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Undergraduate

Bachelor's Degree Programs
Journalism

Major in Journalism

Journalism and public relations students at IU Indianapolis learn communication skills, research and analytical techniques, technical know-how, teamwork and versatility—exactly the skills that today’s employers are looking for. Our downtown Indianapolis location provides us with a valuable pool of leading media professionals who serve as instructors and guest speakers. Internships and jobs covering many possible career paths—media, sports or health information, nonprofits, government and more—are a short walk or drive away.

These are the learning outcomes for each program.

Journalism and Sports Journalism Concentrations

  • Apply the basic principles of journalism such as accuracy, fairness, and public service.
  • Discuss the legal and ethical underpinnings of mass media in the U.S.
  • Interpret and use the principles of digital, online, and print design.
  • Discuss and practice the principles of communicating clearly through print, digital, and visual media.
  • Explain the function and impact of journalism and mass communication.
  • Classify and separate different audiences for mass communication.
  • Design and execute an effective job search in journalism.
  • Conduct research for news stories using a variety of sources and evaluate the accuracy of information sources.
Public Relations Concentration
  • Apply the basic principles of public relations such as media relations, employee communication, and community relations.
  • Discuss the legal and ethical underpinnings of public communication in the U.S.
  • Interpret and use principles of digital and print design.
  • Discuss and practice the principles of ethical and effective informative and persuasive writing.
  • Explain the roles and functions of public relations.
  • Discuss and execute persuasive communication strategies in public relations.
  • Design and execute an effective job search in public relations.
  • Design research to support and evaluate public relations campaigns.

The Bachelor of Arts in Journalism (JOUR) requires satisfactory completion of the following:

  • A minimum of 120 credit hours is required for a B.A.J. degree from the IU School of Liberal Arts.
  • A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C) is required for graduation.
  • A minimum of 30 credit hours must be completed after formal admission to IU Indianapolis.
  • A minimum of 21 credit hours of major coursework must be completed in residence in the IU School of Liberal Arts at IU Indianapolis. Course work completed on an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program counts as residential credit.
  • A minimum grade of C (2.0) is required in each major course.
  • Once a course has been applied toward one requirement, it cannot be used to satisfy a second requirement, except where explicitly stated otherwise. In addition, except in cases of variable title courses, internships, and other special courses, no course will be counted more than once toward graduation.
  • No more than 12 credit hours may transfer in the major.
  • Journalism courses more than 10 years old must be revalidated.
  • Minors and certificates outside of journalism are recommended.

IU Indianapolis General Education Core

A list of accepted courses in the IU Indianapolis General Education Core can be found here.

Core Communication (6 credits)

  • ENG-W 131: Reading, Writing, and Inquiry I (3 credits) or ENG-W 140: Reading, Writing, and Inquiry: Honors (3 credits) completed with a grade of C (2.0) or higher

English for Academic Purposes (EAP) sections of ENG-G 131 have been designated for students whose first language is not English.

  • COMM-R 110: Fundamentals of Speech Communication (3 credits)

Analytical Reasoning (6 credits)

  • College math from List A (3 credits)
  • List A or List B (3 credits)

Cultural Understanding (3 credits)

  • A world language course is recommended

Life and Physical Sciences (6 credits)

  • A laboratory science component is required

Arts/Humanities and Social Sciences (9 credits)

  • Arts & Humanities (3 credits)
  • Social Science (3 credits)
  • Additional Arts & Humanities or Social Science (3 credits)

Transfer students entering IU Indianapolis from another public university in Indiana who have completed the transferable general education core at their home campus will not need to complete the IU Indianapolis General Education Core.

Liberal Arts Baccalaureate Competencies

First-Year Experience (1-3 credits)

  • SLA-S 100: First Year Success Seminar
  • Other: First Year Seminar from another school at IU Indianapolis

Transfer students with 18 or more credit hours are not required to take this course.

Writing Proficiency (3 credits), completed with a grade of C (2.0) or higher, chosen from the following:

  • ENG-W 230: Writing in the Sciences
  • ENG-W 231: Professional Writing Skills
  • ENG-W 270: Argumentative Writing

Transfer students may satisfy the writing proficiency by completing course work equivalent to ENG-W 231, ENG-W 230, ENG-W 270, or GEWR-UN 200 with a grade of C (2.0) or higher at another campus or institution.

Transfer students with 80 or more transfer credits may petition for exemption from the Writing Proficiency requirement.  Petition available in the Miriam Z. Langsam Office of Student Affairs, Cavanaugh Hall room 401.

Analytical Proficiency (3 credits), chosen from the following: 

  • ECON-E 270: Introduction to Statistical Theory in Economics and Business
  • PHIL-P 208: Causality and Evidence
  • PHIL-P 262: Practical Logic
  • PHIL-P 265: Introduction to Symbolic Logic
  • POLS-Y 205: Analyzing Politics  
  • SOC-R 359: Introduction to Sociological Stats

Analytical Proficiency is in addition to the Analytical Reasoning area in the IU Indianapolis General Education Core. Analytical Proficiency courses may be shared with major requirements if applicable.

Life and Physical Sciences Laboratory

One laboratory science course is required, but may be part of the coursework taken in the IU Indianapolis General Education Core.

Arts and Humanities (3 credits) - Courses in one’s first major field of study cannot be used to fulfill this requirement

100 or 200 level course chosen from the following disciplines

  • Africana Studies (AFRO)
  • American Studies (AMST)
  • American Sign Language (ASL) excluding World Languages courses
  • Classics (CLAS) excluding World Languages courses
  • Communication Studies (COMM-R, excluding COMM-R 110, and COMM-T only)
  • East Asian Languages and Cultures (EALC) excluding World Language courses
  • English-Creative Writing or Writing and Literacy (ENG-W), excluding courses in the Writing Proficiency area.
  • English Literature (ENG-L)
  • Film Studies (FILM)
  • Folklore (FOLK) excluding FOLK-F 101
  • German (GER) excluding World Language courses
  • History (HIST) excluding HIST-H 105, HIST-H 106, HIST-H 108, HIST-H 109, HIST-H 113, HIST-H 114
  • Latino Studies (LATS)
  • Medical Humanities and Health Studies (MHHS)
  • Museum Studies (MSTD)
  • Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS)
  • Philosophy (PHIL)
  • Religious Studies (REL)
  • Spanish (SPAN) excluding World Language courses
  • Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) excluding WGSS-W 105
  • World Languages and Cultures (WLAC)

Social Sciences (3 credits) - Courses in one’s first major field of study cannot be used to fulfill this requirement

100 or 200 level course chosen from the following disciplines

  • Africana Studies (AFRO)
  • Anthropology (ANTH)
  • Communication Studies (COMM-C and COMM-M only)
  • Economics (ECON)
  • English-Linguistics (ENG-Z)
  • Folklore (FOLK)
  • Geography (GEOG)
  • Global and International Studies (INTL)
  • History (HIST) only HIST-H 105, HIST-H 106, HIST-H 108, HIST-H 109, HIST-H 113, HIST-H 114
  • Latino Studies (LATS)
  • Medical Humanities and Health Studies (MHHS) excluding MHHS-M 201
  • Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS)
  • Political Science (POLS)
  • Psychology (PSY)
  • Sociology (SOC)
  • Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS)

World Language and Perspectives (0-14 credits) - This requirement may be satisfied in one of the following ways:

  1. Completion of second-year proficiency in a single world language.
    1. Second-year proficiency is demonstrated by:
      1. passing the full second-year sequence of courses in a single language or
      2. completing a third or fourth-year course1
  2. Completion of third-semester proficiency in a single world language and one course in History selected from HIST-H 108, HIST-H 109, HIST-H 113, or HIST-H 114.
  3. Completion of first-year proficiency in a single world language; one history course selected from HIST-H 108, HIST-H 109, HIST-H 113, or HIST-H 114; and one course selected from the Global History and Perspectives list:
    1. ANTH-A 104: Intro to Cultural Anthropology
    2. CLAS-C 213: Sport and Competition in the Ancient World
    3. EALC-E 232: China Past and Present: Culture in Continuing Evolution
    4. ENG-L 245: (The Empire Writes Back) Intro to Caribbean Literature
    5. GEOG-G 130: World Geography
    6. HIST-H 108: Perspectives on the World to 1800
    7. HIST-H 109: Perspectives on the World since 1800
    8. HIST-H 113: History of Western Civilization I 
    9. HIST-H 114: History of Western Civilization II
    10. INTL-I 100: Intro to International Studies
    11. LATS-L 228: An Interdisciplinary Look at U.S. Latino/a Identities
    12. POLS-Y 217: Introduction to Comparative Politics 
    13. POLS-Y 219: Introduction to International Relations
    14. REL-R 212: Comparative Religions
  4. Non-English native speaker with approved waiver.

Courses in World Language and Perspectives may also satisfy General Education Core Cultural Understanding. 

        1 Students interested in receiving credit for lower-division language courses, see the section ‘‘Special Credit for Foreign Language Study.’’

Advanced Courses

Students are required to have 42 credit hours in 300-400 level coursework including courses in their major. Of the 42 advanced credits, 9 credit hours must be 300-400 level coursework outside the first Liberal Arts major field of study and from the School of Liberal Arts. Students seeking dual degrees are exempt from completing 9 credits hours in 300-400 level coursework outside their major and from the School of Liberal Arts.

Journalism Major (38 credits)

Core Courses: (15 credits)

  • JOUR-J 110: Foundations of Journalism and Mass Communications
  • JOUR-J 200: Reporting, Writing, and Editing 
  • JOUR-J 210: Visual Communication
  • JOUR-J 300: Communications Law (P: Sophomore standing)
  • JOUR-J 410: Media Ethics (capstone) 

Concentration Core: (12 credits)

Select one concentration and complete all four courses in that concentration. 

Journalism Concentration

  • JOUR-J 341: News Reporting (P: JOUR-J 200)
  • JOUR-J 351: News Editing (P: JOUR-J 200)
  • JOUR-J 409: Media Management

Select one specialty course from the following:

  • JOUR-J 343: Broadcast News (P: JOUR-J 200 & JOUR-J 210)
  • JOUR-J 344: Photojournalism Reporting (P: JOUR-J 200 & JOUR-J 210)
  • JOUR-J 463: Graphic Design I (P: JOUR-J 200 & JOUR-J 210)

Journalism Courses

Sports Journalism Concentration

  • JOUR-J 150: Introduction to Sports Journalism
  • JOUR-J 345: Sports Journalism Writing (P: JOUR-J 150, JOUR-J 200 & JOUR-J 210)
  • JOUR-J 361: Issues in Sports Journalism (P: JOUR-J 150)
  • JOUR-J 409: Media Management

Sports Journalism Courses

Public Relations Concentration

  • JOUR-J 219: Introduction to Public Relations
  • JOUR-J 340: Public Relations Tactics and Techniques (P: JOUR-J 219)
  • JOUR-J 390: Public Relations Writing (P: JOUR-J 200 & JOUR-J 219)
  • JOUR-J 428: Public Relations Planning and Research (P: JOUR-J 340 & JOUR-J 390)

Public Relations Courses

Research Elective: (3 credits)

Select one course from the following:

  • JOUR-J 414: International Mass Communication (offered fall semesters)
  • JOUR-J 450: History of Journalism (offered spring semesters)
  • JOUR-J 460: Issues Management and Crisis Communications (offered spring semesters)
  • JOUR-J 460: Sports, Scandals, and Society (offered fall semesters)
  • JOUR-J 475: Race, Gender, and the Media (offered spring semesters)

Career Preparation: (1 credit)

  • JOUR-J 402: Careers in Journalism (Journalism and Sports Journalism concentration) (P: Junior standing or above)

OR

  • JOUR-J 400: Careers in Public Relations (Public Relations concentration) (P: Junior standing or above)

Media Internship: (1 credit)

  • JOUR-J 492 (P: By permission)

Journalism Electives: (6 credits)

Choose any two courses in journalism and public relations as long as you meet the prerequisite for that course.

Open electives
Candidates for a degree in the IU School of Liberal Arts must complete the IU Indianapolis General Education Core requirements, the baccalaureate competencies, and the requirements of their major department. Usually, students will still need to complete additional hours in order to reach the graduation requirement of 120 credit hours. These remaining credit hours are known as open electives.

Dual Degree Advantage

The Liberal Arts baccalaureate competencies are waived for IU Indianapolis undergraduate students whose first major is outside the School of Liberal Arts and whose second major is a Bachelor of Arts degree from the IU School of Liberal Arts at IU Indianapolis. Students are only required to complete the courses in their major of choice in Liberal Arts. The IU Indianapolis General Education Core or the Indiana transferable general education core must be successfully completed. Students must complete the degree outside Liberal Arts in order to have the Liberal Arts baccalaureate competencies waived for degree completion. The Liberal Arts baccalaureate competencies are only waived for students who actively pursue and complete another degree program outside of Liberal Arts. Both degrees must be completed at the same time.