The B.A. in Applied Theatre, Film, and Television is an innovative interdisciplinary program that draws on the strengths of longstanding curricula in the School of Liberal Arts, and more specifically, the programs in Communication Studies and English. What began as degrees in Telecommunications and Theatre Arts in the Department of Speech and Theatre, and a degree in Film Studies in the Department of English in 1969, have evolved into cutting-edge programs that reflect current trends in these industries. We combine impactful curricula in Liberal Arts with exceptional and relevant coursework in the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering and the Herron School of Art + Design to offer a comprehensive grounding in the fields represented by this degree.
This program joined the Department of Communication at its formation in 2024.
The Journalism and Public Relations Program in the Department of Communication at IU Indianapolis has its roots in the century-old Indiana University School of Journalism. Today, we combine that journalistic heritage with contemporary public relations and a dynamic urban environment filled with real-world teachers, experiences, jobs, and internships.
The School of Journalism at IU Bloomington became system-wide in the 1980s, responsible for the coordination of journalism education on all eight campuses. Richard G. Gray became dean of the School of Journalism and, alongside associate dean James Brown in Indianapolis, established the School of Journalism as an independent unit. Since 1990, students on both the Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses enroll in the Bachelor of Arts in Journalism (B.A.J.) program.
The Indianapolis program established a master’s degree in Public Relations in 2008 and a master’s degree in Sports Journalism in 2010. After Executive Associate Dean James Brown retired in 2010, Dan Drew was appointed Interim Executive Associate Dean. Drew served until his retirement in 2013. Professor Jonas Bjork was then named the Associate Dean at the School of Journalism in Indianapolis.
In July of 2014, the School of Journalism became a department in the IU School of Liberal Arts in Indianapolis and was named the Department of Journalism and Public Relations. Jonas Bjork was retained to chair the department. Professor Chris Lamb became department chair in 2020 after Bjork retired from the position. After Lamb’s stint as department chair, Dr. Raymond Haberski, Jr. was named interim chair in 2023.
In 2024, the Department of Journalism and Public Relations joined with other related programs to form the Department of Communication, with professors Kristine Karnick and Adam Maksl as co-chairs. In January 2026, Maksl became the sole chair.
The Master of Arts in Sports Journalism, the first graduate program of its kind in the United States, was launched on the IU Indianapolis campus in 2009 on the premise that Indianapolis, known for decades as “The Amateur Sports Capital of the World,” provides superior opportunities for students entering the sports journalism industry.
The M.A. program was created by Tim Franklin, who had been the editor at newspapers in Baltimore, Orlando, and Indianapolis, and Pam Laucella, who continues to serve as Academic Director of the Sports Capital Journalism Program. The director is Malcolm Moran, a former reporter at The New York Times and USA Today and the inaugural Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society at Penn State University.
For more than a decade, the Associated Press Sports Editors have maintained a presence on the IU Indianapolis campus through the Red Smith Hall of Fame, an annual award for meritorious service to sports journalism that has become the highest honor in the industry. The Red Smith Award, named after the Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist at The New York Times, is featured in the Campus Center at IU Indianapolis. APSE has twice conducted the judging for its annual contests in Indianapolis. The APSE Summer Conference is a four-day series of panel discussions and meetings involving leading editors from throughout the nation.
In 2024, the Sports Capital Journalism program joined the newly created Department of Communication to further bolster the program's success.
