CRITERIA AND METHODOLOGY OF QUALITY ASSURANCE

The key goal of Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ESG) in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) is a contribution to a balanced understanding of quality assurance as regards education among states and interested parties, thus enabling the development of both the national and institutional quality assurance system across the area. The engagement in quality assurance processes, external ones in particular, allows respective European higher education systems to show quality and increase transparency, which helps them build mutual trust and secure recognition of their qualifications, programmes, and other services rendered.

For that reason, the quality assurance system policy established at the University of Banja Luka is consistent with the ESG, with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the Higher Education Area of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the Criteria for Accreditation of Higher Education Institutions, with the Law on Higher Education of the Republic of Srpska, and with the Decision on Licensing respectively.

The Law on Higher Education of the Republic of Srpska defines the educational and scientific roles of the University of Banja Luka in accordance with generally acknowledged higher education goals. With regard to this, the mission of the University of Banja Luka is to achieve excellence in its academic efforts and prepare its graduates not only for challenges in their respective professions, but also help them raise awareness concerning their own place in society  and their subsequent involvement in matters of national and international significance. In view of this mission, the Faculty of Political Sciences shares these responsibilities and is dedicated to improving academic knowledge through teaching classes, conducting research, and providing postgraduate education.

In accordance with the aforementioned policy, the Study Programme of Journalism and Communication Studies is designed in such a way as to provide the ultimate quality of education. With regard to that, the Study Programme is in line with the acts of the University of Banja Luka, with the legislation of the Republic of Srpska concerning higher education, with global standards from the area of higher education, and with the practices established at some of the most renowned universities of today.

CONDITIONS FOR TRANSFER FROM OTHER STUDY PROGRAMMES WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE SAME SCIENTIFIC FIELD

Candidates from other study programmes of the University of Banja Luka are allowed to make a transfer to the Study Programme of Journalism and Communication Studies in accordance with the Rulebook on First and Second Cycles Academic Studies at the University of Banja Luka.

Along with an application form for transfer submitted, a candidate is required to present a piece of evidence on their exams passed, that is, academic achievements at the study programme in question. This process is realised prior to the onset of a new academic year, with the decision being made by the Dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences, based on the opinion of the Head of the Study Programme.

The said decision defines the year of study and respective semester the candidate enrolls on, as well as the list of remaining exams to be passed. The duration of studies at the previous study programme is calculated into the overall duration of studies at the Study Programme of Journalism and Communication Studies.

LEARNING OUTCOMES                                                                                                     

The Study Programme of Journalism and Communication Studies featuring a BA in Journalism is structured in such a way that it implies acquiring general and specific knowledge from the respective fields of journalism and communication studies, information science, legal science, political science, culture, philology etc, designed to enable students to pursue their careers in journalism and other similar areas in a competent fashion. Apart from the aforementioned types of knowledge, students attending the Course Route of Multi-Media Journalism are also equipped with general and specific skills necessary for modern-day journalist profession. For that purpose, these learning outcomes are a result of the symbiosis of subjects championing theoretical knowledge and those focused on skills, complemented by practical classes, and numerous subjects offering general perspective on the field. That way, the inter-disciplinary character of the Study Programme serves the needs of the degree obtained and is considered an especially valuable asset. In addition, the basics provided from Serbian, English/German and philosophy and psychology of media, as well as from research methods are yet another important feature in this respect. In the end, these learning outcomes are harmonised with the proclaimed goals of higher education and with journalist competences as depicted by the UNESCO document entitled Model Curricula for Journalism Education, serving as a model for educating future journalists in more than 60 countries and 70 institutions in the world.

The students who gain their BA in Journalism should be capable of the following:

– featuring competences for timely observing and understanding socially significant phenomena, processes, and issues;

– acquiring advanced levels of information science, media, information, and digital literacy;

– featuring knowledge and understanding of the way media and media systems function at micro, meso, and macro levels, of global media-related processes reflected on national media markets, of functions of media, and of the influence of contents disseminated through media;

– featuring skills necessary for producing media contents – writing, research, observation, data collecting, processing, and selecting, editing, dissemination, multi-media presentation, and media contents transposition skills;

– featuring journalist skills necessary for professional engagement in various media companies due to their convergent nature and multi-media production (press, news agencies, radio, television, and digital media);

– acquiring key information science notions crucial for understanding contemporary information-communication systems, such as information, computer systems, information systems, data base, data storage etc;

– featuring knowledge of ethical principles and professional standards in journalism and public communication in general;

– acquiring governing principles of various journalist genres and media formats;

– understanding the role of journalists and media in society, especially in context of their  importance for the process of democratization and in context of international communication and forming public opinion on socially relevant issues;

– featuring knowledge on media policy and media legislation at national and international levels;

– featuring and developing teamwork skills, as well as skills of active listening and  comprehension;

– featuring and developing qualities necessary for proactive agency, creative activity, and innovations in the media industry.

The Study Programme of Journalism and Communication Studies featuring a BA in Communication Studies – Public Relations is specific, since it offers a variety of knowledge profoundly examining the essence of public relations: the role of public relations in the organisational hierarchy of an organisation, how to conduct a survey on public opinion in an effective way, how to define target groups, how to organise a special event, and how to use the power of media for achieving the goals of home institution or company. For that purpose, the Study Programme provides a wide range of subjects introducing a wealth of general knowledge from the fields of political science, sociology, philology, and philosophy, crucial for grasping the idea of society on the whole over the course of the first two years, whereas the remaining curriculum brings to the table a synthesis of interdisciplinary subjects, each of which, in a specific manner, adds to the overall design of the degree in terms of necessary skills and knowledge. That way, skills related to writing for various media and purposes, to shooting video footage, to define scholarly research, to define a public relations strategy, to decide what new media instruments to use on an occasion of public communication etc. are developed. It is important to point out that graduates of the Study Programme gain competences regarding analysis, planning, implementation, and evaluation of campaigns and communication strategies of respective companies, institutions, media, or organisations. Given that, the inter-disciplinary nature of the Study Programme is consistent with the needs of the degree and is considered a valuable asset. Finally, the basics provided from Serbian, English/German and philosophy and psychology of media, as well as from research methods are yet another important feature in this respect.

The students who gain their BA in Communication Studies – Public Relations should be capable of the following:

– featuring knowledge and understanding of the methodology of media functioning, of organisation culture in companies and institutions, of public relations and marketing activities,  of basic communication studies and media notions such as public, media types, media genres, new media etc;

– featuring knowledge and understanding of the process of public relations itself, as regards campaign analysis, planning, implementation, and evaluation, research into public opinion and other interested parties, defining a crisis communication plan, communicating in ethical manner disregarding a client’s interests etc;

– featuring knowledge and understanding of the areas of social life concerning the field of international relations, of political system of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and of intercultural communication, with a view to better understanding targeted public relations;

– classifying the acquired terminology and communication studies processes, theoretical traditions, structure and phenomenology of communication studies, utility value and limitations of communication models, as well as news selection models;

– acquiring fundamental information science notions necessary for understanding concepts of contemporary world, such as information, computer systems, information systems, data bases, data storage etc;

– planning a targeted release by means of electronic media and analysing the impact of the contents released on public;

– featuring knowledge on the methodology of designing practical and scholarly research into public opinion;

– featuring knowledge and understanding of media psychology, of social IT science, of rules guiding writing for new media etc;

– featuring knowledge and skills necessary for selection of appropriate communication strategies, tactics, goals, and public communication means;

– featuring skills of balancing the interests of institution/company with those of public, especially in crisis situations;

– featuring skills of lateral thinking, given the fact that the age of new media requires constant focus on development of innovations that can give a company/institution an edge over the competition;

– featuring skills of establishing quality internal and external communication;

– featuring intellectual capacity for peaceful resolution of crisis situation in a company/institution or in communication with external public;

– featuring and developing teamwork skills, as well as those concerning active listening, understanding, and negotiating;

– developing critical perception of the place and role of public relations both in academic environment (field of information science and communication) and everyday practice, with special emphasis on the relation towards similar scholarly disciplines;

– acquiring knowledge of new communication technologies aimed at managing and organising public relations, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, email marketing, browser optimisation etc.