TCU creates business journalism certificate

The Texas Christian University Schieffer School of Journalism has created a business journalism certificate program for students beginning in fall 2013.

The driving factors for creating the certificates were the availability of jobs in the areas and the need for subject-based certificates, in addition to certificates based on media platforms, John Lumpkin, director of the Schieffer School of Journalism, said.

The emphasis in subject changed the way the certificates are earned. Instead of only journalism courses, the certificates will require classes outside of the Schieffer School.

For the business certificate, requirements will include six hours outside of the Schieffer School, with options from business, economic and political science classes.

Just as the market has been changing to accommodate more sports journalists, the market is embracing more business journalists, Dr. Melita Garza, the lead professor for the business journalism proposal, said.

The business journalism certificate was an outgrowth of grants from the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism. The original grant provided for a visiting business journalism professor for one semester. The visiting professor, Karen Blumenthal, author and former bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal, developed the first two business news courses in 2012.

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