Programs of Study
The Journalism and Mass Communication Program (JMC) enrolls 750 students in five sequences. Students begin with a broad education in the liberal arts through the College of Arts and Sciences core requirements and finish with a robust additional field of study and superior professional preparation and media studies instruction. The field of study will be a concentration in a content area outside of JMC such as political science, philosophy, history, economics, and so forth. It will consist of a minimumm of 30-36 semester hours, depending on the field selected. Students should start their additional field of study during their freshman year.
In addition to the required courses, JMC offers all students a wide range of classes in many aspects of media practice including photojournalism, electronic and digital journalism, advertising creative development, consumer behavior, publication design, magazine article writing, public relations principles and projects, and communication law.
Media criticism and analysis are also broadly represented in the curriculum through courses such as media institutions and economics, media ethics, mass communication history, media culture and globalization, and special-topics offerings.
Students who intend to apply to JMC complete their freshman year of undergraduate work (a minimum of 30 semester hours) typically in JMC as prejournalism and mass communication majors.
Upon completion of their studies, students receive a bachelor of science degree in journalism from one of five sequences:
- Advertising
- Broadcast News
- Broadcast Production
- Media Studies
- News-Editorial
and an emphasis in an additional field of study.
Course code for this program is JOUR.
Bachelor's Degree Program(s)
Bachelor of Science in Journalism
Advertising
The advertising major prepares students through a holistic approach that is rooted in theory and grounded in practice. Students examine approaches to creative thinking, branding, and consumer engagement and explore the rapidly evolving digital landscape and its impact on business and culture. Then they draw on that base of knowledge to solve real-world problems for both commercial clients and non-profit organizations.
The major offers courses in such areas as creative concepts, art direction, branding, media, and consumer insight, and students regularly intern at Colorado agencies and global agencies such as Ogilvy & Mather, JWT, and BBDO. The program’s focus, however, is not on technical skills but on ideas and creative problem solving in the broadest sense. That is why graduates have been able to launch successful careers in everything from advertising and arts management to health policy and law. Those choosing to pursue advertising careers have taken positions at a variety of Colorado firms and at such national agencies as Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, Wieden & Kennedy, BBH, Crispin, Porter + Bogusky, Leo Burnett, and BBDO.
The advertising program was named one of the country’s “renowned advertising programs” by the American Association of Advertising Agencies. Students in the creative track have also consistently taken home more awards than those at any other four-year university in the international One Show College Competition, the premier creative competition sponsored by New York’s One Club.
Course Requirements for Advertising Majors
A total of 120 credit hours with a minimum of 28 hours in journalism and 80 nonjournalism hours are required for graduation. Sixty-five of the 80 nonjournalism hours must be in arts and sciences course work. Forty-five of the 120 credit hours must be upper-division. Within the 80 credit hours of nonjournalism course work, 30-36 credit hours must be in the additional field of study. The last 30 hours toward the degree must be taken after admission to the school.
Journalism Core Requirements (12 hours)
- JOUR 1001 Contemporary Analysis Media—3
- JOUR 2403 Principles of Advertising and Consumer Culture—3
- JOUR 4651 Media Law (junior standing prerequisite)—3
- One upper-division conceptual course—3
Advertising Requirements (16 hours)
- JOUR 3403 Branding and Positioning (JOUR 2403 prerequisite)—3
- JOUR 3453 Introduction to Creative Concepts (JOUR 2403 prerequisite)—3
- JOUR 3463 Advertising Media (JOUR 3403 and 3453 prerequisites) or JOUR 3503 Intermediate Creative (JOUR 3403 and 3453 prerequisites)—3
- JOUR 4403 Campaigns (JOUR 3463 or 3503 prerequisites)—4
- JOUR 4931 Internship (JOUR 3453 or 3463 prerequisite)—3
Journalism Electives (maximum of 12 hours)
Additional Requirements (7 hours)
- ECON 2010 Principles of Microeconomics—4
- BCOR 2400 Fundamentals of Marketing—3
Additional Field of Study (30-36)
Broadcast News
The broadcast news sequence prepares students for careers as news producers, reporters, photographers, editors, and writers for radio and television news organizations and cable TV systems. The curriculum covers several aspects of broadcast journalism, including broadcast news writing, videography and editing, television reporting, and producing and mass communication law. Students produce and anchor live newscasts twice a week and have won regional Emmys for their work. Many students intern at major market network affiliates. Students regularly win nationally competitive internships, and some have recently interned at ABC, CBS, CNBC, CNN, Fox Sports, MTV, NBC, MSNBC, PBS, and for Inside Edition and Bloomberg.
Course Requirements for Broadcast News Majors
A total of 120 credit hours with a minimum of 28 hours in journalism and 80 nonjournalism hours are required for graduation. Sixty-five of the 80 nonjournalism hours must be in arts and sciences course work. Forty-five of the 120 credit hours must be upper-division. Within the 80 credit hours of nonjournalism course work, 30-36 credit hours must be in the additional field of study. The last 30 hours toward the degree must be taken after admission to the school.
Journalism Core Requirements (12 hours)
- JOUR 1001 Contemporary Analysis Media—3
- JOUR 2601 Principles of Journalism and Networked Communication—3
- JOUR 4651 Media Law (junior standing prerequisite)—3
- One upper-division conceptual course—3
Broadcast News Requirements (13 hours)
- JOUR 3604 Radio and Television News (JOUR 2601 prerequisite)—3
- JOUR 3644 Principles of Production (JOUR 2601 prerequisite)—3
- JOUR 4354 TV Reporting (JOUR 3604, JOUR 3644 prerequisites)—3
- JOUR 4624 NewsTeam (JOUR 4354 prerequisite)—4
Electives and Internships (4–16 hours)
- JOUR 4931 Internship (JOUR 3604, JOUR 3644 prerequisites)—1-3
Additional Field of Study (30-36)
Broadcast Production
The broadcast production sequence prepares students for production careers in radio, television, cable, private industry, and independent firms, including positions in programming, advertising, promotion, and management. The curriculum includes broadcast news writing, broadcast production principles, mass communication law, and advanced television production. Students direct and handle production duties for a live newscast twice a week and broadcast a weekly sports magazine. Many intern at Denver network affiliates and production facilities, including those of local professional sports teams. Students cover many collegiate sporting events on campus, where they produce, direct, and host programs, for which they have won numerous local and regional Emmy awards. Students intern at national news and entertainment organizations including Warren Miller Entertainment in Boulder, High Noon Entertainment in Denver, ESPN, Fox Sports, MTV, Sony Pictures Television, and Entertainment Tonight.
Course Requirements for Broadcast Production Majors
A total of 120 credit hours with a minimum of 28 hours in journalism and 80 nonjournalism hours are required for graduation. Sixty-five of the 80 nonjournalism hours must be in arts and sciences course work. Forty-five of the 120 credit hours must be upper-division. Within the 80 credit hours of nonjournalism course work, 30-36 credit hours must be in the additional field of study. The last 30 hours toward the degree must be taken after admission to the school.
Journalism Core Requirements (12 hours)
- JOUR 1001-3 Contemporary Analysis Media—3
- JOUR 2601-3 Principles of Journalism and Networked Communication—3
- JOUR 4651-3 Media Law (junior standing)—3
- One upper-division conceptual course—3
Broadcast Production Requirements (12 hours)
- JOUR 3604 Radio and Television News (JOUR 2601, junior standing prerequisites)—3
- JOUR 3644 Principles of Production (JOUR 2601, junior standing prerequisites)—3
- JOUR 3674 TV Production 2 (JOUR 3644 prerequisite)—3
- Plus an additional upper-division conceptual course—3
Journalism Electives and Internships (4–16 hours)
- JOUR 4931 Internship (JOUR 3644 prerequisite)—1-3
Additional Field of Study (30-36)
Media Studies
The media studies major prepares students for careers as analysts, evaluators, and producers of media messages and policies in government and private industry and for graduate education in the social sciences, humanities, and law. The curriculum covers courses in media, history, law, policy, institutions, industries, and culture. Students may gain practical experience by taking media practice courses and at campus media such as KVCU-AM, the CU Sports Magazine weekly television broadcast, as well as through internships. In recent years, media studies majors have interned at the Discovery Channel, Bravo, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Financial Times, Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood, Kenney Marketing and Advertising, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, Aspen Magazine, Boulder County AIDS Project, and KCNC-TV Community Affairs.
Course Requirements for Media Studies
A total of 120 credit hours with a minimum of 30 hours in journalism and 80 nonjournalism hours are required for graduation. Sixty-five of the 80 nonjournalism hours must be in arts and sciences course work. Forty-five of the 120 credit hours must be upper-division. Within the 80 credit hours of nonjournalism course work, 30-36 credit hours must be in the additional field of study. The last 30 hours toward the degree must be taken after admission to the school.
Journalism Core Requirements (12 hours)
- JOUR 1001 Contemporary Analysis Media—3
- JOUR 2403 Principles of Advertising and Consumer Culture or 2601 Principles of Journalism and Networked Communication—3
- JOUR 4651 Media Law—3
- One upper-division conceptual course—3
Media Studies Core Requirements (6 hours)
- JOUR 4301 Media Ethics—3
- JOUR 4321 Media Institutions and Economics—3
Media Theory Requirements (6–9 hours)
- JOUR 2403 Principles of Advertising—3
- JOUR 3771 Mass Media History—3
- JOUR 4201 International Mass Communication—3
- JOUR 4331 Women and Popular Culture—3
- JOUR 4453 Advertising and Society—3
- JOUR 4711 Mass Communication and Culture—3
- JOUR 4874 The Meaning of IT (Information Technology)—3
- JOUR 4871 Special Topics (conceptual only)—3
Media Practice (0–3 hours)
Students are strongly encouraged to take ONE of the following:
- JOUR 3102 Press Photography—3
- JOUR 3453-3 Advertising Copy and Layout (JOUR 2403 prerequisite and instructor permission)—3
- JOUR 3473 Advertising Research (JOUR 2403 prerequisite and instructor permission)—3
- JOUR 3614 Radio Programming and Production—3
- JOUR 4102 Advanced Photography (JOUR 3102 prerequisite)—3
- JOUR 4272 Public Relations—3
- JOUR 4282 Public Relations Programs (JOUR 4272 prerequisite)—3
- JOUR 4562 Electronic Journalism—3
- JOUR 4802 Editorial and Opinion Writing (instructor permission prerequisite)—3
- JOUR 4802 Magazine Writing (instructor permission prerequisite)—3
- JOUR 4831 Publication Design and Production—3
- JOUR 4872 Digital Newsroom—3
- JOUR 4873 Motion Design (instructor permission prerequisite)—3
- JOUR 4873 Experience Design Workshop (instructor permission prerequisite)—3
Journalism Electives and Internships (1–13 hours)
Any JOUR course, including those listed above under Media Theory and Media Practice will fulfill the elective category. Media Studies majors who wish to gain practical experience are also strongly encouraged to do an internship (JOUR 4931, 1-3 hours) and/or to work for a semester or more for one of the campus media: CUIndependent (instructor permission prerequisite); KVCU radio; Sports Mag; or Cultural Currents. For internships offered through news-editorial, broadcast, or advertising, students will need to take additional prerequisites (see major sheet for each sequence’s requirements).
Additional Field of Study (30-36)
News-Editorial
The news-editorial major prepares students for careers as reporters, editors, and photographers for newspapers, websites, news services, magazines, trade and technical publications, company publications, the government, and public relations firms. Beyond required courses in the principles of journalism, reporting, editing, and media law, students may choose electives ranging from photography and magazine writing to the digital newsroom and legislative reporting. Photo students have repeatedly placed nationally in the Hearst Journalism Awards Program. News-editorial students regularly obtain internships through national programs including the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund, the Politics & Journalism Semester in Washington, D.C., the Scripps Howard Foundation, and the Chips Quinn Scholars minority internship program. Others recently interned at The Associated Press, USA TODAY, Huffington Post, Smithsonian Magazine, MLB.com, People magazine, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, and Sports Illustrated. Students intern year-round at Boulder outdoor recreation and healthy lifestyle magazines including SKI, Skiing, Freeskier, Backpacker, VeloNews, Climbing, and Women’s Adventure.
Course Requirements for News-Editorial Majors
A total of 120 credit hours with a minimum of 28 hours in journalism and 80 nonjournalism hours are required for graduation. Sixty-five of the 80 nonjournalism hours must be in arts and sciences course work. Forty-five of the 120 credit hours must be upper-division. Within the 80 credit hours of nonjournalism course work, 30-36 credit hours must be in the additional field of study. The last 30 hours toward the degree must be taken after admission to the school.
Journalism Core Requirements (12 hours)
- JOUR 1001 Contemporary Analysis Media—3
- JOUR 2601 Principles of Journalism and Networked Communication—3
- JOUR 4651 Media Law (junior standing)—3
- One upper-division conceptual course—3
News-Editorial Requirements (12 hours)
- JOUR 3001 Public Affairs Reporting (JOUR 2601 prerequisite)—3
- JOUR 3552 News Editing (JOUR 3001 prerequisite)—3
- JOUR 4002 Reporting 2 (JOUR 3001 prerequisite)—3
- JOUR 4502 Reporting 3 (JOUR 3552, JOUR 4002 prerequisites)—3
Journalism Electives and Internships (4–16 hours)
- JOUR 4931 Internship (JOUR 3001, JOUR 3552 prerequisites)—1-3
Additional Field of Study (30-36)
Graduate Degree Program(s)
Graduate Study in Journalism & Mass Communication
More than 70 students are earning master of arts degrees with the Journalism and Mass Communication Program in two degree programs: newsgathering and mass communication research.
Financial Support for Graduate Study
Master’s Degree: A few graduate assistantships are available. Applicants who wish to be considered should submit a resume and letter that includes detailed professional or academic qualifications by February 1 to the director of graduate studies at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Applicants are chosen based on experience and the specific skills needed for available assistantships each semester.
Doctoral Degree: Admitted PhD students are awarded graduate assistantships including a tuition waiver and stipend.
Master of Arts in Newsgathering
The newsgathering option is designed for students with limited academic or professional experience in news reporting and writing. It prepares students to work in a wide variety of professional settings including newspapers and magazines, broadcast and cable media outlets, online publishing, and corporate communications. Students in the newsgathering program select an emphasis in print, broadcast, or a combination. Newsgathering students complete internships at radio, television, and award-winning daily newspapers along Colorado’s Front Range. The program culminates with a professional project. Students complete a minimum of 36 graduate semester hours and should be able to finish the degree in two years
Master of Arts in Mass Communication Research
The mass communication research option offers an opportunity for critical reflection on contemporary media structures, performance, policy, and practice. It provides graduate-level study in communication theory, research methods and relevant realms of culture, law, history, politics, and ethics. The research track is designed for students interested in an in-depth study of media or for those who wish to enhance an undergraduate or professional media background. The program is especially recommended for students desiring to continue their studies toward a PhD and for professionals seeking to teach at the college level or develop an area of reporting specialization. Total required hours: 33.
Prerequisites: None, unless students wish to update their knowledge in specific areas or lack background in the course of study they choose to pursue.
Deadlines for Master’s Programs: The domestic application deadline is February 1. International applications must be submitted by December 1. Applications received after February 1 will be considered on a space-available basis.
Doctoral Degree in Communication
The PhD in communication offered by the Journalism and Mass Communication Program is dedicated to interdisciplinary inquiry into the social, political, economic, and cultural dimensions of media, nationally and internationally, historically and in contemporary societies.
Because of the centrality of communication and media in social and individual life, media theory and research draw from a wide range of fields and disciplines, including political science, sociology, cultural studies, philosophy, history, linguistics, economics, anthropology, business, psychology, literature, law and public policy. The interdisciplinary nature of media studies is reflected in the research interests of the graduate faculty and in the curriculum, in which students take a significant portion of their course work outside JMC and receive training in both qualitative and quantitative research methods. In general, the curriculum within JMC focuses on the following areas: the range of theories, disciplines, and methodological approaches that have contributed centrally to the field of media studies; the institutional and cultural sources of meaning; the history and development of media industries and systems; and the relationship of media to other social institutions.
Doctoral students in the media studies program must take 42 hours of course work, pass the written and oral comprehensive examinations at the conclusion of course work, and prepare and defend a dissertation. The course work includes a two-semester Proseminar (6 hours), which is required of all first-year doctoral students in the program; 15–18 hours of electives within JMC; 12–15 hours of electives taken outside JMC; and 6 hours of methods (the qualitative and quantitative methods courses offered within JMC).
Applicants to the PhD program in media studies are expected to hold the master’s degree or equivalent graduate work. In exceptional cases, applicants without a master’s degree may be considered for admittance.
Deadlines for Doctoral Programs: The domestic application deadline is January 1. International applications must be submitted by December 1. Applications received by JMC after January 1 will not be considered.
Certificate Program
Certificate in International Media
The International Media Certificate is designed for high-achieving majors in international affairs (IAFS) and journalism and mass communication (JOUR) at CU-Boulder. This certificate will open doors to international and world-area specializations for students in the Journalism and Mass Communication Program and will introduce international affairs students to careers in communication media. For more information, visit journalism.colorado.edu/academics/undergraduate/international-media-certificate/.
Graduate Certificate in Environmental Policy
In collaboration with the university’s Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate Program in Environmental Policy, JMC offers students the opportunity to earn both the master’s degree in journalism, with an emphasis in environmental journalism, and the Certificate in Environmental Policy. The time to complete the degree and the certificate is estimated to be about two years.
