Journalism Bachelor of science degree

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Program Contact
Amy Lyman, Assistant Director of Outreach and Communications
585‑475‑4137, axlgla@rit.edu
Offered within the
School of Communication

Overview

Gather, critically analyze, and synthesize verbal and visual information to communicate accurate and clear news stories across traditional and digital media platforms.

The journalism major prepares students to gather, critically analyze, and synthesize verbal and visual information to communicate accurate and clear news stories across multiple media platforms. In addition to writing and reporting, students prepare audio and visual content for dissemination in a variety of media, making them a valuable asset to any future employer specializing in news reporting and factual storytelling.

The major is enhanced by RIT's reputation for using cutting-edge technology, yet is grounded in the traditional reporting and writing skills needed by professional journalists. The major prepares students for a converged digital media world. They learn the conceptual and practical skills demanded by the digital newsroom through a combination of journalism, communication, and applied professional courses, along with a professional core of courses. 

Plan of study

Students develop skills through a core of required communication 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 the colleges of Art and Design, Business, or Computing and Information Sciences, introduces students to photojournalism, multimedia, Web development, digital entrepreneurship, and building a Web business. Journalism electives, free electives, and liberal arts courses complete the curriculum.

Senior project

In a senior capstone course students apply what they've learned to a project similar to one they would encounter in their profession. Students produce a long-form piece of journalism, a website, and a digital portfolio of selected works.

Cooperative education

Students are required to complete one semester of cooperative education or an internship experience. This experience gives students the opportunity to apply their classroom learning to a professional work environment. Past co-op positions have been at newspapers, including the Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester's daily newspaper. The Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education assists students in identifying and applying to co-op and internship positions as well as permanent placement upon graduation.

Industries

  • Journalism, Media, and Publishing

  • Manufacturing

  • Higher Education

  • Advertising, PR, and Marketing

Typical Job Titles

News Analyst Reporter
Correspondent News Producer
Editorial Intern Marketing Associate
Assignment Editor

Curriculum

View Printable Curriculum

Journalism, BS degree, typical course sequence

Course Sem. Cr. Hrs.
First Year
Choose one of the following: 3
   COMM-261
   History of Journalism
This course presents the history of American journalism from colonial times to the present, including the advance of press freedom under the First Amendment and how it has affected the development of American media. The influences of Europe, colonial politics in America, national expansion, urbanization, war, and technology are further developed. Journalism’s relationship to politics, institutions, and culture will be investigated. Newspaper, magazine, and broadcast industries will be examined for ideas that have changed American journalism.
  
   COMM-271
   Introduction to Journalism
The course covers the impact/effect of journalism on American society, with an introduction to the history, freedom, technologies, ethics, and functions of the news media. Students will learn how to assess news value, develop news judgment, and analyze news stories.
  
COMM-272
Reporting and Writing I (WI)
This course introduces students to the principles and practices of gathering, evaluating, investigating, and presenting information to general audiences. Rights and responsibilities of the press will be analyzed. Although special emphasis will be given to writing and reporting for print publications, other media will be addressed. Special attention will be given to the qualities of writing, especially organization, accuracy, completeness, brevity, and readability. Assignments must conform to Associated Press style.
 3
COMM-273
Reporting and Writing II (WI)
Practicum in advanced techniques of news gathering, reporting, and writing, with an emphasis on reportorial principles and practices. This class expands upon the processes of gathering, evaluating, investigating, and presenting information to news media audiences previously introduced in newswriting.
 3
YOPS-10
RIT 365: RIT Connections
RIT 365 students participate in experiential learning opportunities designed to launch them into their career at RIT, support them in making multiple and varied connections across the university, and immerse them in processes of competency development. Students will plan for and reflect on their first-year experiences, receive feedback, and develop a personal plan for future action in order to develop foundational self-awareness and recognize broad-based professional competencies.
 0
 
LAS Perspective 1 (ethical)
 3
 
LAS Perspective 2 (artistic)
 3
 
LAS Perspective 3 (global)
 3
 
LAS Perspective 4 (social)
 3
 
LAS Elective
 3
 
Professional Core Course
 3
 
First Year Writing (WI)
 3
 
Wellness Education*
 0
Second Year
COMM-263
Data Journalism
This course covers how to report on, illustrate, find, and analyze records and databases, with emphasis on investigative reporting.
 3
COMM-274
News Editing
This course introduces students to the principles and practices of editing hard news and feature articles, including news judgment, story selection, headline writing, copy editing, and picture editing. The course emphasizes reader interest, readability, clarity, verification, and style, as well as legality, ethics, and propriety.
 3
COMM-301
Theories of Communication
An introduction to human communication theory, including a history of the field and major theories from the intrapersonal, language, interpersonal, small group, public, organizational, mass, visual, and computer-mediated communication contexts. Theories based both in the humanities and the social sciences are covered. This course should be taken during the student's second year.
 3
 
LAS Perspective 5‡ (natural science inquiry)
 3
 
LAS Perspective 6 (scientific principles)
 3
 
LAS Perspective 7A (mathematical)
 3
 
LAS Perspective 7B (mathematical)
 3
 
Professional Core Course
 3 
 
LAS Immersion 1, 2
 6
Third Year
COMM-342
Communications Law and Ethics 
This course examines major principles and trends in communication law. The course analyzes a broad range of issues related to the First Amendment, intellectual property, and media regulation. Special attention is paid to discussing the major ethical perspectives and issues surrounding contemporary communication behavior.
 3
COMM-361
Reporting in Specialized Fields
An in-depth study, analysis, and practicum of a selected advanced and focused subject in professional journalism. Specific subject matter of the course varies according to faculty assigned and is published when the course is offered; students may enroll in this class no more than twice as long as the specific subject matter is different. Examples include education journalism, health journalism, business journalism, reporting public affairs, sports journalism, editorial (or opinion) writing, and reporting for alternative media.
 3
COMM-461
Multiplatform Journalism
The internet is an important source of news information, rivaling print, radio, and television news. This course introduces students to the principles and practices of online news reporting, including writing for mainstream news sites, journalistic blogs (web logs), share and discussion sites, and other evolving online news outlets. The course familiarizes students with the tools of the online reporter: for example, vetting sources on the web, conducting e-mail interviews, and writing for web pages. Also, students explore the cultural and ethical terrain unique to the wired environment.
 3
 
Professional Core Course
 3
 
Free Electives
 6
 
LAS Immersion 3
 3
 
LAS Electives
 6
 
Free Elective
 3
 
Wellness Education*
 0
 
Cooperative Education (summer)
 Co-op
Fourth Year
COMM-497
Communication Portfolio
Communication, advertising, and public relations majors create a portfolio comprised of projects, papers, and related professional materials; Journalism majors complete a senior project. Near the end of every semester, the department hosts a portfolio review day when department of communication seniors present their portfolio or project work in a public space for review and comment by faculty, staff, and peers. The presentation constitutes completion of the course.
 0
COMM-561
Senior Project
Senior capstone course culminating in the production of a long-form piece of journalism, a website and a digital portfolio of select works. The course brings together each participant's work in journalism and the professional core.
 3 
 
Professional Core Courses
 6 
 
Free Electives
 9
 
LAS Electives
 12
Total Semester Credit Hours
120

Please see General Education Curriculum–Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) for more information.

(WI) Refers to a writing intensive course within the major.

* Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information. Students completing bachelor's degrees are required to complete two different Wellness courses.

‡ Students will satisfy this requirement by taking either a 3 or 4 credit hour lab science course. If a science course consists of separate lecture and laboratory sections, the student must take both the lecture and the lab portion.

Professional core

Required courses
MAAT-271
Webpage Production I
Students in this course will plan and implement publishing projects with a focus on usability, accessibility, and information design for the World Wide Web. Application of standard Web protocols such as HTML and CSS will be applied in the context of Web publishing as a part of a cross-media production strategy.
MAAT-272
Webpage Production II
In this advanced course, students will apply concepts and skills from previous study to determine optimal strategies for the development, deployment and evaluation of complex websites. Through a blend of research and practical application, students will evaluate and apply a range of methodologies for Web publishing.
PHAR-203
Elements of Photojournalism
This course will serve an introduction to visual story telling as it relates to professional photojournalism. It will provide relevant practice in basic technical, compositional and interpersonal skills necessary in all aspects of modern photography. Students will be exposed to photojournalism - documentary, editorial, narrative and editing - as well as explorations of current career possibilities. Lectures, critiques, demonstrations and assignments will provide participants the opportunity to explore the still, audio, and multimedia strategies used for story telling in this era. Students will be expected to meet tight project deadlines and participate in both class discussions, critiques and practices required to be successful in this field. If you are pursuing the Photojournalism option this course is required.
PHPJ-315
Non-Fiction Multimedia
This course will teach students how to tell stories in the digital world. Students will learn the skills necessary to gather and edit audio and how to combine audio, images, and text for compelling online storytelling. In addition to basic technical skills, the course will explore contemporary concepts for effective multimedia storytelling.
Choose one of the following:
   COMM-489
   Topics in Communication
An in-depth examination of a selected aspect of the communication discipline (e.g. strategic communication, technical communication, visual communication, computer mediated communication, advertising, public relations, journalism). Special Topics in Communication can be taken multiple times provided the topic being studied has changed.
   MGIS-360
   Building a Web Business
This course gives students both a conceptual and hands-on understanding of the launching of web businesses. Students will study the full process of web business creation, including domain name registration, frameworks for application creation, hosting of web applications and search engine optimization. Students will apply their knowledge by designing and building a business website that can actually make money.
   MGMT-360
   Digital Entrepreneurship
Digital Entrepreneurship brings together state-of-the-art knowledge in digital business practices with basic instruction in entrepreneurship and business planning. This highly interactive, applied experience will allow students to develop business ideas, discover RIT resources that support new ventures, network with and learn from industry experts, and complete a professional plan to communicate and advance a digital business venture. Student work for this course will involve research and analysis of electronic marketplaces and, ultimately, the design and development of competitive digital startups.

Admission Requirements

Freshman Admission

For all bachelor’s degree programs, a strong performance in a college preparatory program is expected. Generally, this includes 4 years of English, 3-4 years of mathematics, 2-3 years of science, and 3 years of social studies and/or history.

Specific math and science requirements and other recommendations

  • Strong performance in English and social studies is expected

Transfer Admission

Transfer course recommendations without associate degree

Courses in liberal arts, math, science, and computer science

Appropriate associate degree programs for transfer

Liberal arts with emphasis in communication and a technical field such as business, photography, or computer science

Learn about admissions, cost, and financial aid 

Faculty

All Program Faculty  

Additional Info

Advising

Every student is assigned a professional academic advisor and a faculty mentor in the department of communication. The professional advisor assists with course planning and registration; the faculty mentor provides advising about career development and planning, including information about research opportunities, graduate school, and jobs. Peer mentors, who are upper-level journalism students, are available to answer questions about classes, clubs on campus, student-run activities, and other matters from the student’s perspective. For more information, please refer to the college's academic advising page.

Advanced study

The journalism major also is ideal for those interested in pursuing graduate study in journalism or communication. The School of Communication offers an MS degree in communication and media technologies and an advanced certificate in communication and digital media.

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