Since magazine faculty must compress learning objectives into tightly packed syllabi, it is important for these syllabi to be effectively organized to focus on process and not on product. Some characteristics of the "perfect" syllabus are: (1) it is devised within a curricular context; (2) it reflects awareness of the capabilities and the needs of the students who would normally take the course; (3) it provides an itinerary for a semester-long journey to a set of clear objectives; (4) it motivates students to embark on a great learning adventure; (5) its content makes up for curricular deficiencies by using product-oriented projects; (6) if the project is process oriented, the syllabus indicates equal participation by all students on a basis that faculty can easily evaluate; (7) its format for the course draws on the strengths on the teacher; and (8) the teaching methodology is not explicit in the syllabus. The highly detailed syllabus is a matter of personal choice, often influenced by the caliber and the preparation of students, and not requisite for the perfect syllabus. In short, the perfect syllabus is a document which is constantly evolving from semester to semester. (Several sample syllabi are attached.) (ARH)