Universities and schools
Departments of Journalism function in all major state higher-education institutions. Education is organised under the Bologna system and includes a 4-year bachelor’s programme and a 2-year master’s programme. Annually the republic’s academic institutions graduate about four hundred qualified journalists to the media space. Classical university journalism in Armenia is just over a century old. Yerevan State University (YSU) is the founder of journalistic education in the republic. In 1949, a journalism department was established at the philological faculty of YSU. The Faculty of Journalism of YSU was founded in 1999. The activity of the faculty is conducted by two chairs: Print and Broadcast Media and New Media.
In 1993, the Department of Culture of the Armenian State Pedagogical University named after Khachatur Abovyan created a department of television and radio journalism. Here students gain knowledge both at creative workshops and at theoretical sessions. It has the chairs of Directing Skill, Television and Radio Journalism and Camerawork Skill. Taking into account the teaching process, curriculum, working disciplines, teaching staff, as well as established traditions, the Pedagogical University has traditionally trained resources for Armenian cinema.
Since 1999, the Department of Journalism has also opened at the Russian-Armenian University. Since 2014, it has been reorganised into the Institute for Media, Advertising and Cinema. The following chairs operate on the basis of the Institute: Journalism, Creative Industries and Cinema and TV.
In 2004, the Yerevan Brusov State Linguistic University made use of valuable experience of international cooperation. In a joint project with Yerevan Press Club and later with the Dutch organisation PressNow it established the Scientific-Educational Centre of International Journalism, which, since September 2010, has been an independent division of the university, providing bachelor and master degree courses.
The bachelor’s programme of international journalism major prepares multilingual professionals for the following specialisations: TV Journalism, Broadcast Journalism, Printing and Electronic Press. At the level of master’s degree specialists are prepared in the following specialisations: TV Journalism, New Media.
In 2015, the Branch of Lomonosov State University in Yerevan began its activity. On the basis of the branch, a training programme in Journalism was established. All major-related subjects are taught by the Journalism Faculty staff of Moscow State University after M.V. Lomonosov (MSU) in accordance with the curricula and work programmes of Moscow University. Being a structural unit of MSU, the branch provides the same level of education as in Moscow. Over the past three years, more than 50 qualified scientists were sent to the branch from MSU Faculty of Journalism: Candidates of Sciences, professors, associate professors, and heads of chair. Dean of the Faculty, Professor E.L. Vartanova has visited the branch twice with lecture courses.
Training in Journalism is provided on the following thematic modules: Multimedia Journalism, Themes of Modern Journalism.
In a short time, the journalism training programme of the branch managed to actively integrate into the journalistic community of Armenia. During one of her visits, the Dean of the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University E.L. Vartanova signed a cooperation agreement with the Journalists Union of Armenia, under which it is planned to conduct practical trainings for Armenian journalists with the involvement of the faculty staff of Moscow State University.