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The Bachelor of Arts in Journalism

Total Course Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree: 120 units

See Bachelor's Degree Requirements in the University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 40 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.

A suggested Major Academic Plan (MAP) has been prepared to help students meet all graduation requirements within four years. You can view MAPs on the Degree MAPs page in the University Catalog or you can request a plan from your major advisor.

General Education Pathway Requirements: 48 units

See General Education in the University Catalog and the Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education Pathway Requirements and course offerings.

  • JOUR 460 is an approved major course substitution for Upper-Division Arts/Humanities.
  • JOUR 260, JOUR 321, and JOUR 341 are approved GE Writing Intensive Substitutions.
  • JOUR 460 is also an approved GE Capstone substitution.

Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units

See Diversity Requirements in the University Catalog. Most courses taken to satisfy these requirements may also apply to General Education .

Literacy Requirement:

See Mathematics and Writing Requirements in the University Catalog. Writing proficiency in the major is a graduation requirement and may be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of a course in your major which has been designated as the Writing Proficiency (WP) course for the semester in which you take the course. Students who earn below a C- are required to repeat the course and earn a C- or higher to receive WP credit. See the Class Schedule for the designated WP courses for each semester. You must complete the GE Written Communication (A2) requirement before you may register for a WP course.

Course Requirements for the Major: 46-47 units

Completion of the following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, is required of all candidates for this degree. Additional required courses, depending upon the selected option are outlined following the major core program requirements.

National accreditation standards require a journalism major to take a 46/47-unit journalism curriculum. Of the 120-unit degree program, 72 units must be taken outside the of the Departments of Journalism and Public Relations; Communication Arts and Sciences; and Media Arts, Design, and Technology. The following courses, if taken as General Education or upper-division pathway, will apply to the 72 outside units: CMST 131, CMST 132, CMST 255, CMST 334. Community college transfer students may apply a maximum of 18 units (equivalents to JOUR 101, JOUR 210, JOUR 244, JOUR 260, lower-division student media, and lower-division photojournalism) to the 46/47-unit major.

Major Core Program: 15 units

5 courses required:

Students must earn a grade of C or higher in JOUR 260 to advance to subsequent writing courses in the Department of Journalism and Public Relations.

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing; concurrent enrollment in or prior completion of JOUR 260 for Journalism majors.
This course is also offered as POLS 244.
A survey of public relations: problems and issues, organization and operations, skills and techniques, careers and opportunities. 3 hours lecture. (001995)
The mass media are changing more rapidly now than at any time in the past century, and this course gives a context to those changes and provides an overview of what citizens need to know for understanding the role of the mass media in their public lives. Students explore the structure of media organizations; the professional and ethical values of journalists; the needs, desires, and influences of culture on media consumers; and the impact of evolving media technologies on public discourse. This includes critical analysis of the relationship of journalism and society and their effect on democracy, as well as the psychological, political, economic, and cultural values of citizens. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. (020555)

OR (the following course may be substituted for the above)

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
The mass media are changing more rapidly now than at any time in the past century, and this course gives a context to those changes and provides an overview of what citizens need to know for understanding the role of the mass media in their public lives. Students explore the structure of media organizations; the professional and ethical values of journalists; the needs, desires, and influences of culture on media consumers; and the impact of evolving media technologies on public discourse. This includes critical analysis of the relationship of journalism and society and their effect on democracy, as well as the psychological, political, economic, and cultural values of citizens. 3 hours lecture.This is an approved Writing Intensive course. This is an approved General Education course. (021263)
Prerequisites: ENGL 130I or JOUR 130I.
Techniques of information gathering and writing for various audiences in the mass media. Required course for the Options in News-Editorial and Public Relations. Students must earn a grade of C or higher to advance to subsequent writing courses in the Department of Journalism. Students who do not receive at least a C may repeat the course. 2 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. (004838)
Prerequisites: JOUR 101, JOUR 260.
The law as it applies to the press, pictures, and broadcasting. Philosophical basis and historical evolution of legal precedent governing the media. Practical limitations of libel, slander, privacy, copyright, information access, free press-fair trial, contempt and reporter's rights, advertising and media concentration as they affect freedom of the press. Required for news-editorial option; elective for public relations option. 3 hours lecture. (002032)
Prerequisites: JOUR 260. For Option in News: JOUR 321. For Option in Public Relations: JOUR 341.
Ethical principles and case studies will be used to help students develop insights or responses to ethically challenging events or situations in mass media. 3 hours lecture. (005360)

Formal Minor Requirement

All Journalism majors are required to complete a formal minor in a department outside the School of Communication.  GE Pathway minors do not fulfill this requirement.

Major Option Course Requirements: 31-32 units

The following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, are required dependent upon the option chosen. Students must select one of the following options for completion of the major course requirements.  Use the links below to jump to your chosen option.



The Option in News: 31-32 units

4 courses required:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Prerequisites: Completion of GE Written Communication (A2) requirement, HIST 130, JOUR 260, POLS 155.
Designed for students planning reporting or editing careers. Development of greater skills in story recognition and judgment, information gathering, and finished written presentation, including specialized reporting and ethics. Stress is placed on leads, the complex story, and polished writing. Journalism majors in the news-editorial option who earn below a C- in JOUR 321 are required to repeat the course and are expected to earn a C- or higher to receive writing proficiency credit. 2 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. This is an approved Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement course; a grade of C- or higher certifies writing proficiency for majors. (002000)
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.
Study of the American media, from the Colonial period to the present time. Emphasis is placed upon changing trends and the outstanding people who shaped the development of modern media, noting the influence of the past upon the present. 3 hours lecture. (004851)
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.
Evaluating and editing newspaper copy; perfecting copyreading skills; typography, headline writing, page makeup and layout, and newspaper design. 2 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. (002007)
Prerequisites: JOUR 260; JOUR 327 or JOUR 341; or faculty permission.
Provides practical application of journalistic techniques through preparation of the departmental laboratory newspaper. Involved are approaches to reporting, feature writing, editing, sales, and design. Repeating this course for credit requires faculty permission. Requirement for News-Editorial option. 4 hours activity. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 4.0 units. (005351)

20-21 units selected from:

Group A

9 units selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
This course is also offered as MADT 101.
This course teaches the concepts, history, and applications of communication. The implications and ethical issues of media and the communication process are covered. 3 hours lecture. (001636)
Prerequisites: ENGL 130I or JOUR 130I.
Popular mediated culture has evolved with communication during the past century to establish institutions that help define our shared identity. This course is about the resulting culture that appears in mass media and how it reflects, creates, or diminishes values central to the United States by examining the resulting forms, messages, and impacts within society and societal institutions. 3 hours discussion. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course. (021224)
This course is also offered as WMST 211.
The purpose of this course is to educate students to be informed consumers of media, to examine actual portrayals of women in the various media, and to explore how the media industry treats women. These objectives will result in a raised awareness of how both sexes can participate equally in the world around them. 3 hours discussion. This is an approved General Education course. (021252)
How the press operates in other societies, both free and authoritarian: the role of journalism in shaping foreign policy in America and abroad; the role of the press in developing countries; the part journalism plays in international and world organizations; the history of significant foreign press systems; the American press in an international context. Open to non-majors. 3 hours lecture. (002034)
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.
Introduces students to the social constructions of ethnicity and how they are involved in the production, distribution and consumption of the U.S. mass media. 3 hours lecture. (005356)
Prerequisites: CMST 131, CMST 330, CMST 331, CMST 350 with a grade of C- or higher for CMST majors only.
This course is also offered as CMST 424, POLS 424.
Analysis of major factors in group and individual opinion formation, with emphasis on politics, opinion measurement, and the role of mass media in the political process. 3 hours lecture. (002029)
Prerequisites: CMST 131, CMST 330, CMST 331, and CMST 350 with a grade of C- or higher for CMST majors only.
This course is also offered as CMST 428, POLS 428.
An examination of the relationships of politics and the mass media. Topics may include politics, visual rhetoric, the public sphere studies, media analysis, public policy decisions, political media campaigns, and social movements. 3 hours seminar. (002246)

Group B

11-12 units selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.
Techniques of writing nonfiction articles and features for publication; where to find material, markets. Student writings may appear in campus publications such as Orion. 2 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. (001667)
Prerequisites: JOUR 260; JOUR 327 or JOUR 341; or faculty permission.
Provides practical application of journalistic techniques through preparation of the departmental laboratory newspaper. Involved are approaches to reporting, feature writing, editing, sales, and design. Repeating this course for credit requires faculty permission. Requirement for News-Editorial option. 4 hours activity. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 4.0 units. (005351)
Prerequisites: JOUR 329 and faculty permission.
This course is for journalism majors who manage the laboratory newspaper. It provides practical application of journalistic techniques through preparation and management of the departmental laboratory newspaper and includes approaches to writing, editing, photography and newsroom management techniques. With faculty permission, this course and JOUR 329 can be repeated for a combined total of 5 units. 1 hour lecture, 4 hours activity. (020118)
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.
Instruction in persuasive writing, design, and production of public relations publications via desktop publishing. Publications include fliers, institutional advertisements, brochures, and newsletters that are produced to promote the views, products, or services of organizations or companies. 2 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. (005352)
Prerequisites: JOUR 260 for majors, no prerequisite for non-majors.
Theory and practice of news photography, including picture-taking for college publications, as well as special photographic projects. 2 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. (002011)
Prerequisites: JOUR 255, JOUR 260.
This course focuses on skills required to create and publish Web sites that feature interactive journalism. Students learn effective strategies in the production of multimedia news and public relations for online readers. 1 hour lecture, 2 hours discussion. (005357)
Prerequisite: JOUR 255I (or equivalent), JOUR 260.
This course explores how the Silicon Valley startup culture is changing the state of news in the digital sphere. From Medium to Jezebel to Mashable, digital entrepreneurs who are also writers are creating new media ecosystems that create, share, and engage with readers in ways that can be profitable. Through guest speakers, media analysis, and case studies, students explore how these digital entrepreneurs are using core journalistic skills, public relations strategy, creativity, and drive to create their own jobs and careers in digital journalism. 2 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. (021612)
Prerequisites: JOUR 244, JOUR 260, JOUR 341, JOUR 344. Option in News majors take JOUR 341 only.
Advanced public relations field experience. Repeating this course for credit requires faculty permission. Required for public relations option. 6 hours laboratory. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 4.0 units. (004852)
Prerequisites: ARTS 240 or CAGD 112 or MADT 206 or JOUR 353.
This course deals with the advanced skills, theory, history, and ethics of newspaper and magazine photojournalism. It builds on basics from the prerequisite course to develop the photography skills of students who seek to become professional photojournalists. 2 hours lecture, 2 hours activity. (020492)
Prerequisites: Faculty permission.
You must register directly with a supervising faculty member. Students will experience a wide range of professional situations, conditions, and practice in the journalism/public relations professional setting prior to graduation. Length of internship will vary according to type of placement. Students will be supervised by a practicing member of the profession. Repeatable for credit toward the major up to 3 units with instructor permission. 3 hours supervision. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 15.0 units. (005362)

JOUR 329 is repeatable, with instructor and advisor permission, up to 4 units to count toward the major: 2 units for the option core; 2 units toward Group B.

JOUR 489 is repeatable, with instructor and advisor permission, up to 3 units.

The Option in Public Relations: 31-32 units

4 courses required:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Prerequisites: Completion of GE Written Communication (A2) requirement, JOUR 244, JOUR 260.
Principles and practices of writing styles for public relations. Emphasis will be on writing tailored to an organization's communication needs. Required for majors. Journalism majors in the public relations option who earn below a C- in JOUR 341 are required to repeat the course and are expected to earn a C- or higher to receive writing proficiency credit. 2 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. This is an approved Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement course; a grade of C- or higher certifies writing proficiency for majors. (004844)
Prerequisite: JOUR 244.
The overall objective of this course is to equip students with the skills to conduct qualitative and quantitative public relations research including measurement and performance evaluation. The emphasis will be on measurement of tangible results in evaluating effectiveness. The impact of culture and diversity will be considered. Process and techniques to be studied include public-opinion polling, focus groups and interviews, survey research, experimental design, fact-finding and applied research. 3 hours lecture. (020558)
Prerequisites: JOUR 244, JOUR 260, JOUR 341, JOUR 342.
Theory and norms used in strategies for public relations activities and programs. Emphasis on selection of strategies under varying kinds of information conditions. Major areas addressed are strategy formulation, strategy implementation, and strategic control. Required for majors. 3 hours lecture. (002003)
Prerequisites: JOUR 244, JOUR 260, JOUR 341, JOUR 344. Option in News majors take JOUR 341 only.
Advanced public relations field experience. Repeating this course for credit requires faculty permission. Required for public relations option. 6 hours laboratory. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 4.0 units. (004852)

20-21 units selected from:

Group A

9 units selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
This course is also offered as MADT 101.
This course teaches the concepts, history, and applications of communication. The implications and ethical issues of media and the communication process are covered. 3 hours lecture. (001636)
Prerequisites: ENGL 130I or JOUR 130I.
Popular mediated culture has evolved with communication during the past century to establish institutions that help define our shared identity. This course is about the resulting culture that appears in mass media and how it reflects, creates, or diminishes values central to the United States by examining the resulting forms, messages, and impacts within society and societal institutions. 3 hours discussion. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course. (021224)
This course is also offered as WMST 211.
The purpose of this course is to educate students to be informed consumers of media, to examine actual portrayals of women in the various media, and to explore how the media industry treats women. These objectives will result in a raised awareness of how both sexes can participate equally in the world around them. 3 hours discussion. This is an approved General Education course. (021252)
How the press operates in other societies, both free and authoritarian: the role of journalism in shaping foreign policy in America and abroad; the role of the press in developing countries; the part journalism plays in international and world organizations; the history of significant foreign press systems; the American press in an international context. Open to non-majors. 3 hours lecture. (002034)
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.
Study of the American media, from the Colonial period to the present time. Emphasis is placed upon changing trends and the outstanding people who shaped the development of modern media, noting the influence of the past upon the present. 3 hours lecture. (004851)
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.
Introduces students to the social constructions of ethnicity and how they are involved in the production, distribution and consumption of the U.S. mass media. 3 hours lecture. (005356)
Prerequisites: CMST 131, CMST 330, CMST 331, CMST 350 with a grade of C- or higher for CMST majors only.
This course is also offered as CMST 424, POLS 424.
Analysis of major factors in group and individual opinion formation, with emphasis on politics, opinion measurement, and the role of mass media in the political process. 3 hours lecture. (002029)

Group B

11-12 units selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
Prerequisites: Completion of GE Written Communication (A2) requirement, HIST 130, JOUR 260, POLS 155.
Designed for students planning reporting or editing careers. Development of greater skills in story recognition and judgment, information gathering, and finished written presentation, including specialized reporting and ethics. Stress is placed on leads, the complex story, and polished writing. Journalism majors in the news-editorial option who earn below a C- in JOUR 321 are required to repeat the course and are expected to earn a C- or higher to receive writing proficiency credit. 2 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. This is an approved Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement course; a grade of C- or higher certifies writing proficiency for majors. (002000)
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.
Techniques of writing nonfiction articles and features for publication; where to find material, markets. Student writings may appear in campus publications such as Orion. 2 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. (001667)
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.
Evaluating and editing newspaper copy; perfecting copyreading skills; typography, headline writing, page makeup and layout, and newspaper design. 2 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. (002007)
Prerequisites: JOUR 260; JOUR 327 or JOUR 341; or faculty permission.
Provides practical application of journalistic techniques through preparation of the departmental laboratory newspaper. Involved are approaches to reporting, feature writing, editing, sales, and design. Repeating this course for credit requires faculty permission. Requirement for News-Editorial option. 4 hours activity. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 4.0 units. (005351)
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.
Instruction in persuasive writing, design, and production of public relations publications via desktop publishing. Publications include fliers, institutional advertisements, brochures, and newsletters that are produced to promote the views, products, or services of organizations or companies. 2 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. (005352)
Prerequisites: JOUR 260 for majors, no prerequisite for non-majors.
Theory and practice of news photography, including picture-taking for college publications, as well as special photographic projects. 2 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. (002011)
Prerequisites: JOUR 255, JOUR 260.
This course focuses on skills required to create and publish Web sites that feature interactive journalism. Students learn effective strategies in the production of multimedia news and public relations for online readers. 1 hour lecture, 2 hours discussion. (005357)
Prerequisites: Faculty permission.
This course is an independent study of special problems offered for 1.0-3.0 units. You must register directly with a supervising faculty member. Special projects (research or production) in media study. 9 hours supervision. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 6.0 units. Credit/no credit grading. (005355)
Prerequisites: JOUR 244, JOUR 260, JOUR 341, JOUR 344.
Corequisite: JOUR 445.
This course focuses on polishing the professional skill set and presentation of public relations option majors. Job hunting skills are emphasized. Guest speakers include alumni working as PR practitioners. 2 hours activity. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 3.0 units. (005358)
Prerequisites: JOUR 244, JOUR 260, JOUR 341, JOUR 344. Option in News majors take JOUR 341 only.
Advanced public relations field experience. Repeating this course for credit requires faculty permission. Required for public relations option. 6 hours laboratory. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 4.0 units. (004852)
Prerequisite: JOUR 255I (or equivalent), JOUR 260.
This course explores how the Silicon Valley startup culture is changing the state of news in the digital sphere. From Medium to Jezebel to Mashable, digital entrepreneurs who are also writers are creating new media ecosystems that create, share, and engage with readers in ways that can be profitable. Through guest speakers, media analysis, and case studies, students explore how these digital entrepreneurs are using core journalistic skills, public relations strategy, creativity, and drive to create their own jobs and careers in digital journalism. 2 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. (021612)
Prerequisites: ARTS 240 or CAGD 112 or MADT 206 or JOUR 353.
This course deals with the advanced skills, theory, history, and ethics of newspaper and magazine photojournalism. It builds on basics from the prerequisite course to develop the photography skills of students who seek to become professional photojournalists. 2 hours lecture, 2 hours activity. (020492)
Prerequisites: Faculty permission.
You must register directly with a supervising faculty member. Students will experience a wide range of professional situations, conditions, and practice in the journalism/public relations professional setting prior to graduation. Length of internship will vary according to type of placement. Students will be supervised by a practicing member of the profession. Repeatable for credit toward the major up to 3 units with instructor permission. 3 hours supervision. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 15.0 units. (005362)

JOUR 329 and JOUR 445 are repeatable, with instructor and advisor permission, for a total of 4 units: 2 units for the option core, 2 units toward Group B.

JOUR 399 and JOUR 489 are repeatable, with instructor and advisor permission, up to 3 units.

Substitutions in course electives or prerequisites for either major option may be allowed with permission of the department chair.

Electives Requirement:

To complete the total units required for the bachelor's degree, select additional elective courses from the total University offerings. You should consult with an advisor regarding the selection of courses which will provide breadth to your University experience and possibly apply to a supportive second major or minor.

Grading Requirement:

All courses taken to fulfill major course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as Credit/No Credit grading only.

Advising Requirement:

Advising is mandatory for all majors in this degree program. Consult your undergraduate advisor for specific information.

Catalog Cycle:17