Journalism section in Tbilisi State University was established in 1949 with the leadership of by-then Rector and academician Niko Ketskhoveli. Academic department of Journalist was established in 1953. Since 1960 Russian sector also became available. In 1979 it transformed as a Faculty of Journalism. In 2005 it joined the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences.
Since 2011 the department of Journalism and Mass Communications offers BA programme in Georgian and bilingual Georgian-Russian BA programme; MA programmes in “Media and New Technologies” and “Mass Communication and Media Studies”, as well as PhD programme in “Mass Communication” in Georgian and English.
At various levels of study, the department offers general faculty and elective and compulsory courses specializing in the field of journalism, covering priority directions of contemporary media and mass communication. BA programme offers theoretical and practical courses necessary for Journalist training, such as: “Intro to Journalism and Mass Communication”, „ Online Media”, “TV and Radio Media”, “Mass Communication Theories”, “History of Journalism”, “Media Research Methods”, “Local Media – Watchdog for Local Government”, “Converged Newsroom – Work for Media Platforms”, “Audio-visual Arts,” Media Coverage courses about elections, children-related issues, politics, culture, etc. and many more.
Along with theoretical learning the students continuously gain practical experience – during their learning process they publish magazines and newspapers, create audio, video and online media product. Faculty’s multimedia center offers students hands-on experience.
Together with learning in TSU, the Students of Journalism and Mass Communication Department gain important professional experience with internship credit courses organized at various media-channels. Department’s collaboration with different media outlets supports students’ employment and qualification enhancement.
Department’s academic personnel and invited lecturers are not only media researchers and practitioners of this field, but as well professionals from the fields of economics, political science, arts, law, etc. Various professors, journalism and mass communication researchers from foreign universities and research centers are involved in delivering the MA and PhD programmes.
Our MA and PhD programmes aim at generating new knowledge and experience in Journalism and Mass Communication, bringing up future researchers of this academic field.
Journalism and Mass Communication represent multidimensional and multidisciplinary fields; therefore, media and mass communication studies are approached in a most up-to-date fashion at our department – we encourage interdisciplinary teaching and learning.