Today, more than ever, we live in a visual society where people rely on images to convey emotion and information. JBU's photojournalism program will give you technical expertise in photography as well as training in journalism. You'll learn to tell the stories of your community, capturing the human side of news that words alone sometimes cannot capture.
Whether you think of yourself as a writer who likes photography or a photographer who likes to write, JBU's journalism program will teach you the skills you need to become strong in both fields and increase your career choices after graduation.
Why Study Photojournalism at JBU?
1
Message Expression & Analysis
We'll teach you to effectively express oral, written and photographic messages in persuasive and ethical ways. Plus you'll learn to analyze verbal and nonverbal messages in different contexts to assess effectiveness.
Drawing on the resources of our photography program, students will have access to state-of-the-art equipment, studios and lighting. Our professors will help you master it all.
3
Collaboration & Teamwork
Employers say that the ability to work collaboratively with a team is one of the most important traits they look for in a job candidate. So we built our coursework to help you practice and build those skills.
Learn to approach your work from new and creative ways — a competency that will apply to many areas of your professional life.
Employers want people who can think critically and responsibly as they respond to news or issues happening around them.
Want to know more? Fill out a request and your admissions counselor will reach out to learn about what you're looking for in your college experience.
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Find out if JBU is right for you. You'll experience what makes JBU different and meet your counselor in person. Come for one of our Preview Days or for an individual visit.
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Save Money on an MBA
At JBU, many of our programs offer a shortened path to an MBA, finishing your bachelor's degree and an MBA in 5 years. It saves you time and money. Plus, with our flexible graduate school format, you can graduate with a bachelor's and begin a full-time job while finishing your MBA online from wherever you live.
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Meet Our Photojournalism Professors
Kyle Agee
Assistant Professor of Visual Arts
Mr. Kyle Agee is the resident jack-of-all-trades. He began teaching at JBU in the Fall of 2011. While his main medium is photography, he has worked as a graphic designer, photojournalist, television editor, and offset printer to name a few.
Mr. Agee’s work has centered on exploring and documenting architectural decay. This exploration has encompassed traditional black and white photography, wet plate collodion, digital photography, and alternative process printing techniques. His latest project, DrFrankenfilm.com, is a free photographic educational resource that aims to provide comprehensive instruction for anyone wishing to explore traditional analogue photographic mediums.
Mr. Agee’s commercial clients have included the United States Air Force, the United States Navy Blue Angel Squadron, the United States Marine Corps, the Arkansas State Police, and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and the Outdoor Channel, among others.
Mr. Agee enjoys spending his free time building guitar amplifiers and effect pedals, and working in his woodshop.
Marquita Smith
Chair, Division of Communication and Fine Arts
Associate Professor of Journalism
Coordinator of Diversity Relations
Dr. Marquita Smith joined the faculty of John Brown University in 2010. Before joining the institution, she was the city editor for The Virginian-Pilot in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She joined The Pilot as the local government editor in 2001. During that time, she also taught part-time at Hampton University and Norfolk State University.
In 2008, Dr. Smith took leave from The Pilot to complete a Knight International Journalism Fellowship in Liberia. During her year in West Africa, she created a judicial and justice reporting network to help journalists develop the skills needed to cover the post-war nation's poverty reduction efforts. Ghanaians elected a new president in 2008, and Dr. Smith was instrumental in creating several training models used by reporters and editors charged with covering the event.
Beyond her teaching responsibilities in the communication department, Dr. Smith serves as Chair for the Division of Communications and Fine Arts. She oversees JBU’s bi-weekly newspaper, The Threefold Advocate, and the institution’s yearbook, the Nesher. She also chairs the university’s diversity committee and works tirelessly to promote diversity efforts both locally and globally.
Dr. Smith is a Tennessee native and enjoys being close to her family now that she is in Arkansas. She is committed to her students, her coworkers, and the institutional goals of JBU.
Neal Holland
Department Head of Visual Arts
Professor of Visual Arts
Mr. S. Neal Holland began his career at John Brown University in 1998 as the first full-time instructor in Digital Media Art.
Mr. Holland has been a champion of non-traditional programs and study-abroad partnerships, and he continues to head a series of programs to promote off-campus study. His work with the start-up Fields and Frames promotes that desire and helps photography students get international experience while encouraging the responsibility for Christians to engage with social justice issues.
Mr. Holland has worked for clients like Coca-Cola, Reebok, Nike and GM. He spends his free time fly-fishing and attempting to capture elusive images that might change the world.
