Journalism

College of Liberal Arts
Department of Journalism
(907) 474-7761
www.uaf.edu/journal/

B.A. Degree

Minimum Requirements for Degree: 123-124 credits

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The journalism program offers a solid curriculum designed to prepare students to leave the classroom and be ready to take their places in the nation’s newsrooms.

In addition to the solid academic background they receive 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 runs 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, and an electronic newsroom. The department is fully accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

Major—B.A. Degree

Concentrations: Broadcast Journalism, New Media, News-Editorial, Photojournalism

  1. Complete the general university requirements.
  2. Complete the B.A. degree requirements (As part of the B.A. degree requirements, complete 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

    JRN 490—Online Publication: "Extreme Alaska” 3 credits
  4. Complete credits outside of journalism** 90
  5. Complete 1 of the following concentrations:*

    Broadcast Journalism
    a. 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

    b. Complete 2 courses from the list of approved journalism electives.
    c. Minimum credits required 124

    New Media
    a. Complete the following:

    JRN 323—Editing for Journalists 3 credits

    JRN 324—Typography and Publication Design 3 credits

    JRN 390—Web Design for Journalists 3 credits

    JRN 484—Multimedia Theory and Practice 3 credits

    b. Complete 3 courses from the list of approved journalism electives.****
    c. Minimum credits required 123

    News-Editorial
    a. Complete the following:

    JRN 311—Magazine Article Writing 3 credits

    JRN 323—Editing for Journalists 3 credits

    JRN 401—Beat Reporting 3 credits

    JRN 444W—Investigative Reporting 3 credits

    b. Complete 3 courses from the list of approved journalism electives.
    c. Minimum credits required 123

    Photojournalism
    a. 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

    b. Complete 2 courses from the list of approved journalism electives.
    c. Minimum credits required 123

    Approved journalism electives:*

    JRN 203—Basic Photography 3 credits

    JRN 215—Radio Production 3 credits

    JRN 240—Foreign Corresponding 3 credits

    JRN 250—Website Design I 3 credits

    JRN 311W—Magazine Article Writing 3 credits

    JRN 323—Editing for Journalists 3 credits

    JRN 324—Typography and Publication Design 3 credits

    JRN/BA 326—Principles of Advertising 3 credits

    JRN 340—Mass Media and Society 3 credits

    JRN 350—Adobe Photoshop 3 credits

    JRN/WMS 380O—Women, Minorities and the Mass Media 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 411W—Writing for a Living 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 and any course offered through the Department of Journalism .
** To assure the journalist a broad liberal arts education, 80 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, 308, 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

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