Department of Journalism

B.A. Degree
Minimum Requirements for Degree: 123 credits
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The journalism program offers a solid curriculum designed to prepare students to leave the classroom and be ready to take their places in the nation’s newsrooms.

In addition to the solid academic background they receive in the classroom, students get practical experience by working with media on and off campus. On campus, these include public television and public radio stations, a student-owned FM station and the campus newspaper. Off campus, students have opportunities to intern with a variety of radio and television stations, newspapers and other media-related businesses and organizations, both in and out of Alaska.

The department runs several laboratory facilities including a news writing/digital photography lab, a multimedia lab, a digital audio production lab, a digital video editing lab, two photography labs and a photography studio, and an electronic newsroom. The department is fully accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

Major—B.A. Degree

Concentrations: Broadcast Journalism, New Media, News-Editorial, Photojournalism

1. Complete the general university requirements.
2. Complete the B.A. degree requirements (As part of the B.A. degree requirements, complete HIST 132.)
3. Complete the following program (major) requirements:*

JRN 101—Introduction to Mass Communications 3 credits
JRN 301W—News Reporting and Writing 3 credits
JRN 400—Professional Media Internship 3 credits
JRN 413—Mass Media Law and Regulation 3 credits
JRN 421—Journalism in Perspective 3 credits
JRN 490—Online Publication: “Extreme Alaska” 3 credits

4. Complete credits outside of journalism** 80
5. Complete 1 of the following concentrations:*

Broadcast Journalism
a. Complete the following:
JRN 215—Radio Production 3 credits
JRN 451O—Television Production 4 credits
JRN 452W—Radio and Television News Writing 3 credits
JRN 453—Television News Reporting 3 credits
b. Complete 2 courses from the list of approved journalism electives.
c. Minimum credits required 124

New Media
a. Complete the following:
JRN 323—Editing for Journalists 3 credits
JRN 324—Typography and Publication Design 3 credits
JRN 390—Web Design for Journalists 3 credits
JRN 484—Multimedia Theory and Practice 3 credits
b. Complete 3 courses from the list of approved journalism electives.****
c. Minimum credits required 123

News-Editorial
a. Complete the following:
JRN 311—Magazine Article Writing 3 credits
JRN 323—Editing for Journalists 3 credits
JRN 401—Beat Reporting 3 credits
JRN 444W—Investigative Reporting 3 credits
b. Complete 3 courses from the list of approved journalism electives.
c. Minimum credits required 123

Photojournalism
a. Complete the following:
JRN 203—Basic Photography 3 credits
JRN 402—Advanced Photography 3 credits
JRN 404—Photojournalism I 3 credits
JRN 406—Photojournalism II 3 credits
b. Complete 2 courses from the list of approved journalism electives.
c. Minimum credits required 123

Approved journalism electives:*

JRN 203—Basic Photography 3 credits
JRN 215—Radio Production 3 credits
JRN 240—Foreign Corresponding 3 credits
JRN 250—Website Design I 3 credits
JRN 311W—Magazine Article Writing 3 credits
JRN 323—Editing for Journalists 3 credits
JRN 324—Typography and Publication Design 3 credits
JRN/BA 326—Principles of Advertising 3 credits
JRN 340—Mass Media and Society 3 credits
JRN 350—Adobe Photoshop 3 credits
JRN/WMS 380O—Women, Minorities and the Mass Media 3 credits
JRN 401—Beat Reporting 3 credits
JRN 402—Advanced Photography 3 credits
JRN 403—Color Photography 3 credits
JRN 404—Photojournalism I 3 credits
JRN 405—Advanced Photography Seminar 3 credits
JRN 406—Photojournalism II 3 credits
JRN 411W—Writing for a Living 3 credits
JRN 424—Magazine Production 3 credits
JRN 433—Public Relations 3 credits
JRN 440—Ethics and Reporting in the Far North 3 credits
JRN 444W—Investigative Reporting 3 credits
JRN 451O—Television Production 4 credits
JRN 452—Radio and Television News Writing 3 credits
JRN 453—Television News Reporting 3 credits
JRN 454—Advanced TV News Production 3 credits
JRN/ART 484—Multimedia Theory and Practice 3 credits
JRN/ED 486—Media Literacy 3 credits
JRN 493—Special Topics 3 credits
JRN 497—Independent Study 3 credits

* Student must earn a C grade or better in each course in the major requirements and any course offered through the Department of Journalism .
** To assure the journalist a broad liberal arts education, 80 credits must be outside of journalism, 65 of which should be from traditional liberal arts courses offered by any of these departments: AKNP, ALST, ANL, ANS, ANTH, ART, ASLG, ATM, BIOL, CHEM, COMM, ECON, ENGL, ENVE, ESK, FISH, FL, FREN, FSN, GEOG, GEOS, GER, HIST, HONR, HUM, JPN, JUST, LING, LS, MATH, MSL, MUS, NORS, NRM, PHIL, PHYS, PS, PSY, RUSS, SOC, SPAN, STAT, THR, WMS.
*** JRN 102, 308, 408 and 486 may not be used as approved JRN electives in this concentration. However, any of the following courses may be substituted for one of the 3 approved JRN electives: BA 343, 436 or 445W.
**** JRN 471O and 472O may be used as approved JRN electives in this concentration.

Minor*

1. Complete the following:

JRN 101—Introduction to Mass Communications 3 credits

JRN 301W—News Reporting and Writing 3 credits

Approved JRN electives 9 credits
2. Minimum credits required 15

* Student must earn a C grade or better in all department courses used to satisfy minor requirements.