Department of Journalism

Undergraduate Options & Courses

B.A. in Journalism (JOURN)
Minimum 120 Credits

Academic Services Advising

Scheduling, and a successful academic career, starts with meeting an adviser.

Eight full-time employees in the Office of Academic Services assist students and all aspects of their academic pursuits.

Please contact them before scheduling, and remain in contact with questions about course selections, major options and anything else all the way until you complete your final meeting with an adviser for your "senior checkout."

The primary goal of this major is to educate students for careers as writers, reporters, editors, and photographers with newspapers, magazines, television, radio, on-line, and in the publications and public information departments of governments and industry. Courses in the major are about evenly divided between those emphasizing skills and professional procedures used by journalists and those seeking an understanding of journalism and mass communications as they relate to society.

Students must select at least 80 credits in non-COMM courses, including at least 65 credits in the liberal arts and sciences.

Planning Your Curriculum

  1. Review Recommended Academic Plan
  2. Review Core Classes
  3. Review Course Tracks & Options
  4. Review Common Additional Classes
  5. Schedule your Classes

1. Recommended Academic Plan

The recommended academic plan offers semester-by-semester recommendations for course scheduling and the major checksheet provides a printable list of course options and descriptions.

Broadcast Journalism Recommended Academic Plan

Print Journalism Recommended Academic Plan

Visual Communication Recommended Academic Plan

Checksheet

2. Prescribed Courses - 13 Credits

All journalism students must take the following common requirements:

  • COMM 160
    Basic News Writing Skills 1 Credit
  • COMM 260W
    News Writing and Reporting 3 Credits
  • COMM 271
    Principles of Multimedia Journalism 3 Credits
  • COMM 403
    Law of Mass Communications 3 Credits
  • COMM 409
    News Media Ethics 3 Credits

3. Options - 18 Credits

Journalism is divided into “options” to assist students in choosing courses appropriate to their interests, though they may take courses outside of their option. Students are strongly encouraged to work with their faculty adviser to select the courses most appropriate for their career goals.

In addition to the core classes, journalism majors must complete 6 credits of prescribed courses and 12 additional credits to fulfill the requirements for the major. These are requirements for the major ONLY, please check the Undergraduate Bulletin for complete degree requirements.

  • Broadcast Journalism OptionOpen or Close

    Prescribed Courses

    • COMM 360 – Radio Reporting
      Reporting, writing, producing, and presenting radio news programs, focusing on the development of news judgment and writing skills. Prerequisite: COMM 260W. 3 Credits
    • COMM 465 – Television Reporting
      Television news reporting and production. Prerequisite: COMM 360. 3 Credits

    Additional Courses

    Select 6 Credits from:

    • COMM 402 – International Reporting
      International Reporting is an advanced level course in the College of Communications designed to give student journalists experience in reporting the news in a foreign country. Prerequisite: COMM 260W, COMM 360, COMM 465 and permission of program. 3 Credits
    • COMM 466 – Public Affairs Broadcasting
      Producing radio and television magazine programs featuring individually- produced mini-documentaries and public affairs interviews. 3 Credits
    • COMM 475 – Issues for Newsroom Managers
      Newspaper and television management, the state of the industry and topics that prospective employees should know about. 3 Credits
    • COMM 480 – Television News
      Produce a weekly television newscast. Prerequisite: COMM 360, COMM 465, permission of program. 3-6 Credits
    • COMM 481 – Advanced Multimedia Production
      Advanced work in multimedia production using web authoring, video editing, audio editing, image editing and animation software. Prerequisite: COMM 270 orCOMM 260W plus one of the following:COMM 269, COMM 360, COMM 460, COMM 462 or permission of program. 3 Credits
    • COMM 495 – Internship
      Supervised practicum with newspapers, broadcasting stations, public relations, and advertising agencies. 1-3 Credits per semester/maximum of 6 Credits

  • Print Journalism OptionOpen or Close

    Prescribed Courses

    • COMM 460W – Reporting Methods
      Techniques in reporting news and trends at the local, regional, and county levels. Emphasis on both deadline and interpretive reporting. Prerequisite: COMM 260W. 3 Credits
    • COMM 467 – News Editing and Evaluation
      Concepts and procedures involved in processing news for various news media, but with emphasis on print media editing. Prerequisite: COMM 260W 3 Credits

    Additional Courses

    Select 6 Credits from:

    • COMM 269 – Photojournalism
      Photography for communication in print and online; creating photographs for newspapers, magazines and the Web; digital camera and software skills. Prerequisite: COMM 260W or COMM 320. 3 Credits
    • COMM 402 – International Reporting
      International Reporting is an advanced level course in the College of Communications designed to give student journalists experience in reporting the news in a foreign country. Prerequisite: COMM 260W, COMM 360, COMM 465 and permission of program. 3 Credits
    • COMM 461 – Professional Journalism Seminar
      Problems of research, content, and form in journalistic specializations; topics of specialization announced each semester course is offered. Prerequisite: COMM 260W 3 Credits per semester/maximum of 6
    • COMM 462 – Magazine Writing
      Students will learn about idea conception, writing, and editing of magazine stories. Prerequisite: COMM 260W 3 Credits per semester/maximum of 6
    • COMM 463 – Newspaper Design
      This course will cover newspaper design. Students will learn to solve design problems, edit photos, and work with industry software. Prerequisite: COMM 160, COMM 260, COMM 467 or permission of program. 3 Credits
    • COMM 464W – Editorial, Opinion and Commentary Writing
      Introduces techniques of editorial, opinion and commentary writing. Prerequisite: COMM 260W 3 Credits
    • COMM 474 – Depth Reporting
      Exploration of strategies for developing indepth newspaper or magazine articles, with an emphasis on gathering information and long-form writing. Prerequisite: COMM 260W 3 Credits
    • COMM 475 – Issues for Newsroom Managers
      Newspaper and television management, the state of the industry and topics that prospective employees should know about. Prerequisite: COMM 260W 3 Credits
    • COMM 481 – Advanced Multimedia Production
      Advanced work in multimedia production using web authoring, video editing, audio editing, image editing and animation software. Prerequisite: COMM 270 or COMM 260W plus one of the following:COMM 269, COMM 360, COMM 460, COMM 462 or permission of program 3 Credits
    • COMM 495 – Internship
      Strongly recommended to provide you with experience before applying for jobs. 1-3 Credits per semester/maximum of 6 Credits

  • Visual Communication OptionOpen or Close

    Prescribed Courses

    • COMM 269 – Photojournalism
      Photography for communication in print and online; creating photographs for newspapers, magazines and the Web; digital camera and software skills. Prerequisite: or concurrent: COMM 260W orCOMM 320 3 Credits
    • COMM 469 – Photography for the Mass Media
      Development of an informed and critical approach to photocommunication; individual and team projects, seminars, and critiques. Prerequisite: COMM 269 3 Credits

    Additional Courses

    Select 6 Credits from:

    • COMM 402 – International Reporting
      International Reporting is an advanced level course in the College of Communications designed to give student journalists experience in reporting the news in a foreign country. Prerequisite: COMM 260W, COMM 360, COMM 465 and permission of program. 3 Credits
    • COMM 463 – Newspaper Design
      This course will cover newspaper design. Students will learn to solve design problems, edit photos, and work with industry software. Prerequisite: COMM 160, COMM 260, COMM 467 or permission of program. 3 Credits
    • COMM 467 – News Editing and Evaluation
      Concepts and procedures involved in processing news for various news media, but with emphasis on print media editing. Prerequisite: COMM 260W 3 Credits
    • COMM 468 – Graphic Applications in Print Communications
      Issues, concepts, and practice identified with contemporary design strategies for print journalism, advertising, and public relations. Prerequisite: COMM 260W orCOMM 320 3 Credits
    • COMM 475 – Issues for Newsroom Managers
      Newspaper and television management, the state of the industry and topics that prospective employees should know about. Prerequisite: COMM 260W 3 Credits
    • COMM 481 – Advanced Multimedia Production
      Advanced work in multimedia production using web authoring, video editing, audio editing, image editing and animation software. Prerequisite: COMM 270 orCOMM 260W plus one of the following:COMM 269, COMM 360, COMM 460, COMM 462 or permission of program 3 Credits
    • COMM 495 – Internship
      Strongly recommended to provide you with experience before applying for jobs. 1-3 Credits per semester/maximum of 6 Credits

4. Additional Courses - 6 Credits

Regardless of Option, all Journalism Students will Select 6 Credits from:

  • COMM 180 – Survey of Electronic Media and Telecommunications
    The development of electronic media and telecommunications, emphasizing social, economic, political and global impact. 3 Credits
  • COMM 205 – Women, Minorities and the Media
    Analysis of historical, economic, legal, political, and social implications of the relationship between women, minorities, and the mass media. 3 Credits
  • COMM 205 – Women, Minorities and the Media
    Analysis of historical, economic, legal, political, and social implications of the relationship between women, minorities, and the mass media. 3 Credits
  • COMM 381 – Telecommunications Regulation
    Overview of the regulation of electronic media. 3 Credits
  • COMM 401 – Mass Media in History
    Relationship of news media to social, economic, and political developments in the Western world 3 Credits
  • COMM 405 – Political Economy of Communications
    Structure and functions of American and other mass communications systems and their relationship to political and economic systems. 3 Credits
  • COMM 410 – International Mass Communications
    The role of international media in communication among and between nations and people. Complement to COMM 419. 3 Credits
  • COMM 411 – Cultural Aspects of the Mass Media
    The mass media as creators and critics of mass culture in American life; relationships between the media and mass culture. 3 Credits
  • COMM 412 – Sports, Media and Society
    Sport and media relationship in American culture. 3 Credits
  • COMM 419 – World Media Systems
    Comparative study of modern media systems of mass communications in selected foreign countries. 3 Credits
  • COMM 496 – Independent Studies
    Creative projects, including research and design, which are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses. 1-18 Credits
  • COMM 499 – Foreign Study--Mass Communications
    Study of mass communication systems and practices in selected foreign countries. Prerequisite: departmental approval 1-12 Credits

5. Schedule Your Classes

Schedule Your Classes

Page last updated: January 11, 2013