Program Requirements

Undergraduate Program Requirements

Journalism Major

The journalism major consists of 8 courses (5 core courses and 3 electives) 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.

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) 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) 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.

Updated Pass/Fail and Withdrawal Policies for Spring 2020

The College of Arts and Science has updated its Pass/Fail and Withdrawal Policies for the Spring 2020 semester. For details on these broader policies, please visit the Academic Standards section of the CAS website.

The following information is for students taking Journalism courses during the Spring 2020 semester. If you have questions about other courses (e.g. CAS core courses), please consult the Academic Standards section of the CAS website.

Pass/Fail Policy

What Journalism Courses Can I Take Pass/Fail?

For the Spring 2020 semester, you can take any journalism course Pass/Fail, whether it’s a core course (Investigating Journalism, Inquiry, Multimedia, The Beat, Advanced Reporting) or an elective. While you are not required by CAS to consult with your professor before choosing the Pass/Fail option, the Journalism Department strongly recommends that you speak with your professor to gauge your standing in a particular class before opting for Pass/Fail.

How Many Courses Can I Take Pass/Fail?

CAS is allowing students to take up to two Spring 2020 courses as Pass/Fail, but CAS will consider requests for more.

How Do I Request to Take Journalism Courses Pass/Fail?

    1. Complete this Journalism Pass/Fail Courses Form. Please note that you don’t need to worry about getting approval from our department—your courses are automatically approved—but we do need to keep track of exactly which courses you want to take as Pass/Fail to make sure everything is documented. You can use the form to share information about multiple courses.
    2. Complete a CAS Academic Standards Petition. You can use the Petition to submit a request for multiple courses. You’ll also get an email confirmation from CAS when the petition is approved.

    What is the Deadline?

    You have until May 12, 2020, to submit your petition to change your grading option to Pass/Fail.

    Withdrawal Policy

    You now have until May 12, 2020, to withdraw from a course. No approval from the Journalism Department is required. You can request a class withdrawal using the Class Withdrawal process in Albert.