Anadolu University Faculty of Communication Sciences was established in 1972. It was first named the Institute of Education with Closed Circuit Academic Television in that year and the very first students were admitted in the 1977-1978 Academic Year. At the beginning, the education was in the field of cinema and television, so the name of the school was first changed to the School of Cinema and Television and then, in 1979, to the School of Education and Instruction with Television. One year later, in 1980, it became the Faculty of Communication Sciences. In 1982, it was expanded to include departments Advertising and Public Relations, Journalism, Communication. In this new restructuring, it became a part of the Open Education Faculty. In 1991, a new identity took form as the Institute of Communication Sciences as a part of Anadolu University, and it gained a new status as the Faculty of Communication Sciences in 1992.
Information About the Department
Department of Journalism was founded in 1983. Among its major areas of focus, other than communication and culture, are photography, CAD (Computer Assisted Design), journalism, radio and television reporting. The department offers both theoretical and applied courses on how to collect, write, design, and print news items and how to encode and interpret the news content. In their senior year, students take radio programming and broadcasting courses, which subsequently leads to a project of an applied study so they can have the opportunity to exploit their theoretical knowledge. In addition, it also focuses on the economic, political and social aspects of the media as a social institution. The guiding educational philosophy of the department has been to train students as qualified professionals of the global knowledge society.The faculty members serve as facilitators of the learning process, and students take major responsibility for their own learning. The department has close relationships with the business environment, and this collaboration is reflected on training of students. When they graduate, the students of the department become eligible to be reporters, page designers or news programmers in different areas of the mass media such as local/national newspapers, newsagents, public/private radio stations and Internet applications.
The department is located within the Faculty of Communication Sciences on the Yunus Emre Campus, which is the main campus of Anadolu University.
Currently 2 professors, 4 associate professor, 11 assistant professors, 2 instructors, and 7 research assistants are working in the department. There are also external faculty members teaching some of the undergraduate courses.
The decisions related with the department are made by the department board which is composed of all faculty members in the department. The department is governed by one chair and one deputy chair. In addition, several faculty members serve as coordinators for various programs and activities.
PURPOSE
The department aims to equip students with academic skills that contribute to scientific studies and to provide theoretical knoledge and practical information that will be useful in students professional life after graduation.
PROGRAMS OFFERED
The department offers Bachelor of Arts (BA), Master's of Arts (MA) and Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) programs. The degrees from postgraduate programs are awarded by the Graduate School of Social Sciences. For M.A. and Ph.D. programs, the university and department announce their requirements for selecting students. Certain grades from central exams such as TOEFL and LES (Gradute Studies Exam) and G.P.A. are applied to the applicants before they can be placed to M.A. and Ph.D. programs.
B.A. (Bachelor of Art)
All undergraduate students are selected through the University Entrance Examination (OSS) which is administered nationally by the Student Selection and Placement Center (OSYM). Every year, approximately 50 students are accepted to the department. New students must attend the English Preparatory School for one year or get exempted from foreign languages classes based on high performance. Those who pass the ESL test can register for the departmental courses. Normal duration of study is 4 years for an average student, but it is possible to complete the program a little bit earlier or later due to the credit system. Students have to take and pass all the necessary courses and reach a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.00 in order to graduate from the department. Those who graduate successfully are awarded a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree. The medium of teaching is Turkish, but some courses are taught in English.
M.A. (Master of Art)
Graduates of any four-year undergraduate program can apply for the masters program. However, they must have an acceptable LES (Graduate Record Examination) score before their application. Those who come from a non-communication field attend the Academic Deficiency Program first. Students in the M.A. program are required to complete at least 21 semester-credits and a thesis. They can register for the courses with the approval of the graduate adviser. Those who complete the master?s program successfully are awarded an MA degree by the Graduate School of Social Sciences.
Ph.D. (Doctorate of Philosophy)
Students who hold a masters degree in any field can apply for the Ph.D. program. Graduates of four-year undergraduate programs can also apply for the integrated graduate degree which covers both master?s and doctoral studies. However, all applicants must submit an acceptable LES (Graduate Record Examination) score during their application. Those who come from a non-communication background attend the Academic Deficiency Program first. They can register for the courses with the approval of the graduate adviser. Doctoral students are required to complete at least 21 semester-credits and a thesis. The students will conduct original research and prepare a dissertation, then make an oral defense of their completed research. Those who complete the doctoral program successfully are awarded a Ph.D. degree by the Graduate School of Social Sciences.
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
The followings are examples from research topics that have been incestigated by members of the department.
INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS
Faculty members and students of the department often participate in research activities. The academic staff is well-trained in various research methodologies and statistical techniques. They conduct both quantitative and qualitative research
The department is part of the international collaborations and partnerships established by Anadolu University. Particularly in recent years, Anadolu University has signed partnership agreements with a number of universities in Europe and the United States.
Students are required to take at least several courses on research methodologies and complete basic or applied studies before graduating from the department.
FACILITIES
The Faculty of Communication Sciences has two computer laboratories, one for IBM and the other for Macintosh. These laboratories serve the students of all departments in the faculty. There are 25 computers in each, and computer-related courses are taught in these laboratories. Outside the class hours, students can use the computer laboratories for their individual work. Both computer laboratories have Internet connection and the university gives a free password to each student.
Library
Anadolu University has a central library that students of all departments can use, and this library is one of the best in Turkey, particularly in the field of communication. All the major books and periodicals are available in the library. The library also owns a rich inventory of audio-visual materials for student use.
Reading and Viewing Room
Students can read daily newspapers and important periodicals in this room. They can also view and check out audio-visual materials such as audio-cassettes, CDs, video-cassettes, and DVDs. The necessary equipment to use them is also available in the viewing room.
Newspaper Room
Students may use the newspaper room to complete their studies for the student newspaper. All computers in this room is sufficient for their needs.
Photography Laboratory
Students has opportunity to use the 46m² studio and 2 B/Wdark rooms.
The technical equipments are listed below;
14 Enlarger ( 3 of them are Multigrade)
30 SLR 35mm Camera ( Pentax K1000)
10 SLR 35mm Camera ( Minolta X370s
50 Various Lenses For 35 mm SLR Cameras ( from28mm to 300mm)
2 Medium Format Camera (Mamiya RB67)
4 Lenses for Mamiya RB67 (from 50mm to 145mm)
3 600 Watt Lighting Unit for Studio Photography
Various Accessories for Lighting Units like Software Boxes etc.
Radio Studio
Students can use the student radio studio for producing projects for their practical courses or for their personal projects.
Other
The Faculty of Communication Sciences has a well-equipped television studio, fixed and portable TV cameras, editing rooms, cameras,and professional voice-recorders for news gathering. These facilities can be used by all the faculty members and students with advanced notice to responsible attendants.
AWARDS
The research performed by the faculty members of the department has been appreciated and rewarded by various professional organizations. The faculty members are highly recognized in their respective fields and selected to editorial boards of scientific journals and review committees of professional conferences.