Journalism (BA)
This department offers professional preparation for students who are planning careers in journalism. It also offers other students the chance to improve their writing, interviewing and research, and visual/audio/digital production skills and to learn about the news media. Students in writing courses are expected to produce work of professional quality and to publish that work when possible.
Requirements
Students who major in journalism should also take related courses in other liberal arts disciplines as a sound preparation for news reporting. The department strongly urges students to complete a second major. Students also should gain professional experience before graduation, either through part-time jobs, the Co-operative Education Program or the department’s internship program. Internships are available at local and national news organizations, including legacy media companies, digital and non-profit news sites, and political press offices.
In addition to satisfying the requirements of the College, majors must complete 29 credits in journalism at the 2000 level or above, including the following core courses:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| JOUR 2000W | Newswriting I | 3 |
| JOUR 2001W | Newswriting II | 3 |
| JOUR 2065 | Mobile Journalism | 3 |
| JOUR 3002 | Journalism Ethics 1 | 3 |
| JOUR 3020 | Media Law | 3 |
| JOUR 3030 | Multiplatform Editing | 3 |
| and two 1-credit portfolio courses in their final two semesters: | ||
| JOUR 3111 | Journalism Portfolio II: Content Development | 1 |
| JOUR 4111 | Journalism Portfolio III: Professional Presentation | 1 |
| Students must also complete at least one of the following advanced elective courses: | 3 | |
| Community News Reporting | ||
| Feature Writing | ||
JOUR 3013W | ||
| Sports Reporting Across Multiple Platforms | ||
| Design for Digital Journalists | ||
| Reporting and Editing TV News | ||
| Live News Program Production | ||
| Specialized Journalism | ||
| Environmental Journalism | ||
| Publication Practice | ||
| Investigative Reporting | ||
| Video Storytelling | ||
Other advanced courses (if accepted with the consent of the department) | ||
| Six additional credits in Journalism at the 2000 level or above | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 29 | |
National accrediting rules require a broad education outside of journalism. Students usually meet this standard when they complete college and university requirements.
When planning their programs, students should review this standard with their advisors. A journalism major will fulfill the university’s general education competencies of writing and information literacy by completing the department’s core courses:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| JOUR 2000W | Newswriting I | 3 |
| JOUR 2001W | Newswriting II | 3 |
| JOUR 2065 | Mobile Journalism | 3 |
| JOUR 3002 | Journalism Ethics | 3 |
| JOUR 3020 | Media Law | 3 |
| JOUR 3030 | Multiplatform Editing | 3 |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
A journalism major can fulfill the university’s general education competency of environmental literacy by completing the advanced elective JOUR 3046E Environmental Journalism.
Students pursuing Honors in Journalism must complete two required courses: JOUR 3087 Honors Thesis Preparation Seminar and JOUR 3097 Honors Thesis .
Students who major in journalism will be expected to own basic digital audio and imaging equipment for use in classes and professionally. The Journalism Department website, journalism.uconn.edu, lists current requirements.
University General Education Requirements
Every student must meet a set of core requirements to earn a baccalaureate degree, in addition to those required by the student's major course of study and other requirements set by the student's school or college. For more information about these requirements, please see General Education Requirements.
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Degree Requirements
Students must meet a set of requirements established by the college in addition to the University's General Education requirements. For more information, see the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section of this catalog.