Bachelor of Science in Journalism Degree

College of Arts and Sciences

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the baccalaureate degree, students in journalism will be expected to:

  • Understand and apply the principles and laws of freedom of speech and press, including the right to dissent, to monitor and criticize power, and to assemble and petition for redress of grievances;
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the history and role of professionals and institutions in shaping communications;
  • Demonstrate an understanding of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and, as appropriate, other forms of diversity in domestic society in relation to mass communications;
  • Demonstrate an understanding of diversity of peoples and cultures and of the significance and impact of mass communications in a global society;
  • Understand concepts and apply theories in the use and presentation of images and information;
  • Demonstrate an understanding of professional ethical principles and work ethically in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness, and diversity;
  • Think critically, creatively, and independently;
  • Conduct research and evaluate information by methods appropriate to the communications professions in which they work;
  • Write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications professions, audiences, and purposes they serve;
  • Critically evaluate their own work and that of others for accuracy and fairness, clarity, appropriate style, and grammatical correctness;
  • Apply basic numerical and statistical concepts;
  • Apply tools and technologies appropriate for the communications professions in which they work.

A candidate for the degree of bachelor of science in journalism must meet the following requirements in addition to those listed in the Academic Policies section of this catalog.

  • Complete approximately 58 semester hours of degree requirements, including completion of the BG Perspective program and three to eight hours of English composition; demonstration of proficiency in a foreign language; three hours of cultural diversity; six hours of natural science, including a laboratory course; 18 hours of social science courses, including history, political science, and economics; 12 hours of humanities and arts courses, including English literature and philosophy; six hours of computation and mathematics, including computer science and an approved quantitative literacy in mathematics; and a three-hour course in speaking and listening. Courses fulfilling the degree requirements are listed on the Journalism and Public Relations requirements sheet, provided to all incoming first-year and transfer students and available from the main office in 306 Kuhlin Center.

Foreign language requirement
Each student is required to demonstrate a proficiency in a language by one of the options listed below:

  • Graduating from a high school where all instruction was conducted in a language other than English;
  • Passing a proficiency examination in the language on the 2020 course level;
  • Having completed four years of one language in high school (student must have completed the fourth full year, for example, Spanish IV, and received credit for these courses);
  • Having completed one of the program options listed below (12-14 hours minimum in the same language area or fewer by advanced placement)

Note: Foreign language courses numbered 2010, 2020, 2120 apply to Group II, not Group V.

Chinese, German, Japanese, Russian

  • Completion of GERM 1010 and 1020 plus a minimum of six additional hours from GERM 1170, 1180, 2010, 2020, 2170, 2180, 2310, 3310 and/or GERM 2600, 3150, 3160, 3600, 4150;
  • Completion of CHIN 1010, 1020, 2010, 2020;
  • Completion of JAPN 1010, 1020, plus a minimum of six additional hours from: JAPN 2010, 2020, 2150, 2160, 3120, and 4150;
  • Completion of RUSN 1010 and 1020 plus a minimum of six additional hours from RUSN 2010, 2020, 2150, 2160, 3120, 3130, 4150;

French, Greek, Italian, Latin, Spanish

  • Option I:
    • Romance and Classical Studies
      • FREN 1010, 1020, 2010, 2020;
      • GRK 1010 and 1020 and six additional hours from GRK 2010, 2020, CLCV 2410, 2420, 2450.
      • ITAL 1010, 1020, 2010, 2020;
      • LAT 1010, 1020, 2010, 2020;
      • SPAN 1010, 1020, 2010, 2020, 2030.
  • Option II: (one of the following)
    • Romance and Classical Studies
      • FREN 1010, 1020, 2010, 2120;
      • LAT 1010, 1020 and two of LAT 2010; CLCV 2410, 2420, 2450;
      • SPAN 1010, 1020, 2010, 2120
    • American Sign Language
      • EDIS 3240, 3250, 3260, 3270

A student may transfer at any point from Option I to Option II but not vice versa. Course 2020 is required for admission to 3000-level courses. Credit toward a degree is not granted for foreign language courses which duplicate more than two units of high school study.

Other Requirements

  • Choose either Journalism sequence or Public Relations specialization. Journalism is generally associated training for reporting, writing, and editing positions with online media, broadcast media, newspapers, wire services, and magazines. Public relations includes inter-group communications and relating the interests of business, industry, government, and public and private institutions to each other and to society. 
  • Complete 39-42 semester hours of journalism courses, 18 of which are core journalism courses, with the remainder from specific sequence courses and electives. Due to national accrediting policies, no more than 50 semester hours of journalism/mass communication courses may be counted toward a bachelor of science in journalism degree. (Note: Courses taken in departments and programs other than journalism, such as telecommunications, may count as part of the 50 semester hours allowed. Students should not enroll in mass communication courses in programs and departments outside of Journalism and Public Relations without permission from their advisor.
  • Earn a grade of "C" or better in all journalism courses that count toward the 39-42 required hours in the journalism major and maintain a 2.5 grade point average in journalism courses. All journalism/mass communication courses must be taken for a grade. A student is allowed to repeat a journalism/mass communication course only once if a grade of "D" or lower is received.
  • Complete a minor of at least 20 semester hours in a field other than journalism/mass communication/telecommunications or complete an internal program minor of 20 hours that clusters courses in two or more fields other than journalism/mass communication. Twelve of the 20 hours required for a minor must be in 3000- or 4000-level courses. Minors are declared in consultation with the student's advisor. All courses in the minor must be taken for a letter grade (not "S/U"). A maximum of one course may be counted in both the minor and college group requirements.
  • Earn an overall grade point average of 2.25 in order to graduate.
  • To remain in the Bachelor of Science in Journalism program, students must maintain a 2.5 grade point average in all Journalism courses and earn a grade of "C" or better in every journalism course that counts towards the required hours in the degree. An overall GPA of 2.25 must be maintained for graduation. If transferring into the BGS journalism program, students must have a 2.5 grade point average in both journalism and overall coursework if JOUR 2000 transfer credit is approved. The normal requirements for entry into JOUR 2000 apply if a student does not receive transfer credit for JOUR 2000. No more than 12 semester hours of coursework in journalism will be accepted for transfer from junior colleges. No more than 15 semester hours of coursework in journalism will be accepted for transfer from an ACEJMC accredited journalism program. 

Note: Resources may limit class enrollment in upper-division journalism courses, beginning with JOUR 2000. Total hours earned, declared sequence, and grade point average determine which journalism students are given preference. Students not majoring in journalism may find it difficult to gain admittance into some upper-division journalism courses, including JOUR 2000. Although it may limit their admission to other journalism skills courses, non-majors may wish to consider enrolling in JOUR 2010, Journalism Techniques for Non-majors.

Prerequisites for JOUR 2500:

  • JOUR 2000 with at least a C
  • Overall grade point average of 2.7
  • At least 30 credits

Core Courses in journalism required of all students (18 hours minimum)

  • JOUR 1000 (or MDIA 1030), JOUR 2000, 2500, 2550, 4500 (15)
  • JOUR 1500 (1)
  • JOUR 4000 (2-3); 2 hours required, one of which must be with a campus medium such as Falcon Media, WBGU-TV, etc. No more than 3 hours of JOUR 4000 may count toward graduation.

Journalism - Fall 2020 course requirements 

In addition to completing the Journalism core, students selecting the Journalism sequence must complete the following courses:

  • Reporting (6 hours): Choose from JOUR 3200, 3250, 3300 and 4420;
  • Technology (6 hours): Choose from JOUR 3150, 3450, 3550, MDIA 1995, 2610, 2620, or VCT 2660;
  • Issues (6 hours - at least 3 hours must be JOUR): Choose from JOUR 3400, 3850, 4550, 4650, 4750, 4850, 4950, MDIA 3000, 3100, 3250
  • Capstone (3 hours): Choose from JOUR 4200 or JOUR 4300

Specialization: Public Relations - Fall 2020 course requirements 

In addition to completing the Journalism core, students selecting the Public Relations specialization must complete the following courses:

  • Public Relations Specialization (18 hours): JOUR 1400, 3440, 3450, MKT 3000, COMM 3040;
  • Issues (6 hours - at least 3 hours must be JOUR): Choose from JOUR 3850, 4550, 4650, 4750, 4850, 4950, MDIA 3000, 3100, 3250
  • Capstone (3 hours): JOUR 4400

Non-journalism electives
After completing the required BG Perspective and required College courses, required journalism courses, and a required minor, most students will have some semester hours remaining to complete the 122 semester hours required for graduation. Students must use these hours as general electives, and are encouraged to select them carefully, in consultation with their journalism advisor. General electives should be chosen with the goal of enhancing the student's overall education.

Updated: 10/30/2020 01:38PM