Program Overview
Journalism Program Overview
The School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC) offers a comprehensive undergraduate program in journalism, designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the field.
How to Earn a Journalism Degree
To earn a bachelor's degree in journalism from the SOJC, students must complete the following steps:
- Declare "journalism" as their major on the University of Oregon application.
- Complete the SOJC platform courses.
- Take five core context courses in media theory and analysis.
- Complete the journalism sequence requirements, which include two general courses and at least five courses from the chosen track.
- Complete a minor.
- Complete all other core education requirements.
- Apply for their degree.
Minimum Requirements
To graduate with an SOJC degree, students must have:
- 70+ JCOM credits
- 40 upper-division JCOM credits
- A minimum SOJC GPA of 2.70
Platform Courses
All SOJC students must complete the following platform courses:
- JCOM 101 Media Professions (4 credits)
- JCOM 102 Story Craft Audio (2 credits)
- JCOM 103 Story Craft Visual (2 credits)
- JCOM 201 Making Sense of Media (4 credits)
- JCOM 202 How Stories Work (4 credits)
- JCOM 203 Writing as Practice (4 credits)
Core Context Courses
All SOJC students must complete five classes in media theory and analysis, which can be taken concurrently with the journalism sequence courses:
- JCOM 301 Gender, Media, and Diversity (4 credits)
- JCOM 302 Communication Law (4 credits)
- JCOM 303 Media Ethics (4 credits)
- JCOM 304 Business of Media (4 credits)
- JCOM 305 Media History (4 credits) or JCOM 306 Global Communication (4 credits)
Journalism Sequence Requirements
Once students have completed the platform courses, they can start registering for the courses below to complete their journalism degree:
- JCOM 330 Journalism and Democracy (4 credits)
- JCOM 331 Fundamentals of Reporting and Interviewing (8 credits)
Journalism Tracks
Journalism majors must choose one of three tracks:
Broadcast and On-Air
- JCOM 241 Principles of Multimedia Techniques (4 credits)
- JCOM 341 Audio Journalism I (4 credits)
- JCOM 342 Video Journalism I (4 credits)
- JCOM 343 Video Journalism II: Live Broadcast (4 credits)
- Choose one: JCOM 441 Audio Journalism II: Narrative and Podcasting Capstone (4 credits) or JCOM 442 Video Journalism III: Broadcast Capstone (4 credits)
Photojournalism
- JCOM 241 Principles of Multimedia Techniques (4 credits)
- JCOM 345 Photojournalism I (4 credits)
- JCOM 445 Photojournalism II: Photo Story (4 credits)
- Choose two: JCOM 446 Photojournalism III: Multimedia Storytelling (4 credits), JCOM 447 Lighting for Photo (4 credits), or JCOM 448 Topics in Visual Production (4 credits)
Reporting and Writing
- JCOM 332 Public Affairs Journalism (4 credits)
- JCOM 333 Audiences (4 credits)
- Choose two: JCOM 430 Topics in Reporting (4 credits), JCOM 431 Data Journalism (4 credits), JCOM 432 Solutions Journalism (4 credits), JCOM 433 Catalyst Journalism (4 credits), JCOM 434 Investigative Journalism (4 credits), JCOM 435 Profiles & Narrative (4 credits), JCOM 436 Topics in Magazine (4 credits), JCOM 437 Newsroom (4 credits), JCOM 438 Science Story (4 credits), or JCOM 439 Sports Story (4 credits)
- Choose one: JCOM 241 Principles of Multimedia Techniques (4 credits), a course in the JCOM 334-349 range (4 credits), or a third course in the JCOM 430-439 range (4 credits)
General Studies Requirements
All SOJC students must complete at least 70 non-SOJC credits. For journalism majors, choose one of the following options:
- Non-SOJC minor (24-40 credits)
- An SOJC minor (select from Game Studies, Media Studies, Science Communication, or Documentary Film Production minors)
- Double-major in a program outside the SOJC (see the UO Course Catalog for a list of major options)
Academic Support and Career Advising
The SOJC's Student Success Center provides academic advice and career-building tips for undergraduate students.