Undergraduate Programs

Degree Programs

B.A.J. Requirements


The School of Journalism offers the B.A.J. degree on the Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses. Students on the Indianapolis campus must complete the following for the B.A.J. degree:
Journalism Major (minimum 39 credit hours)
Core (16 Credits)

These courses are required of all Journalism students:

  • C190 Perspectives on Communication (1 cr.)
  • J110 Foundations of Journalism and Mass communication (3 cr.)
  • J200 Reporting, Writing, and Editing I (3 cr.)
  • J210 Visual Communication (3 cr.)
  • J300 Communications Law (3 cr.)
  • J410 Media as Social Institutions (Capstone) (3 cr.)
Area Core (12 credits)
Each student must complete all four courses on one of the Area Cores:
  • Journalism
    • J341 Newspaper Reporting (3 cr.)
    • J351 Newspaper Editing (3 cr.)
    • One of the following: J343 Broadcast News (3 cr.), OR J344 Photojournalism Reporting (3 cr.), OR J463 Computerized Publication Design (3 cr.).
    • J409 Media Management (3 cr.)
  • Sports Journalism
    • J150 Introduction to Sports Journalism (3 cr.)
    • J345 Sports Journalism Writing (3 cr.)
    • J361 Issues in Sports Journalism (3 cr.)
    • J409 Media Management (3 cr.)
  • Public Relations
    • J219 Introduction to Public Relations (3 cr.)
    • J390 Public Relations Writing (3 cr.)
    • J340 Public Relations Tactics and Techniques (3 cr.)
    • J428 Public Relations Planning and Research (3 cr.)

Journalism Electives (9 credits)

A Journalism Research Elective from the following list:

  • J407 Newsgathering and the Law (3 cr.)
  • J414 International Newsgathering Systems (3 cr.)
  • J423 Public Opinion (3 cr.)
  • J429 Public Relations Campaigns (3 cr.)
  • J438 Advertising Issues & Research (3 cr.)
  • J450 History of Journalism (3 cr.)
  • J470 Broadcast Media Analysis (3 cr.)
  • (Also approved topics of JOUR J360 and J46)
Two journalism electives (6 cr.) from any area: journalism, sports journalism, or public relations as long as you meet the prerequisites for that course.

J492 Media Internship (1 cr.)

J400 Careers in Public Relations or J402 Careers in Journalism (1 cr.)

Academic Minor or Outside Concentration (minimum 15 credit hours)
Fundamental Skills
  • English Composition: ENG W131 (3 cr.)
  • Speech: COMM R110 (3 cr.)
  • Mathematics: M118, M119, 151 or 153 (3 cr.)

Math M118 is recommended for students who want to prepare for the required statistics course.

  • Foreign Language (10 cr.)
  • Statistics: ECON 270, PSY B305, SOC R359, STAT 301, SPEA K300 (3 cr.)

Distribution

  • Economics (3 cr.)
  • Literature or Fine Arts History or Appreciation (3 cr.)
  • Arts and Humanities (6 cr.)
  • Social Sciences (6 cr.)
  • Natural and Mathematical Sciences (6 cr.)
  • Comparative World Cultures (3 cr.)

123 credit hours total