Program: B.A., Journalism
Overview
The CSUN Department of Journalism, a nationally accredited undergraduate program, is home to eight award-winning, student-run contemporary and digital news media operations, as well as a thriving public relations curriculum. Converging newsrooms include the The Sundial, the bilingual multimedia outlet El Nuevo Sol, the mobile Pop-Up Newsroom and cloud-based Scene magazine, plus the broadcast programs, Valley View News, Matador News, On Point public affairs and KCSN HD2, the Golden Mike-winning newscast heard daily on the campus-based public radio station housed in the Valley Performing Arts Center.
Program Requirements
1. Lower Division Required Courses (11 units)
JOUR 100 Mass Communication (3)
JOUR 110 Writing, Reporting and Ethics I (3)
JOUR 210 Writing, Reporting and Ethics II (3)
JOUR 250 Visual Communication (2)
2. Upper Division Required Courses (7 units)
JOUR 400 Mass Communication Law and Ethics (3)
JOUR 498 Tutorial in Mass Communication (1)
Select at least one of the following (3 units):
JOUR 371 Women, Men and Media (3)
JOUR 372 Diversity and the Media (3)
JOUR 374SLJ Spanish-Language News Environment (3)
JOUR 465 Mass Communication and Popular Culture (3)
JOUR 478 International News Media (3)
JOUR 480 History of the American News Media (3)
JOUR 585 Theory of Mass Communication (3)
3. Courses in Journalism (19 units)
Depending on Area of Emphasis (see below), except repeats of JOUR 395AB, 397AB, 398AB or 498.
Broadcast Journalism: JOUR 315; 325; 335; 415; 445; 395B; 410 or 435; 2 units of Upper Division electives.
Magazine Journalism: JOUR 310; 330; 331; 397B; 460; 410 or 495A-Z; 4 units of Upper Division electives.
Newspaper Journalism: JOUR 310; 330; 331; 397B; 410 or 495A-Z; 7 units of Upper Division electives.
Photojournalism: ART 250; 353 or 355 or 455A; JOUR 331; 350; 397B; 450; 455.
Public Relations: JOUR 310; 331; 340; 341; 398B; 440; 3 units of Upper Division electives.
General: JOUR 310; 330; 395B or 397B or 398B; 12 units of Upper Division electives.
4. Collateral Units (15 units)
Majors are required to have a collateral field of at least five upper division courses totaling 15 units in a specified area of study and approved in advance by an advisor. Alternatively, students may take a minor, approved in advance by an advisor, in which at least 15 units are Upper Division. Units from the collateral field or minor may count in GE.
5. Courses Outside of Journalism
Majors are required to take at least 80 units of the 120 required for graduation outside of Journalism/Mass Communication. Of these 80 units, 65 must be in the liberal arts, sciences or humanities (LASH), as determined by the Journalism department.
6. General Education (48 units)
Undergraduate students must complete 48 units of General Education as described in this Catalog.
For Journalism majors, JOUR 100 counts for 3 units of GE in the Lifelong Learning section. In addition, courses in the Collateral Field/minor may also count in GE.
Total Units in the Major: 52
General Education Units: 45
Additional Units: 23
Total Units Required for the B.A. Degree: 120
More information
If you would like more information about this program, please contact Jour99@csun.edu.
Contact
Chair: Linda Bowen
Manzanita Hall (MZ) 210A
(818) 677-3135
www.csun.edu/journalism
Jour99@csun.edu
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to report and write for diverse publics, using proper grammar and punctuation, word usage and spelling, sentence and storytelling structures across multiple journalistic formats.
- Students will be able to gather and analyze information, including basic numerical concepts, using reporting techniques, such as interviewing, observation, and researching primary and secondary sources.
- Students will be able to think critically, creatively and independently.
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of professional ethical principles and work ethically in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness, and diversity.
- Students will apply tools and technologies appropriate for the news media professions in which they work to communicate for and with diverse publics.
- Students will be able to understand and apply the historical, theoretical, legal and societal contexts for producing and consuming news media for consumers, for local to global publics.