BA Communication and Media Studies/Journalism
The Journalism concentration of the Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies is designed to give students a solid foundation in newswriting and reporting for a variety of mediums: newspaper, radio, television, and the Internet. Instruction emphasizes reporting in today’s 24-7 media news cycle. Students will acquire advanced skills in Internet research, verifying sources for accuracy, conducting effective interviews, blogging, and repurposing the same news story for different audiences and mediums. Completing the program prepares students for a career in journalism, writing for business or non-profits, or to advance to a graduate program of study.
Program Requirements
- Core Courses
- General Education Requirements
Core Courses
CM100 Introduction to Human Communications
CM101 Introduction to Mass Communication
CM105 Public Speaking
CM203 Media Writing
CM210 Introduction to Journalism
CM220 Introduction to Digital Video Production
CM300 Communication Theory
CM315 Advanced Reporting
CM330/CM331 Sports Journalism/ Broadcast Journalism
CM400 Media Criticism
CM415/CM425 Communication and Gender/ Media Ethics
CM450 Senior Seminar
CM460 Communication & Media Studies Internship
Total Credits: 39
General Education Requirements
CS101 Computer Concepts and Applications
EN101 English I
EN102 English II
EN201 Intermediate Writing
IS105 Common Experience
IS220 Preparation for Careers and Life after College
MA121 Basic Statistics
PS101 Introduction of Psychology
Computer Science Elective
English Elective
Free Elective (10)
Government Elective
Humanities Elective (2)
Global Awareness Elective
Math/Science/Computer Science
Science Elective
Social Science Elective (2)
Total Credits: 82
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the vital role journalism plays in a democracy and the challenges the industry faces developing a sustainable economic model for the Internet.
- Recognize the ethical responsibility of the journalist to seek truth and report it.
- Identify the stylistic differences between print, broadcast, sports, and online journalism, and the full-time positions available in each.
- Master writing news leads, news story structure, beat reporting, and feature writing for a variety of mass mediums.
- Develop proper grammar and word usage skills that adhere to Associated Press style.
- Acquire fundamental reporter skills including developing sources, preparing interviews, and conducting online research.
- Create a news writing portfolio.
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Program Snapshot
Credits: 120
Learning Format: On Campus
Semester Length: 15 weeks
Typical Time to Completion:
Typical Time to Completion:
4 years
Additional Information
Academic Calendar
Tuition and Fees
Financial Aid
Faculty
Minors
Journalism Career Track
A reporter or news-writer position has long been the default job for anyone pursuing coursework in journalism. That mindset, however, has evolved as consumers gravitate towards the Internet and social media to satisfy their news needs. To prepare for tomorrow’s careers, journalism students should be multi-taskers, capable of interviewing eye-witnesses, shooting and editing video, writing the story, and then repurposing everything for the company website. Popular careers for print journalists are beat reporter, news writer, and editor; while on-air reporters and news anchors, and behind-the-scene producers remain popular choices for radio and TV. By focusing on skill acquisition and a well-rounded liberal arts education, journalists can also find employment opportunities writing for the financial industry, corporate communication departments, public relation firms, or grant-writing for higher education or non-profit organizations.