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

Downloadable PDF (70K)

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 202--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**--80 credits
  5. Complete one of the following concentrations:*
    Broadcast Journalism
    1. Complete the following:
      JRN 215--Radio Production--3 credits
      JRN 251--Television Production--4 credits
      JRN 452W--Radio and Television News Writing--3 credits
      JRN 453O--Television News Reporting--3 credits
    2. Complete two courses from the list of approved journalism electives.
    3. Minimum credits required--124 credits
    New Media
    1. Complete the following:
      JRN 250--Web Site Design--3 credits
      JRN 323--Editing for Journalists--3 credits
      JRN 324--Typography and Publication Design--3 credits
      JRN 484--Multimedia Theory and Practice--3 credits
    2. Complete two courses from the list of approved journalism electives.***
    3. Minimum credits required--123 credits
    News-Editorial
    1. Complete the following:
      JRN 311--Magazine Article Writing--3 credits
      JRN 323--Editing for Journalists--3 credits
      JRN 401--Beat Reporting (or another beat course as approved by advisor)--3 credits
      JRN 444W--Investigative Reporting--3 credits
    2. Complete two 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 two courses from the list of approved journalism electives.
    3. Minimum credits required--123 credits
    Approved journalism electives:*
    JRN 203--Basic Photography--3 credits
    JRN 215--Radio Production--3 credits
    JRN 220--Adobe Photoshop--3 credits
    JRN 240--Foreign Corresponding--3 credits
    JRN 250--Web Site Design--3 credits
    JRN 251--Television Production--4 credits
    JRN 311W--Magazine Article Writing--3 credits
    JRN 323--Editing for Journalists--3 credits
    JRN 324--Typography and Publication Design--3 credits
    JRN/THR 347O--Lighting Design--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 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 433--Public Relations--3 credits
    JRN 440--Ethics and Reporting in the Far North--3 credits
    JRN 444W--Investigative Reporting--3 credits
    JRN 452--Radio and Television News Writing--3 credits
    JRN 453O--Television News Reporting--3 credits
    JRN 454--Advanced TV News Production--3 credits
    JRN 456W--Science Writing for Magazines and Newspapers--3 credits
    JRN/ART 484--Multimedia Theory and Practice--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.
*** Either JRN 471O or 472O may be used as approved JRN electives in the New Media concentration.
Note: In order to earn a B.A. degree in journalism, at least 39 credits must be taken in upper-division (300-level or higher) courses.

Minor*

  1. Complete the following:
    JRN 101--Introduction to Mass Communications--3 credits
    JRN 202--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.