
• Master of Fine Arts, all with a major in radio/television/film;
• Bachelor of Arts with a major in electronic news (offered in conjunction with the Department of Journalism).

Admission to the Major

Only active RTVF pre-majors (PRTF) and RTVF majors (including electronic news majors) can take RTVF courses. Entering freshmen and transfer students will be listed as PCAS (Pre Arts and Sciences) prior to active pre-major status and will be advised by the RTVF department. Admission to the university or to pre-major status does not guarantee admission to the RTVF or electronic news major. To be classified as an active pre-major (PRTF):

a. Entering freshmen with no college credit must successfully complete at least 12 hours of university core requirements with a UNT GPA of 2.5 or better. (Electronic news majors must first pass the GSP- Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation- exam and have a UNT GPA of 2.75 or better.) Upon completion of this requirement, a student may apply to the RTVF department to activate pre-major status and become eligible to enroll in pre-major RTVF courses.

b. Transfer students with college credit must transfer a minimum of 12 university core hours accepted by UNT with a grade of 2.5 or better.
(Electronic news majors must first pass the GSP (Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation) exam and have a UNT GPA of 2.75 or better). Students who do not meet this requirement must take at least enough core-required courses at UNT that, when added to the transferred hours, will meet the minimum of 12 hours with a GPA of 2.5 or better. (2.75 for the major in electronic news) Upon completion of this requirement, a student may apply to the RTVF department to activate pre-major status and become eligible to enroll in required pre-major RTVF courses.

The RTVF department has a pre-major requirement, which must be fulfilled before a student can apply for RTVF/electronic news major status. Before applying for RTVF major status, a pre-major must first:

1. Complete at least 45 hours of college courses including:

a. the RTVF computer requirement;

b. the College of Arts and Sciences BA communication requirement;

c. the BA English composition requirement with a grade of C or better;

d. the College of Arts and Sciences math requirement (at least 3 credits of approved course work above College Algebra, except MATH 1350);

e. the foreign language requirement at least through the 1020 level (or the placement equivalent); and

f. RTVF courses 1310, 1320 and 2210 with a grade of C or better (Electronic news major: RTVF 1310 or JOUR 1210; RTVF 2210; JOUR 2310 with a grade of C or better). Students earning less than a C in any one of the RTVF or JOUR courses will be allowed to repeat that course only once. Students failing to earn a C or better on the second attempt will not be allowed to repeat RTVF 1310, RTVF 1320, RTVF 2210, JOUR 1210, or JOUR 2310 for a third time and will lose their PRTF status in the department.

2. RTVF/electronic news majors must maintain a UNT GPA of 2.5. Electronic news majors must maintain a UNT GPA of 2.75. Students whose GPAs fall below these standards will be informed of their status by the RTVF department and will not be able to take any classes in the RTVF department until they return their UNT GPA to the applicable standard.

Admission to the RTVF or electronic news major is on a space-available basis and is highly competitive. A student may apply for RTVF or electronic news major status during the semester that he or she will complete the RTVF/electronic news major requirements. The number of new majors admitted each semester is limited by available resources and not all pre-majors who apply will be awarded RTVF or electronic news major status. Admission to the RTVF or electronic news major is based on review of a candidate’s formal application by the RTVF Admission Committee. Students who wish to become RTVF/electronic news majors should contact the RTVF department office prior to each semester’s deadline to obtain an application. The deadline for application will be announced each semester. Applications are reviewed soon after the deadline by the RTVF Admissions Committee, and those students admitted to the major will be allowed to register for major courses for the following semester. A holistic review by the RTVF Admissions Committee of applications for RTVF or electronic news major status will include:

• Overall UNT GPA.
• Grades in RTVF pre-major courses.
• Previous paid or volunteer work related to RTVF.
• Maturity, leadership and creative talent as demonstrated in class.
• Other circumstances.

Note: Pre-majors will not be able to register for any upper-level RTVF courses until active full-major status is attained. RTVF majors must maintain a UNT GPA of 2.5 to graduate. Electronic news majors must maintain a UNT GPA of 2.75 to graduate.

Bachelor of Arts with a major in Radio, Television and Film

Degree Requirements

1. Hours Required and General/College Requirements: A minimum of 128 semester hours, of which 42 must be advanced, and fulfillment of degree requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree as specified in the “General University Requirements” in the Academics section of this catalog and the College of Arts and Sciences requirements.

Students interested in a major in RTVF must apply to the department after successfully completing the pre-major requirements specified under “Admission to the RTVF Major,” above.

2. Major Requirements: Students must complete
45 hours (at least 33 advanced) in the major, including RTVF 1310, 1320 and 2210; 3 hours advanced credit in RTVF writing course, RTVF 2010; 6 hours of advanced credit in production and performance courses selected from RTVF 3210, 3220, 3230, 3300, 3350, 3440, 3482, 3483, 3501, 3502, 3650, 3750, 4140, 4411, 4412, 4413, 4740, 4750, 4760, 4810 or 4820; 6 hours of advanced credit in industry studies courses selected from: RTVF 4320,4325, 4330, 4420, 4430, 4440, 4450, 4455, 4510, 4670 or 4850; 6 hours of advanced credit in history or criticism courses selected from: RTVF 3450, 3470, 3475, 3610, 4110, 4120, 4200, 4340, 4410, 4415, 4550 or 4660; and 15 hours of advanced RTVF electives. No more than 9 hours of RTVF practicum, internship or special problem courses may be applied to the 45 hours of RTVF courses required for the degree. All RTVF students must take RTVF 2010, Introduction to RTVF Writing, to fulfill the writing requirement.

3. Other Course Requirements: All prospective RTVF majors must complete at least 3 hours of college-level computer course work. This requirement may be met by satisfactory completion of any of the following: CSCE 1010, Introduction to Computer Science, or any other 3 hour CSCE course; CECS 1100, Computer Applications; BCIS 2610, Introduction to Computers in Business; or by transfer of a similar college-level computer course approved by the department.

4. Minor: Optional.

5. Electives: See four-year plan.

6. Other Requirements: Only 12 hours of RTVF courses taken at other institutions may be applied toward the 45-hour requirement.

Students majoring in radio/television/film are required to have a minimum grade of C in all RTVF courses to graduate. Students may have only two attempts for a grade of C or better for each RTVF course.

Students must observe prerequisites for each RTVF course. If a student has not completed prerequisites for a course with a grade of C or better, the student is subject to administrative drop from the course without notice. Prerequisites are listed with individual course descriptions.

Because of the high demand for many RTVF courses, students who miss the first class without consent of the instructor are subject to be dropped from the course so that other students may be added. Students who must miss the first day of class because of illness or some other acceptable excuse should notify the department office the day of the absence.

Students may register for only one section of a course at a time. Students registered for more than one section of a course will be dropped from all sections of that course without notice. The policy does not apply to courses such as special topics, which may bear the same course number but are different courses.

Aural competency in distinguishing discrete sounds, and visual competency in distinguishing shapes, forms, colors and movements are required to complete RTVF critical studies courses. Additional visual competency to utilize studio and location equipment and manual dexterity to operate equipment are required to complete RTVF production courses. Articulation competency to achieve broadcast industry standards may be required. Specific competency and departmental approval for internship, seminar and special problems courses are required.

Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Electronic News

Electronic news is a new major, shared between the Department of Journalism and the Department of Radio, Television and Film. The new major prepares UNT students for professional careers in television, radio and Internet-based news operations on the local, national and international levels, plus careers in corporate and multi-channel television.

The major integrates a broad and thorough overview of the ever-changing electronic news media, with intermediate and advanced courses in writing and reporting for radio, television and the Internet; interviewing and performance; shooting and editing for television; television and radio news producing; news media analysis; electronic news management; plus classes in legal and ethical issues and covering cross-cultural communities. Students further develop their skills through NTTV, KNTU-FM, NT Daily and their web sites. An optional certificate in television news producing is also available within the major.

To qualify, students must successfully complete the GSP (Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation test), and must complete at least 45 hours of college courses before applying for major status (see “Admission to the Major” above). Pre-major courses must be completed with a minimum 2.75 GPA before applying for major status. Students must have and maintain a minimum 2.75 GPA in all university courses to complete this major.

Degree Requirements

1. Hours Required and General/College Requirements: A minimum of 128 semester hours, of which 42 must be advanced, and fulfillment of degree requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree as specified in the “General University Requirements” in the Academics section of this catalog and the College of Arts and Sciences requirements.

Students interested in the major in electronic news must apply to the department after successfully completing the following pre-major requirements:
9 hours from RTVF 1310 or JOUR 1210; RTVF 2210; JOUR 2310.

2. Major Requirements: Students must complete
36 hours in the major, including 18 hours of
RTVF 3560, 4455; JOUR 2340, 3325, 3340, 3430;
and 9 additional hours of electives selected from the following: RTVF 3330, 3482, 3501, 3502, 4130, 4320, 4430, 4445, 4450, 4480, 4850; JOUR 4210, 4250.

3. Other Course Requirements: All prospective electronic news majors must complete at least
3 hours of college-level computer course work. This requirement may be met by satisfactory completion of any of the following: CSCE 1010, Introduction to Computer Science, or any other 3 hour CSCE course; CECS 1100, Computer Applications;
BCIS 2610, Introduction to Computers in Business; or by transfer of a similar college-level computer course approved by the department.

4. Minor: Optional.

5. Electives: See four-year plan.

6. Other Requirements: Only 12 hours of RTVF/JOUR courses taken at other institutions may be applied toward the major.

Students majoring in radio/television/film are required to have a minimum grade of C in all RTVF/JOUR courses to graduate. Students may have only two attempts for a grade of C or better for each RTVF/JOUR course.

Students must observe prerequisites for each RTVF/JOUR course. If a student has not completed prerequisites for a course with a grade of C or better, the student is subject to administrative drop from the course without notice. Prerequisites are listed with individual course descriptions.

Because of the high demand for many RTVF/JOUR courses, students who miss the first class without consent of the instructor are subject to be dropped from the course so that other students may be added. Students who must miss the first day of class because of illness or some other acceptable excuse should notify the department office the day of the absence.

Students may register for only one section of a course at a time. Students registered for more than one section of a course will be dropped from all sections of that course without notice. The policy does not apply to courses such as special topics, which may bear the same course number but are different courses.

Specific competency and departmental approval for internship, seminar and special problems courses are required.

Suggested Minors for BA with a Major in Radio/Television/Film

Students majoring in radio/television/film may choose a minor field of study. Suggested minors coordinated with student career goals are art/photography (for career in film), business (broadcast advertising, marketing, sales and management), drama (production/performance), education (instructional media), journalism (broadcast news and documentary) and social sciences (general).

Television News Producing Certificate

This interdepartmental certificate program is open to students majoring in RTVF, journalism or electronic news. Interested students must apply and be admitted into the restricted television news producing certificate program. Students must complete 15 hours in RTVF and journalism (JOUR 2340, 3325; RTVF 1310, 2210 and 4850) plus one 3 hour elective course (from RTVF 4320, 4430; JOUR 3340 or 3430) for a total of 18 credit hours. Both departments recommend an internship in a professional news operation (radio, television, web, etc.) to supplement the program, although the internship is not required for completion of the certificate.

Certificate in Media Management

This certificate is designed to provide students interested in non-production careers a credential that will be useful in seeking entry-level employment in the electronic media industry. Required courses are RTVF 4430 and 4670; plus two courses selected from a list of approved courses: RTVF 4320, 4410 (when taught as “Radio in Britain”), 4420, 4450 (when taught as “Television in Britain”) and 4460.

Graduate Degrees

The department offers degree programs leading to the Master of Fine Arts, Master of Arts and Master of Science. For information, consult the Graduate Catalog.

KNTU-FM

Radio station KNTU-FM, broadcasting at 100,000 watts on 88.1 MHz, serves the McKinney–Denton–Dallas–Fort Worth area daily from 6 a.m. to midnight with educational, information and entertainment programming. All students at UNT are eligible to work at KNTU, where they can learn skills in radio production, programming and station administration. More information is available at www.kntu.fm.

North Texas Television

North Texas Television (NTTV) is a student operated cable television channel where students learn to produce video programs on a wide range of topics and formats including news, sports, public affairs and entertainment. All students at UNT are eligible to work at NTTV.

Organizations

The department participates actively as an institutional member of the Broadcast Education Association, the University Film and Video Association, the Texas Association of Broadcast Educators, and the Radio Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) student chapter.

Scholarships

The Department of Radio, Television and Film scholarships are awarded each year in the spring semester. Information for applications is posted in early March. Scholarship money is applied toward tuition in the fall term/semester.

Cindy Coyle Memorial Scholarship is an academic scholarship for a student in the Department of Radio, Television and Film who has expressed a career interest specifically in radio.

Edwin L. Glick Scholarship is an academic scholarship award to recognize demonstrated excellence and promise in the study of broadcasting and cable at the University of North Texas.

First Broadcasting RTVF Scholarship is an academic scholarship for a student in the Department of Radio, Television and Film who has demonstrated an interest in radio broadcasting as a career through participation with either KNTU or off-campus internships.

Kathleen Woodby Scholarship is a scholarship for undergraduate students in the Department of Radio, Television and Film.

Mark Rybczyk Scholarship is a fund to support undergraduate students in the Department of Radio, Television and Film who have demonstrated merit, motivation and talent with the means to complete their education at the University of North Texas.

Paramount Pictures Undergraduate Scholarship is an academic scholarship award to recognize demonstrated excellence and promise in the study and production of electronic media and film at the University of North Texas.

Staples Graduate Scholarship is an academic scholarship awarded to a graduate student in the Department of Radio, Television and Film.

Westcott Foundation Scholarship is a fund to support undergraduate students in the Department of Radio, Television and Film who have demonstrated merit, motivation and talent with the means to complete their education at the University of North Texas.

Requirements

1. Meet minimum entrance and academic performance standards of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Radio, Television and Film.

2. Students must be enrolled for at least 12 hours of study in both the spring and fall terms/semesters.

3. Enroll as full-time undergraduate major in the Department of Radio, Television and Film.

4. Minimum of 60 hours of course work toward a degree completed at the time of application.

5. Minimum GPA of 3.0 for courses taken at UNT.

Application

Applications are accepted in the spring term/semester after the call for applications is posted. An application must include the student’s name, ID number, hours completed through fall of the previous year, UNT GPA, overall GPA and name of an RTVF faculty familiar with your work. The following questions need to be addressed in a typed letter of application:

1. What are your professional goals upon graduation from UNT?

2. How have you prepared to accomplish these goals through your education and outside activities?

3. How will this award help you accomplish your goals?

Elizabeth L. and Russell F. Hallberg Foundation Scholarship

This fund provides scholarships for Jarvis Christian College students attending the university under a joint degree program with the College of Arts and Sciences departments of journalism and radio, television and film.

Requirements

1. Meet minimum entrance and academic performance standards of Jarvis Christian College, the University of North Texas College of Arts and Sciences and the departments of journalism and radio, television and film.

2. Students must be enrolled for at least 12 hours of study in both the spring and fall terms/semesters.

3. Enroll as full-time undergraduate major in the Department of Radio, Television and Film.

4. Minimum of 60 hours of course work toward a degree completed at the time of application.

5. Minimum UNT GPA of 3.0.

Courses of Instruction

All Courses of Instruction are located in one section at the back of this catalog.

Course and Subject Guide

The “Course and Subject Guide,” found in the Courses of Instruction section of this book, serves as a table of contents and provides quick access to subject areas and prefixes.

Date of initial release: July 1, 2007  —  Copyright © 2007 University of North Texas
Page updated: September 5, 2007 — Comments or corrections: catalog@unt.edu

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