Program Overview

Journalism Option - Communication BS

Overview

The Journalism Option at RIT is designed to equip students with the skills necessary to succeed in the dynamic landscape of digital media. The program focuses on the foundational reporting and writing proficiencies essential for professional journalists, while also providing students with hands-on experience in cutting-edge technology.

Why Pursue the Journalism Option at RIT?

• Gain Real-World Experience: A required block of cooperative education means hands-on, full-time paid work experience in the industry.
• Dynamic Courses: Gain a deep understanding of news writing, news editing, multi-platform journalism, communication theory, mass communications, law and press ethics, and computer-assisted reporting.
• Exciting Capstone Learning Experience: Put your knowledge to work by producing a long-form piece of journalism, a website, and a digital portfolio of selected works.

Journalism Course Work

You will develop skills through a core of required journalism courses, which cover news writing, news editing, multi-platform journalism, communication theory, mass communications, law and press ethics, and computer-assisted reporting. A professional core of four courses, chosen from RIT’s colleges of Art and Design, Business, or Computing and Information Sciences, introduces you to photojournalism, multimedia, web development, digital entrepreneurship, and building a web business. Journalism electives, free electives, and liberal arts courses complete the curriculum.

Senior Capstone Project

Put your learning to work in a senior capstone project that serves as a culmination of your journalism education. You will produce a project relevant to the journalism industry, such as a long-form piece of journalism, a website, and a digital portfolio of selected works that you created throughout your courses, co-ops, and activities at RIT.

Curriculum

First Year

• COMM-101: Human Communication (General Education)
• COMM-105: Foundations of Communication
• COMM-201: Public Speaking (General Education)
• COMM-202: Mass Communications
• COMM-271: Introduction to Journalism (General Education – Social Perspective)
• COMM-272: Reporting and Writing for News Media (General Education)
• MATH-101: College Algebra (General Education – Mathematical Perspective A)
• YOPS-10: RIT 365: RIT Connections
• General Education – Artistic Perspective
• General Education – Ethical Perspective
• General Education – First-Year Writing (WI)

Second Year

• COMM-341: Visual Communication
• COMM-342: Communication Law and Ethics
• Choose one of the following:
  • COMM-302: Interpersonal Communication
  • COMM-303: Small Group Communication
  • COMM-304: Intercultural Communication
• COMM-343: Technology-Mediated Communication
• STAT-145: Introduction to Statistics I (General Education – Mathematical Perspective B)
• General Education – Immersion 1
• General Education – Scientific Principles Perspective
• General Education – Global Perspective
• Open Elective
• Professional Core

Third Year

• COMM-301: Theories of Communication
• Choose one of the following:
  • COMM-310: Media Production Lab: Project Development, Pitch and Funding
  • COMM-450: Multiplatform Production & Publishing
• COMM-401: Quantitative Research Methods
• COMM-499: Communication Co-op (summer)
• General Education – Natural Science Inquiry Perspective
• General Education – Immersion 2, 3
• Open Electives
• Professional Core

Fourth Year

• COMM-402: Qualitative Research Methods
• COMM-497: Communication Portfolio
• COMM-501: Senior Thesis in Communication (WI-PR)
• Communication Elective
• Professional Core
• General Education – Electives
• Journalism Option Courses
• Open Elective

Facilities

• Reporting Lab, a CPSI CoLAB

Events

• Donuts with the Dean in the College of Liberal Arts (August 29, September 25, October 24)

Contact

Program Contact: Heather Roth, Assistant Director of Recruitment and Retention Outreach, Dean’s Office, College of Liberal Arts, 585-475-5456, hroth@rit.edu