Journalism

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

B.A. Degree; Minor

Minimum Requirements for Degree: 123 – 124 credits

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 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 F132*.)
  3. Complete the following program (major) requirements:*
    JRN F101—Introduction to Mass Communications—3 credits
    JRN F202—News Reporting and Writing—3 credits
    JRN F400—Professional Media Internship—3 credits
    JRN F413—Mass Media Law and Regulation—3 credits
    JRN F421—Journalism in Perspective—3 credits
    JRN F490—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 F215—Radio Production—3 credits
      JRN F251—Television Production—4 credits
      JRN F452W—Radio and Television News Writing—3 credits
      JRN F453O—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 F250—Web Site Design—3 credits
      JRN F323—Editing for Journalists—3 credits
      JRN F324—Typography and Publication Design—3 credits
      JRN F484—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 F311—Magazine Article Writing—3 credits
      JRN F323—Editing for Journalists—3 credits
      JRN F401—Beat Reporting (or another beat course as approved by advisor)—3 credits
      JRN F444W—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 F203—Basic Photography—3 credits
      JRN F404—Photojournalism I—3 credits
      JRN F406—Photojournalism II—3 credits
      JRN F407—Inkjet Printing—3 credits
    2. Complete two courses from the list of approved journalism electives.
    3. Minimum credits required—123 credits


Approved journalism electives:*

JRN F203—Basic Photography—3 credits
JRN F215—Radio Production—3 credits
JRN F220—Adobe Photoshop—3 credits
JRN F240—Foreign Corresponding—3 credits
JRN F250—Web Site Design—3 credits
JRN F251—Television Production—4 credits
JRN F280—Video Storytelling—3 credits
JRN F311W—Magazine Article Writing—3 credits
JRN F323—Editing for Journalists—3 credits
JRN F324—Typography and Publication Design—3 credits
JRN/THR/FLM F347O—Lighting Design—3 credits
JRN/WMS F380O—Women, Minorities and the Mass Media—3 credits
JRN F401—Beat Reporting—3 credits
JRN F402—Advanced Photography—3 credits
JRN F404—Photojournalism I—3 credits
JRN F405—Advanced Photography Seminar—3 credits
JRN F406—Photojournalism II—3 credits
JRN F407—Inkjet Printing—3 credits
JRN F411W—Writing for a Living—3 credits
JRN F440—Ethics and Reporting in the Far North—3 credits
JRN F444W—Investigative Reporting—3 credits
JRN F452—Radio and Television News Writing—3 credits
JRN F453O—Television News Reporting—3 credits
JRN F454—Advanced TV News Production—3 credits
JRN F456W—Science Writing for Magazines and Newspapers—3 credits
JRN F480—Documentary Filmmaking—3 credits
JRN/ART F484—Multimedia Theory and Practice—3 credits
JRN F493—Special Topics—3 credits
JRN F497—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 F471O or F472O 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 (F300-level or higher) courses.

Minor*

  1. Complete the following:
    JRN F101—Introduction to Mass Communications—3 credits
    JRN F202—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.