The B.A. degree program in journalism is designed for students interested in pursuing media-related careers, including multimedia storytelling, print/broadcast/online journalism, public relations, and corporate communications. The program focuses on development of communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical-thinking skills through applied experiences meant to mirror professional environments.

Student Learning Goals

1. Prepare students to work as professional media communication specialists.
2. Prepare students for admission to quality graduate programs or to pursue other media-related careers.
3. Master the skills essential for print, broadcast and online, specifically the ability to report, write and edit across multiple media, including the written word, still and moving imagery, audio, information graphics, and social media.
4. Develop a stronger sense of media literacy, including a greater knowledge of the structure of media systems and the ability to apply relevant laws and ethics to professional environments.

Scholarships/Awards

Mike Spencer Scholarship; Jeff Owen Journalism Award.

Admission Requirements

Complete 30 hours, including ENGL-W 131 Elementary Composition I, JOUR-C 200 Introduction to Mass Communications, and JOUR-J 200 Reporting, Writing, and Editing I.

Degree Requirements

See “General Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees at IU Southeast” and “General Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree.”

Note: This is not a re-statement of the University's General Education Requirement but a list of specific General Education courses which are also requirements or pre-requisites for course work in the school/major.

Core Program

Both the multimedia Journalism and Public Relations tracks under the B.A. in Journalism require a common core of 21 credit hours.

Multimedia Journalism Track

The Multimedia Journalism track requires J303 Online Journalism, a photojournalism course (J344 Photojournalism Reporting, J354 Photojournalism Editing, or J384 Videography), two semesters of Student Media Experience on The Horizon (C327 Writing for Publication or J385 Television News – either may be taken twice), a journalism elective or internship, and J362 Journ Multimedia Storytelling. Note that a for-credit internship in journalism, PR, or a related field may be counted as the required journalism elective.

Students must also complete a secondary concentration of at least nine credit hours in a second area. The second concentration consists of courses in any academic discipline outside journalism. General Education courses and electives may count in the secondary concentration.

Track Requirements

Electives

One three-credit Journalism Elective is required. Any course with a JOUR-J prefix (3 credits, minimum grade of C) is acceptable.  NOTE:  A for-credit internship in journalism, PR, or  related field may be counted as an elective.

Capstone

Public Relations Track

The Public Relations track requires JOUR-J 321 Principles of Public Relations, CMCL-C 324 Persuasion, JOUR-J 349 Public Relations Writing, CMCL-C 424 Communications Research Methods, SPCH-S 307 Crisis Management, BUS-M 300 Introduction to Marketing, JOUR-J 429 Public Relations Campaigns, and two directed elective courses. Note that a for-credit internship in journalism, PR, or a related field may be counted as the required journalism elective.

Track Requirements

Electives

Capstone

Specific Requirements for Honors Program

Admission to the Journalism Honors Program requires the following: 

The student must be a journalism major with junior standing; the student must have at least a 3.3 GPA in all courses and at least a 3.5 GPA in journalism courses; and the student must have completed 14 hours of journalism courses, including JOUR-C 200, JOUR-J 200, JOUR-J170, JOUR-J210, and one semester of JOUR-C 327 or JOUR-J 385.  Once admitted to the program, honors students will complete a double major in journalism honors and journalism.

Fifteen credit hours, consisting of: 

• JOUR-C 200 Introduction to Mass Communications (3 cr.)
• JOUR-C 327 Writing for Mass Media (The Horizon) OR JOUR-J 385 Television News (3 cr.)
• JOUR-J 170 Wordsmithing (2 cr.)
• JOUR-J 200 Reporting, Writing and Editing I (3 cr.)
• JOUR-J 210 Visual Communications (3 cr.)