Typical full-time course of study

Semester 1 (Fall)

• Writing, Research and Reporting I – The National Beat: Covering national issues in New York, including the U.S. regulatory agencies, federal courts, and various economic agencies including the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
• Law or Ethics or a combination of the two
• Interdisciplinary course: American Capitalism (American Studies) or another course on the U.S. economy

Semester 2 (Spring)

• Writing, Research and Reporting II – Covering National Problems and Politics: Students will pick one serious national problem and report and write on it all semester. They will report on it in the field, in the courts, through the political process wherever the story leads, producing a body of news and feature articles.
• The Muckrakers: This is an investigative reporting course in which students would learn in-depth reporting skills and apply them to investigative journalism on stories involving national concerns. In addition to skills and strategies, it will also require substantial reading and discussion of great investigative stories of the past.
• Interdisciplinary course (Students choose from the list below)

Summer

• Internship: A mandatory five day a week commitment for up to ten weeks. This is an important part of the curriculum as it enables students essentially to work a full-time job over the summer that will enable them to become contributing members of the staff.

Semester 3 (Fall)

• Choose from a list of several courses that could include reporting on discrimination and poverty, environmental battles, and the energy crisis. Another important prospective offering is Covering the Courts, in which students would learn about the U.S. court system and how to cover legal proceedings.
• Department elective list of reporting and journalism reading seminars (menu of offerings may include broadcast classes)
• Interdisciplinary course (Students choose from the list below)

Interdisciplinary Courses

The following list is representative of the interdisciplinary courses for students in Reporting the Nation. Actual choices will vary semester by semester, depending on availability:

• Christianity and Culture in America From Finney to Falwell (History)
• The United States since 1945 (History)
• Current Constitutional Issues (Law and Society)
• American Legal History (Law and Society)
• American Political and Social Thought (Politics)
• American Presidential System (Politics)
• American Political Parties (Politics)
• The American Constitution (Politics)
• Global Business (macroeconomics) (Stern)
• Firms and Markets (microeconomics) (Stern)
• Economic and Business History (Stern)
• Urban Poverty (Wagner)
• Transportation Policy (Wagner)
• Urban Infrastructure and Environmental Services (Wagner)
• Sustainable Cities (Wagner)
• Race and Class in American Cities (Wagner)
• Urban Economic Development: Theory and Practice (Wagner)
• Population Change, Planning and Public Policy (Wagner)
• American Capitalism (American Studies)
• Modern City Culture (History)
• Race and Place: Local, Regional, National, and Transnational Explorations (History)
• American Social History Since 1870 (History)
• Urban Blacks in 20th Century America (History)
• Local Government Law (Law and Society)

The names following course titles indicate the department or school the course is offered in.