Mission Statement
The Department of Journalism strives to prepare its students to become well-educated, principled citizens, who are capable of initiating careers as skilled journalists, public relations practitioners and other related communication professionals.
Vision Statements
Students
Learn to be excellent writers and communicators who tell factual stories in a variety of forms and platforms for a diverse public and whose work reflects creativity, innovation, analytical thinking, ethics and democratic values.
Faculty
Innovate to produce excellence in teaching, research, service and creative activities.
Department
Foster culture of collaboration among students, faculty, staff, alumni and diverse communities to become a resource, a town square and a network for those interested in journalism.
About the Department
The Department of Journalism, a nationally accredited undergraduate program, supports nine award-winning, student-run digital news media operations in print/online and radio/television broadcast in English and Spanish, as well as a public relations agency. With a focus on digital, community/participatory and global media studies, the program teaches a balance of practical and theoretical elements of journalism and media studies. Students take core courses in media law and ethics and history/theory in tandem with a variety of multimedia and other skills courses, emphasizing the diverse elements of today’s emerging landscape.
The faculty include internationally recognized scholars in citizen and participatory media studying refugee and migration issues, Latin American diasporas and the media, as well as those whose research focuses on border and immigration problems, visual communication to humanize social justice issues, such as homelessness, and the sociology of the First Amendment. The Spanish-Language Interdisciplinary Journalism minor is a leader in bilingual media programs. The master’s degree in Mass Communication teaches students critical approaches to journalism practices.
Academic Advisement
Advisement is an important element in every student’s university experience. Students in the Journalism undergraduate and Mass Communication graduate programs are assigned an advisor at the time of entry. Advisement is required each semester for all undergraduate majors and minors. The department academic staff advisor meets regularly with freshmen and sophomores, while faculty advisors confer with juniors and seniors, during office hours scheduled for advisement purposes.
Careers
The Bachelor of Arts degree is designed for students who seek careers in a wide variety of contemporary options. Graduates work in all types of news and communication mediums, including digital, social/mobile and print/online (newspaper/magazine/freelance); photojournalism/visual communication; television and radio; emerging, participatory and community/ethnic media—as well as public relations, strategic and corporate communications.
Accreditation
The undergraduate program has been accredited since 1967 by the National Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.
Credential Information
Standard elementary and secondary teaching credentials can be obtained by completing a double major in a University-approved waiver program, such as English. For details on the credential program, see the Credentials section of this Catalog.
Contact
Department of Journalism
Chair: Linda Bowen
Manzanita Hall (MZ) 210A
(818) 677-3135
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