Program Requirements

Journalism Major

The journalism major consists of 8 courses (5 core courses and 3 electives) worth 4 credits each for a total of 32 credits. The five core courses are:

Although students are generally encouraged to complete the five core courses in sequence, many courses can be completed out of sequence and/or concurrently. Please see the information in the Core Courses section for details about course prerequisites and sequencing.

This diagram provides an overview of the undergraduate journalism major. The major consists of 8 courses (9, in the case of the Honors Program). Students typically begin by taking the following three courses in sequence: Investigating Journalism (JOUR-UA 50), Journalistic Inquiry: The Written Word (JOUR-UA 101), and Journalistic Inquiry: Multimedia (JOUR-UA 102). Before completing the last two core courses, students choose to specialize by pursuing either a Print/Online journalism track or a Broadcast journalism track. For both tracks, students will then take The Beat (JOUR-UA 201) followed by Advanced Reporting (JOUR-UA 301). In addition to these 5 core courses, students complete 3 electives. Finally, students who wish to pursue the Honors Program will take an Honors version of Advanced Reporting (JOUR-UA 351) followed by an Honors Senior Seminar (JOUR-UA 352). For details about the curriculum, including course prerequisites and sequencing options, please read on.

Tracks

Before completing the last two core courses in the major, Journalism majors specialize by pursuing one of two tracks:

  • The Print/Online Track is designed for students who want to focus on writing and reporting for print and online media.
  • The Broadcast Track is for students who wish to focus on reporting and video production for broadcast media.

Although students are not required to formally declare their track (and it will not be specified in Albert or on their diploma or transcript), they will need to choose which track they want to pursue before taking The Beat and Advanced Reporting.

Double-Majoring

All journalism majors are required to double major. Our department does not have any restrictions on what a student’s second major is, but typically you are limited to the majors offered in your home school/college. (For example, if you are in the College of Arts and Science, you would need to choose from the 60+ majors offered at CAS). If you have additional questions about your options for a second major, please consult with an academic adviser in your home school/college.

Journalism Minors

Effective Fall 2019, the Journalism Department will offer two journalism minors. Please visit the Declare section for information about declaring a minor.

Minor in Print and Online Journalism

The Minor in Print and Online Journalism consists of 5 courses (2 core courses and 3 electives) worth 4 credits each for a total of 20 credits. The two core courses are:

Please see the information in the Core Courses section for details about course prerequisites and sequencing.

Electives

In addition to the department’s rich selection of electives, students can count the following core courses as electives for the Minor:

Minor in Broadcast and Multimedia Journalism

The Minor in Broadcast and Multimedia Journalism consists of 5 courses (3 core courses and 2 electives) worth 4 credits each for a total of 20 credits. The three core courses are:

Please see the information in the Core Courses section for details about course prerequisites and sequencing.

Electives

In addition to the department’s rich selection of electives, students can count the following core courses as electives for the Minor:

This diagram provides an overview of the two undergraduate minors offered by the Journalism Department. Read more details below.

The Minor in Print and Online Journalism consists of 5 courses, including two core courses and three electives. Students begin by taking Journalistic Inquiry: The Written Word (JOUR-UA 101), followed by a print section of The Beat (JOUR-UA 201). In addition to these 2 core courses, students complete 3 electives.

The Minor in Broadcast and Multimedia Journalism consists of 5 courses, including three core courses and two electives. Students begin by taking Journalistic Inquiry: The Written Word (JOUR-UA 101), followed by Journalistic Inquiry: Multimedia (JOUR-UA 102), and a broadcast section of The Beat (JOUR-UA 201). In addition to these 3 core courses, students complete 2 electives.

For details about the curriculum, including course prerequisites and sequencing options, please visit Core Courses.

Undergraduate