Journalism and Media Studies (B.A.)

This undergraduate program is offered by the School of Professional Studies.

Faculty

Dr. Jamal Watson, Director of Strategic Communication and Public Relations and Journalism and Media Studies; Professor of Strategic Communication and Public Relations

Description

Journalism continues to undergo a comprehensive evolution prompted by technological advances and social media.  The primary focus of journalism is shifting from print and broadcast to digital and online.
This ‘interruption’ offers expanding opportunities for students with excellent communication skills. The Journalism and Media Studies program aims to provide students with the skills in demand today for journalists and communications professionals in news organizations, non-profits, government agencies and corporate entities.  Students learn the skills and concepts to engage in effective digital storytelling across media platforms and the most productive ways to use technology.  The Journalism and Media Studies program offers practical courses covering technique and application combined with the integration of theory and practice. The new innovative curriculum marries the strong traditions of history, ethics and effective reporting and storytelling with modern tools and methods.  Many media industry employers are looking for graduates who can write clearly and accurately; who think creatively and analytically; have a strong liberal arts foundation; who know how to use technology and can operate professionally in social media spaces. The Journalism and Media Studies degree prepares students to work in media-related industries and trains them to critically analyze the way the media represents, informs and influences the world. If a student sees herself as a good writer and storyteller with a passion to educate and engage an audience with words, sound and visuals, then she has a future in journalism and media studies.

We offer flexible scheduling (evening and weekends) and accelerated 8-week courses.

Students need to be mindful that every career path is different.  A very competitive field requires students to be self-motivated and industrious and to consider gaining practical experience through internships to gain additional work experience.   Students in the JAMS program should take advantage of the many internships and field-based opportunities available in Washington, D.C. Recent internships include prestigious organizations such as National Geographic, CNN, C-SPAN, CBS, the Kennedy Center, as well as other local television stations, public relations firms, lobbying groups, and political offices.

The Journalism and Media Studies undergraduate major consists of 51 credit hours. The Journalism and Media Studies degree program is offered in the School of Professional Studies (SPS). In conjunction with SPS, students in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) may declare the Journalism and Media Studies major while meeting the CAS general education curriculum requirements and course pre-requisites.

Students interested in pursuing a Master’s degree in Strategic Communication and Public Relations should consult with program faculty in the School of Business and Graduate Studies.

Major Requirements

Required Courses (18 credits)
ALL of the following courses:

COM 265 Introduction to Mass CommunicationIntroduces students to the history of mass communication. Reviews basic mass communication theory with a goal of understanding how media institutions and government regulation influence mass media and the public.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 200 Multicultural Media HistoryThis course explores the political, social and economic history of media in the United States. Students examine the history and development of the press, with particular emphasis on the Black press, and the ways in which minority groups have been portrayed in mass media and how and why those portrayals have changed over time. Students will compare news coverage of mainstream and ethnic news media outlets with special emphasis on stories which concern or affect diverse populations. Students will acquire an understanding of the critical role of ethnic media in news coverage and analysis.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 201 Fundamentals of JournalismIntroduces the fundamentals of news gathering and journalistic writing, including basic newswriting, reporting, and editing techniques. Develops skills of fact-gathering, observation, writing in journalistic style, understanding freedom of information, and ethics. Focuses on rules and styles unique to journalism utilizing the Associated Press Stylebook for news concepts, feature stories, and more.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 301 Media EthicsThis course looks at the tough ethical decisions that journalists and other media professionals routinely face. Using real life case studies students will explore fundamental ethical principles, and seek to understand the conflicts that arise when duties and responsibilities of the professionals conflict with their obligations to their employers and/or their audiences. There are often instances in which there is no right or wrong answer but the use of decision-making processes and standards.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 420
JAMS 499 Capstone ProjectThe senior capstone project draws on what has been learned in the major and is completed in close consultation with capstone faculty members and the program chair. It requires extensive research and writing, but also offers an opportunity for imagination and creative output. This may be done through an extensive research paper, a multi-media reporting project, or a unique project designed by the student. The student's research proposal must be approved the semester before taking the Capstone Project course.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None

Elective Courses (15 credits)
FIVE of the following courses:

JAMS 210
JAMS 220
JAMS 302
JAMS 310
JAMS 311 Social Media and Audience StrategyCovers how algorithms work and the creation of content that is 1) designed to rank highly and 2) encourages interaction and engagement with the audience. Teaches how to read and understand analytics, techniques for spotting trends in web and social media traffic, and development of strategies steeped in data.media planning. Formerly Social Media, Marketing and Communication.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 315
JAMS 320 PhotojournalismFundamentals of still photography in the print and audiovisual mass media with primary focus on print journalism. Student must have a digital camera. By the end of the course, students will be able:
To analyze, recognize, and evaluate the elements of a good photograph, photojournalistic image.
To develop the technical skills, comprehend the ethical responsibilities, and discern the social, political, and linguistic implications of being a photojournalist.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 322 Sport Reporting and WritingBy the end of the course, students will be able: to write and report about sports, sports-related issues, and sporting events; to describe and identify the issues and events which merit reporting to the public; to analyze and deconstruct the historical, societal, and economic forces that impact sports and our culture.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 323 Science and Health JournalismThis course explores specialized journalism in the areas of science, health and medicine, and meteorology and environmental reporting across digital, print, broadcast and online media. The field of specialized reporting in these areas has become very popular in recent years and continues to expand. This course aims to teach students how complicated scientific topics are turned into interesting narratives and superb storytelling.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 340 Broadcast News/Fundamentals of Broadcast Writing, Reporting, and ProducingThis course introduces students to basic television news reporting and production. Students will learn how to write for the ear; the elements of voice and on-camera skills needed to produce audio and video news packages for presentation; examine the decision-making process involved in producing a newscast. Students will write news stories for radio and review television news. By the end of the course, students will be able:
?
JAMS 360 Media and Social ChangeLooks at how past and present social movements (e.g., environmental, civil rights, labor movements) challenge dominant social, economic, and political structures and how they have been portrayed in the mass media. It also examines how current social activists use media technologies to organize themselves and communicate their messages ("I can't breathe" , "die-ins", and "Occupy Wall Street" protests) to wide audiences in order to achieve social change.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 370
JAMS 400 Introduction to PodcastingThis course covers the basic steps to creating content, recording and marketing an audio podcast broadcast. The layout of the basic technology and equipment needed for podcasting is reviewed. The podcasting medium is examined as the distribution of specially encoded multimedia content delivered to subscribed devices via the RSS (Really Simple Syndication) 2.0 protocol. Governing and legal implications are discussed. This course is a prerequisite to the JAMS podcasting studio lab course.

3 credits
JAMS 410 Advanced News Reporting and Feature WritingExplores advanced techniques in researching and reporting complex social, political and economic issues, and in crafting compelling feature writing. All content produced in this course will be suitable for publication. Formerly JAMS 410 Advanced Reporting and Writing in Hyper-Local Newsroom.
JAMS 415 Political Campaign CoverageUsing the Nation's Capital as part of the classroom, students will examine the role of money, media, candidates, interest groups, leadership, gender, race, and political parties in terms of who wins and loses elections. Learning will take place through assigned readings, class discussion lectures, and guest lectures from campaign experts, journalists and political staffers.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 418

Co-Requisite Courses (18 credits)
ALL of the following courses:

COM 290 Public SpeakingExamines theory and practice of public speaking. Students will prepare and present informative and persuasive speeches. Audience analysis, research, speech organization, delivery and effective persuasive strategies will be covered.
3 credits
FLC Area I
Core Area I: Skills for Work and Life
ECON 101 Microeconomics ITeaches how to think like an economist and make more informed decisions. Builds models of economic activity that provide a framework for understanding the real world. Explores the supply-demand model of competitive markets, followed by other models that show how markets operate when they aren't purely competitive. Assesses the proper role of government in the marketplace and how government can improve welfare when markets fail to be efficient. ECON 101 is a prerequisite for all higher-level economics courses and fulfills the Social Science General Education requirement.
3 credits or ECON 102 Macroeconomics IPresents key variables that summarize an economy. Uses economic analysis to explain why economies grow over time but also exhibit repeated cycles of boom and bust. Explores government-level policies that affect an economy as a whole, and models for analyzing their effects. Fulfills the Civic Knowledge General Education requirement and is required for upper level economics courses.
3 credits
Prerequisites: ECON 101 is preferred, but students may take ECON 102 first.
SOCY 100 Introduction to SociologyIntroduces students to the science of sociology and prepares students for upper-level social science course work. Formerly SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
FLC Area V
Core Area II: Understanding the Self and Society

Choose ONE of the following:
COM 201 Interpersonal CommunicationOffers an introduction to the fundamental theories and principles of interpersonal communication with emphasis on analyzing and assessing the communication skills necessary to create and sustain effective communication in personal and professional relationships.
3 credits
Core Area II: Understanding Self, Society, and Nature
COM 225 Intercultural CommunicationApplies basic principles of intercultural communication to the analysis of specific situations involving cultural differences. Emphasis is on the influence of culture on the communication process, including differences in values, assumptions, and communication. Models of intercultural communication analysis are developed and applied to issues dealing with relations between a dominant society and subcultures, social change, and international relations.
3 credits
Core Area I: Skills for Work and Life

Choose any ONE political science course:
POLS

Program Policies

Advanced Placement:
Credits earned through AP examinations do not fulfill requirements of the communication major.

CLEP Policy:
Credits earned through CLEP examinations do not fulfill requirements of the communication major.

Grades in Major Courses:
Students are required to earn a grade of “C” (2.0) or better in all courses counted to fulfill requirements for the major.

Pass/No Pass:

No course fulfilling major requirements in the communication program may be taken Pass/No Pass.

Senior Assessment:
Students will complete a comprehensive assessment in the Capstone Seminar. The comprehensive assessment will include the preparation of a communication research project on a topic approved by the professor. Students must earn a grade of “C” or better on this project.

Study Abroad:
Students should take advantage of the many communication-related study abroad programs.

TELL Policy:
Students may apply a maximum of 12 credits to major requirements earned through TELL.

Transfer Credits:
Transfer credit will be awarded after appropriate program review and approval.

Course Descriptions