The B.A. in Journalism prepares students for positions in media production, reporting, editing and design. There are two tracks for students majoring in journalism, journalism and journalism broadcast and digital media. The curriculum offers a blend of courses to support this goal. The coursework begins with basic photo, video, writing, reporting and visual literacy skills. These are then followed by courses that focus on design, and advanced reporting and writing projects. Students in the broadcast and digital media track will take several courses in broadcast news and telecommunication. Those in journalism will take a series of electives and interdisciplinary courses, to build skills in interviewing, writing, social media and specialized journalism.
Other on-campus outlets for student writing and productions include the Penguin Review , the *yo magazine , The Jenny , Rookery Radio , and thejambar.com . Internships and other writing opportunities are available at local media outlets including local TV, radio and newspapers. The Business Journal, The Vindicator, and the Tribune Chronicle. Additionally, Journalism majors are encouraged to declare minors that support their specific career objectives, such as public relations, political science, telecommunications, or art/design.
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | ||
| Core Competencies | ||
| ENGL 1550 | Writing 1 | 3 |
| ENGL 1551 | Writing 2 | 3 |
| CMST 1545 | Communication Foundations | 3 |
| Math Requirement (e.g., MATH 2623) | 3 | |
| Arts and Humanities | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences | 7 | |
| Social Sciences | 6 | |
| Social and Personal Awareness | 6 | |
| General Education Elective or First-Year Experience Course (e.g., CCAC 1500) | 3 | |
| Foreign Language 1550 | 4 | |
| Foreign Language 2600 | 4 | |
| Required Core Courses | ||
| JOUR 2624 | Imaging and Design of Media | 3 |
| JOUR 3721L | Journalism Workshop | 3 |
| JOUR 3723 | Advanced Journalism Editing and Design | 3 |
| JOUR 2622 | News Reporting 1 | 3 |
| JOUR 2626 | American Journalism | 3 |
| JOUR 3760 | News Reporting 2 | 3 |
| JOUR 4824 | Press Law and Ethics | 3 |
| JOUR 4893 | Journalism Senior Project | 3 |
| Telecommunication Core Courses | ||
| TCOM 1580 | Introduction to Telecommunication Studies | 3 |
| TCOM 1581 | Telecommunication Technologies | 2 |
| TCOM 2682 | Scriptwriting for Electronic Media | 3 |
| TCOM 2683 | Media Operations and Performance | 3 |
| TCOM 3781 | Audio Production | 3 |
| or TCOM 3782 | Video Production 1 | |
| TCOM 3780 | Principles and Practices of Media Announcing | 3 |
| or TCOM 3789 | Electronic Media Interviewing | |
| TCOM 3790 | Broadcast News Lab | 3 |
| TCOM 4890 | Producing Broadcast News | 3 |
| Minor Requirements (some minors require more than 18 credits; assumes 9 hours are upper division) | 18 | |
| Elective (6 s.h. must be upper division) | 7 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 120 | |
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | S.H. | |
| JOUR 2624 | Imaging and Design of Media | 3 |
| ENGL 1550 | Writing 1 | 3 |
| TCOM 1580 | Introduction to Telecommunication Studies | 3 |
| First Year Experience | 3 | |
| Artistic & Literary Domain | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| JOUR 2626 | American Journalism | 3 |
| TCOM 1581 | Telecommunication Technologies | 2 |
| ENGL 1551 | Writing 2 | 3 |
| CMST 1545 | Communication Foundations | 3 |
| First Social Science Domains | 3 | |
| First SPA Domain | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 17 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| JOUR 2622 | News Reporting 1 | 3 |
| Math Requirement | 3 | |
| TCOM 2683 | Media Operations and Performance | 3 |
| First Natural Science and Lab | 4 | |
| Second Social Science Domain | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| JOUR 3721L | Journalism Workshop | 3 |
| TCOM 2682 | Scriptwriting for Electronic Media | 3 |
| Minor Class 1 | 3 | |
| Second Artistic & Literary Domain | 3 | |
| Second Natural Science Domain | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| TCOM 3781 or TCOM 3782 |
Audio Production or Video Production 1 |
3 |
| JOUR 4824 | Press Law and Ethics | 3 |
| Second SPA Domain | 3 | |
| Foreign Language 1550 | 4 | |
| Minor Class 2 | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| JOUR 3723 | Advanced Journalism Editing and Design | 3 |
| TCOM 3790 | Broadcast News Lab | 3 |
| Foreign Language 2600 | 4 | |
| Minor Class 3 | 3 | |
| Minor Class 4 | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| JOUR 3760 | News Reporting 2 | 3 |
| TCOM 4890 | Producing Broadcast News | 3 |
| Minor Class 5 | 3 | |
| Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| JOUR 4893 | Journalism Senior Project | 3 |
| TCOM 3789 or TCOM 3780 |
Electronic Media Interviewing or Principles and Practices of Media Announcing |
3 |
| Minor Class 6 | 3 | |
| Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 12 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 122 | |
Learning Outcomes
The Communication Department has established the following learning outcomes for students completing the journalism major. Journalism students will demonstrate an understanding of:
- What constitutes news.
- Practical applications of First Amendment.
- Strategies for finding and extracting new.
- Writing stories for various audiences and media formats.
- The principles and practices of ethical and professional news.