2002-2003 UAF Catalog

Degrees and Programs

Journalism

College of Liberal Arts
Department of Journalism
(907) 474-7761

Degree: B.A.

Minimum Requirements for Degree: 123-124 credits

The journalism curriculum offers a balance of professional and theory courses for majors and non-majors. Majors take a variety of skills and theory courses while acquiring a strong liberal arts background. Non-majors, including those minoring in journalism, may choose from a wide selection of courses.

Besides gaining a solid academic backgound in the classroom, students get practical experience by working with media on and off campus. On campus, these include public television and public radio stations, a student-owned FM station and the campus newspaper. Off campus, students have opportunities to intern with a variety of radio and television stations, newspapers and other media-related businesses and organizations, both in and out of Alaska.

The department has several laboratory facilities including a news writing/digital photography lab, a multimedia lab, a digital audio production lab, a digital video editing lab, two photography labs and a photography studio. The department is fully accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

Undergraduate Program

Major

Journalism -- B.A. Degree

Concentrations: Broadcast Journalism, News-Editorial, Photojournalism, Public Relations-Advertising, Publishing-Multimedia

  1. Complete the general university requirements.
  2. Complete the B.A. degree requirements. As part of the B.A. degree requirements, complete ENGL 317* and HIST 132*.
  3. Complete the following program (major) requirements:*
    JRN 101 -- Introduction to Mass Communications (3 credits)
    JRN 301W -- News Reporting and Writing (3 credits)
    JRN 400 -- Professional Media Internship (3 credits)
    JRN 413 -- Mass Media Law and Regulation (3 credits)
    JRN 421 -- Journalism in Perspective (3 credits)
  4. Complete credits outside of journalism. ** (90 credits)
  5. Complete 1 of the following concentrations:*

    Broadcast Journalism

    1. Complete the following:
      JRN 215 -- Radio Production (3 credits)
      JRN 451O -- Television Production (4 credits)
      JRN 452W -- Radio and Television News Writing (3 credits)
      JRN 453 -- Television News Reporting (3 credits)
    2. Complete 2 courses from the list of approved journalism electives.
    3. Minimum credits required (124 credits)

    News-Editorial

    1. Complete the following:
      JRN 300 -- Internship (3 credits)
      JRN 323 -- Publication Editing (3 credits)
      JRN 401 -- Beat Reporting (3 credits)
      JRN 444W -- Investigative Reporting (3 credits)
    2. Complete 2 courses from the list of approved journalism electives.
    3. Minimum credits required (123 credits)

    Photojournalism

    1. Complete the following:
      JRN 203 -- Basic Photography (3 credits)
      JRN 402 -- Advanced Photography (3 credits)
      JRN 404 -- Photojournalism I (3 credits)
      JRN 406 -- Photojournalism II (3 credits)
    2. Complete 2 courses from the list of approved journalism electives.
    3. Minimum credits required (123 credits)

    Public Relations-Advertising

    1. Complete the following:
      JRN 323 -- Publication Editing (3)
           or JRN 452W -- Radio and Television News Writing (3) (3 credits)
      JRN/BA 326O -- Principles of Advertising (3 credits)
      JRN 433 -- Public Relations (3 credits)
    2. Complete 3 courses from the list of approved journalism electives.***
    3. Minimum credits required (123 credits)

    Publishing-Multimedia

    1. Complete the following:
      JRN 323 -- Publication Editing (3 credits)
      JRN 324 -- Typography and Publication Design (3 credits)
      JRN 484 -- Multimedia Theory and Practice (3 credits)
    2. Complete 3 courses from the list of approved journalism electives.****
    3. Minimum credits required (123 credits)

Approved journalism electives:*

  • JRN 102 -- Introduction to Broadcasting (3 credits)
  • JRN 203 -- Basic Photography (3 credits)
  • JRN 215 -- Radio Production (3 credits)
  • JRN 240 -- International Communications (3 credits)
  • JRN 300 -- Internship (3 credits)
  • JRN 308 -- Film and TV Criticism (3 credits)
  • JRN 311W -- Magazine Article Writing (3 credits)
  • JRN 323 -- Publication Editing (3 credits)
  • JRN 324 -- Typography and Publication Design (3 credits)
  • JRN/BA 326O -- Principles of Advertising (3 credits)
  • JRN 340 -- Mass Media and Society (3 credits)
  • JRN/ART 371 -- Digital Photography and Pixel Painting (3 credits)
  • JRN/WMS 380O -- Women, Minorities and the Mass Media (3 credits)
  • JRN/LS 389 -- Internet and Electronic Resources (3 credits)
  • JRN 401 -- Beat Reporting (3 credits)
  • JRN 402 -- Advanced Photography (3 credits)
  • JRN 403 -- Color Photography (3 credits)
  • JRN 404 -- Photojournalism I (3 credits)
  • JRN 405 -- Advanced Photography Seminar (3 credits)
  • JRN 406 -- Photojournalism II (3 credits)
  • JRN 408 -- Media Management (3 credits)
  • JRN 411W -- Advanced Writing for Publication (3 credits)
  • JRN 424 -- Magazine Production (3 credits)
  • JRN 433 -- Public Relations (3 credits)
  • JRN 440 -- Ethics and Reporting in the Far North (3 credits)
  • JRN 444W -- Investigative Reporting (3 credits)
  • JRN 451O -- Television Production (4 credits)
  • JRN 452 -- Radio and Television News Writing (3 credits)
  • JRN 453 -- Television News Reporting (3 credits)
  • JRN 454 -- Advanced TV News Production (3 credits)
  • JRN/ART 484 -- Multimedia Theory and Practice (3 credits)
  • JRN/ED 486 -- Media Literacy (3 credits)
  • JRN 493 -- Special Topics (3 credits)
  • JRN 497 -- Independent Study (3 credits)

* Student must earn a C grade or better in each course in the major requirements; ENGL 317; HIST 132; and any course offered through the Department of Journalism .

** To assure the journalist a broad liberal arts education, 90 credits must be outside of journalism, 65 of which should be from traditional liberal arts courses offered by any of these departments: AKNP, ALST, ANL, ANS, ANTH, ART, ASLG, ATM, BIOL, CHEM, COMM, ECON, ENGL, ENVE, ESK, FISH, FL, FREN, FSN, GEOG, GEOS, GER, HIST, HONR, HUM, JPN, JUST, LING, LS, MATH, MSL, MUS, NORS, NRM, PHIL, PHYS, PS, PSY, RUSS, SOC, SPAN, STAT, THR, WMS.

*** JRN 102, 240, 308, 340O, 380O, 408 and 486 may not be used as approved JRN electives in this concentration. However, any of the following courses may be substituted for one of the 3 approved JRN electives: BA 343, 436 or 445W.

**** JRN 471O and 472O may be used as approved JRN electives in this concentration.

Minor*

  1. Complete the following:
    JRN 101 -- Introduction to Mass Communications (3 credits)
    JRN 301W -- News Reporting and Writing (3 credits)
    Approved JRN electives (9 credits)
  2. Minimum credits required (15 credits)

* Student must earn a C grade or better in all department courses used to satisfy minor requirements.