University Catalog 2015-2016

University of Colorado Boulder
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Journalism (JRNL)

    The Department of Journalism is founded on the principle that a well-informed and engaged public is essential to democracy—perhaps more so now, at a time of dizzying change, than it has ever been; and that, in the face of this change, journalism retains a unique role in contributing to civic life and to the quality of public discourse.

    We put this principle to work by helping students become constructive participants in an ever-evolving global media landscape, where distinctions between producers and consumers of content have blurred. More specifically, we prepare them, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, for careers in journalism and other fields of public communication. We train students to gather information from a diversity of sources, to analyze it critically and to report what is significant, through stories and other media forms across multiple media platforms. We encourage ethical awareness so that students will think independently, being prepared to reflect on and to help shape media practices and norms rather than take them at face value.

    We believe in the integration of classroom instruction with practical experience. Many of our students work for, and manage, campus online news and entertainment sites, television programs and a radio station. They intern at broadcast stations, newspapers, magazines, websites and social media companies. Lastly, as a faculty, and with the help of colleagues elsewhere in our College who are working on new and innovative forms of human communication, we are committed to improving journalism through pioneering research and creative work.

    Course code for this program is JRNL. 

    Bachelor's Degree Program(s)

    Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism

    Journalism majors develop skills in information gathering, storytelling and analysis across a variety of platforms, including television, social media, mobile devices, radio and print—using an ever-expanding variety of media tools and technologies. In addition to their professional preparation, students combine a broad education in the liberal arts (through the College of Arts and Sciences) with a robust Additional Field of Study (for the equivalent of a dual degree). Students complement their skill competencies with courses such as Journalism Law and Ethics and conceptual courses offered elsewhere in the college and university.

    We offer a curriculum with these learning goals:

    • Communicate to various public audiences with clarity and precision, using the most effective combination of images, sounds and words, and applying the most appropriate contemporary technologies
    • Gather information, through research, observation and interviews, and evaluate what is gathered
    • Acquire expertise in a particular subject and use that expertise to communicate clearly to various public audiences
    • Base journalistic work on such enduring ethical principles as accountability, fairness, accuracy, responsibility and diversity
    • Think analytically, critically and creatively about the social, historical, economic and scientific forces that underlie daily events, in order to provide appropriate context in the reporting of daily events
    • Apply the laws of freedom of expression, in both the United States and in a global media setting
    • Blend entrepreneurial strategies with journalistic enterprise to enable success in a fast-changing economic environment

    Required Courses and Semester Credit Hours 

    Within the campus standard of 120 credit hours for the bachelor’s degree, the BA in Journalism requires 34 credit hours, with 22 of those satisfied through the departmental Core Curriculum:

    JOUR Core Curriculum

    • Principles of Journalism  (3 hours)
    • Fundamentals of Reporting (3 hours)
    • Journalism Law and Ethics (3 hours)
    • Professional Development for Journalism (1 hour)
    • One Advanced Reporting course  (3 hours)
    • One Conceptual Course in Journalism or Media Studies (3 hours)
    • News Media Internship  (3 hours)
    • Capstone Course  (3 hours)

    Other Courses in Journalism

    Electives (12 credit hours): Students choose from a variety of advanced journalism courses, including but not limited to the following: Reporting of Public Affairs; Entrepreneurship for Journalism; Editing and Design; Opinion Writing; NewsTeam Boulder; Advanced Storytelling Techniques; a series of 1-credit, five-week courses that would include Math/Statistics for Journalism, Data Visualization for News, Advanced Copy Editing or Photo Editing.

    Additional Field of Study (30 credit hours): All students are required to earn the equivalent of a second degree in a discipline that complements and enhances their journalism education.

    Graduate Degree Program(s)

    The department offers programs of study leading to the MS and PhD in journalism. Interested students should contact the department for current admission and degree requirements.