Ukrainian Catholic University to Start Master’s Program in Journalism

LVIV – The first Ukrainian non-governmental higher educational institute prepares to start a master’s degree program in journalism. Students with a bachelor’s degree in any field can participate in the program.

Unlike the traditional approach, the educational plan of the master’s program of UCU will include a block of worldview disciplines for the students to understand the ethical and moral principles of their chosen profession and the mission and responsibility of a journalist in the modern world.

For example, such courses as Introduction to Journalism: The Mission, Calls, and Prospects of the Profession; Morality and Media; Western Civilization; The New Ukrainian Journalism: Standards of Quality; The Christian Spiritualist in the Post-Modern Age; The History of Ideas; The Church and Social Communication; and so on.

The vice rector of UCU, Taras Dobko, told RISU that the establishment of a two-year master’s program in journalism is a part of the overall conception of UCU’s development and corresponds to the mission of the educational institute.

“For some years now we have had the idea to create such a program. We feel the support of the church in this. His Beatitude  Lubomyr has long talked about the necessity to prepare journalists not only as specialists in a certain field but as universal journalists educated at a high moral and ethical basis, who understand the special role and call of a journalist in the modern society. And our university is called not only to offer a narrow theological education, but also to see the modern problems and respond to the challenges of the society,” noted Mr. Dobko.

It was with such a view that a business school was established at UCU, and now it’s time to develop journalism.

Mr. Dobko highlighted that journalists are not just the executors of someone’s order, not personnel for politicians, as, unfortunately, often happens. When they do their work correctly, they become the fourth estate. These are the kind of specialists UCU wants to train.

The initiative of UCU is supported by the Lviv city government, in particular, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi, who not once has called UCU a good base for such a journalism school.

The initiators of the program plan to create an eastern European springboard for training journalists. “Like Poland once was the laboratory for democracy for Ukraine, we want to be such a laboratory for eastern European schools of journalism. For this we engage international partners and the best Ukrainian specialists in the field,” remarked the vice rector of UCU.

The first step to the introduction of the master’s program is the half year Eastern European School of Media Management which was launched last week at UCU for 30 students from several regions of Ukraine.

In addition, the university began to establish its own modern educational-technical basis including a network of multifunctional computers "newsroom" and a training TV radio studio.

Some of the best professors, as well as practicing journalists and media managers from cities across Ukraine and from Europe and the US, will take part in the educational process.

The first admission of students is planned for the 2010-2011 school year.