Journalism Major Requirements

Major
The Journalism major consists of 69-70 hours in three required areas and a fourth voluntary area of co-curricular activities. To meet the requirements for a degree in journalism, students must earn a minimum grade of "C" in all journalism courses and maintain a minimum 2.5 gpa in all journalism courses.

I. Journalism Course Work........................... 39-40 semester hours
Core: 27 or 28 hours
JOU 2001, 2101, 2901, 2950, 3000, 3002, 3401*, 4102, 4771 plus one Media and Society course from: JOU 3903, 3920, 3951, 3952, 3953, 4001.

* This requirement may be waived by the department chair with evidence of equivalent experience.

Journalism writing competency must be demonstrated prior to enrollment in Journalism 2101, 2901, or 3000 by either (1) a grade of B in English 1001G, or (2) grades of least C in both English 1001G and 1002G.

Electives: 12 hours
Students may choose a maximum of 12 hours of elective courses in Journalism to complete the 39- or 40-hour requirement or they may use their elective hours to pursue a concentration or minor in a specific area of Journalism. With the assistance of their academic advisers, students should choose their Block A and Block B courses to complement the concentration or minor.

II. Liberal Arts Area (Block A)..................... 18 semester hours

With consultation of the academic advisor, include a course from three of these four areas: Political Science, History, Sociology, and Economics. With permission of advisor and chair, student may substitute other courses at same level (e.g., 2000, 3000) or higher for listed courses within the same field of study.

Anthropology 2200G; Economics 2801G, 3880; English 2901, 3001; Foreign Language 2201G; any upper division course in Geography; History 3940; any upper division course in international history; any upper division course in Philosophy; Political Science 2603, any upper division course in international political science; any upper division course in Psychology; Speech Communication 2650; Sociology 2750G, 2761; any upper-division course in Sociology.

III. Non-Journalism Specialty (Block B)..................... 12 semester hours

Selection of these upper-division courses [numbered 3000 and 4000], ordinarily in a block from a single department or related courses offered by more than one academic department, requires consultation with student's advisor. Upon recommendation of advisor, chair may approve one lower division course if it is a prerequisite for upper division courses. Courses must be integrated into student's program in Journalism. Block A courses cannot be counted toward Block B. A second major or a non-journalism minor meets the Block B requirement.

IV. Co-Curricular Volunteer Activities

Students who have worked on student media have found co-curricular learning activities and experiences to be invaluable. Opportunities available on student media: news, business and advertising staffs of The Daily Eastern News; the Verge entertainment supplement; Diverse; the Warbler yearbook; Where It's @ on-line magazine; WEIU-TV; the Agency.

Organizations that offer significant learning experiences include the Public Relations Student Society of America, Society of Professional Journalists, Student Illinois News Broadcasters Association, and Society for Collegiate Journalists.

(Journalism majors may apply no more than 12 transfer credit hours, nor more than 40 total credit hours in journalism courses, toward the 120-hour graduation requirement. At least 65 of the remaining 80 credit hours must be taken in humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.)

Concentration in Writing and Reporting

This concentration is designed to provide students with the knowledge and values necessary to understand the roles and functions of writers and reporters in journalistic media and to provide them with the skills and practice necessary to excel in such roles.

JOU 3102 Feature Writing
JOU 3800 Advanced Editing
JOU 4770 News Media Opinion Writing and Editing

Choose six hours from the following: 6 sem. hrs.
JOU 3706 Sports Writing
JOU 3705 Public Relations Writing
JOU 3610 Broadcast News Writing
JOU 3620 Electronic News Gathering

Concentration in Editing

This concentration is designed to provide students with the knowledge and values necessary to understand the roles and functions of editors in journalistic media and to provide them with the skills and practice necessary to excel in such roles.

JOU 3300 Publication Design
JOU 3800 Advanced Editing
JOU 4001 Newspaper Management

Choose six hours from the following:
JOU 3001 News Photography
JOU 3703 Online Journalism
JOU 4770 News Media Opinion Writing and Editing
JOU 4760 Advanced Publication Design

Concentration in Design

This concentration is designed to provide students with the knowledge and values necessary to understand the roles and functions of visual communicators in journalistic media and to provide them with the skills and practice necessary to excel in such roles.

JOU 3001 News Photography
JOU 3300 Publication Design
JOU 4760 Advanced Publication Design

Choose six hours from the following:
JOU 3703 Online Journalism
JOU 3800 Advanced Editing
JOU 4751 Photojournalism

Concentration in Photojournalism

This concentration is designed to provide students with the knowledge and values necessary to understand the roles and functions of photojournalists and videographers in journalistic media and to provide them with the skills and practice necessary to excel in such roles.

JOU 3001 News Photography
JOU 3300 Publication Design
JOU 4751 Photojournalism

Choose six hours from the following:
JOU 3703 Online Journalism
JOU 4760 Advanced Publication Design

Concentration in Public Relations

This concentration is designed to provide students with the knowledge and values necessary to understand the roles and functions of public relations professionals and to provide them with the skills and practice necessary to excel in such roles.

JOU 3300 Publication Design
JOU 3705 Public Relations Writing
JOU 3920 Public Relations in Society
JOU 4919 Public Relations Techniques
JOU 4920 Case Studies in Public Relations

Choose three hours from the following
JOU 3501 Principles of Advertising
JOU 3703 Online Journalism

Concentration in New and Emerging Media

This concentration is designed to provide students with the knowledge and values necessary to understand the roles and functions of new media journalists and to provide them with the skills and practice necessary to excel in such roles.

JOU 3300 Publication Design
JOU 3703 Online Journalism
JOU 4761 Advanced New Media Design
JOU 4762 Interactive Reporting and Design

Choose three hours from the following
JOU 3001 News Photography
JOU 4760 Advanced Publication Design

Concentration in Broadcast News

This concentration is designed to provide students with the knowledge and values necessary to understand the roles and functions of journalists in broadcasting/electronic media and to provide them with the skills and practice necessary to excel in such roles.

SPC 2575 Electronic Production II
JOU 3610 Broadcast News Writing
JOU 3620 Electronic Newsgathering

Choose nine hours from the following:
JOU 3000 Advanced Reporting and Research
JOU 3001 News Photography
JOU 3703 Online Journalism
JOU 3706 Sports Writing
JOU 4761 Advanced New Media Design
JOU 4275 Journalism Internship

JOURNALISM HONORS PROGRAM

Departmental Honors Requirements: Twelve semester hours in Journalism Honors courses shall be required. Each Honors course may be repeated for a maximum of six hours each with permission of the department chair.

JOU 2091 Journalism and Democracy, Honors 0 or 3 sem. hrs
JOU 4444 Honors Independent Study 0-6 sem. hrs
JOU 4555 Honors Research 0-6 sem. hrs
JOU 4666 Honors Seminar 0-6 sem. hrs
JOU 4644 Honors Thesis 3-6 sem. hrs
Students must complete at least three credits in Honors Thesis as part of all other requirements in the major. Credits in Honors courses may replace elective credits in the major. Students in the Journalism Honors Program must maintain a minimum overall grade point average of 3.50. The chair will assign Honors courses to faculty. Unless the chair approves an exception, students will complete at least three different departmental Honors courses.

JOURNALISM MINOR
Courses Required:
JOU 2001 Journalism and Democracy
JOU 2101 News Writing
JOU 2901 Intro to Copyediting
JOU 2950 Intro to Visual Communications
JOU 3000 Adv. Reporting and Research
JOU 3002 Intro to Multimedia Journalism
JOU 3401* Journalism Practicum
JOU 4102 Journalism Ethics
JOU 4771 Communication Law

24 OR 25 sem. hrs.

*this requirement may be waived by the department chair with the showing of equivalent experience.