Western Kentucky University

Course Details

Bachelor of Arts in Journalism

Course Description

The world of journalism is changing. However, the need for excellent journalists is not. The major in journalism grounds its curriculum in the skills that all employers within the news media and professional communications want: strong writing and editing skills; excellent storytelling skills; the ability to find and process complex information, and share it in a way that helps others understand it; and the ability to deal on a face-to-face basis with diverse audiences. The core of the curriculum remains reporting, writing and editing for print and the Web. A dedicated and talented faculty with strong professional careers in journalism teaches these courses. That core is joined by a range of classes aimed at developing a foundation in multimedia storytelling: digital photojournalism, audio-visual gathering and editing; and Web site development and content delivery. Experts from all units throughout the SJ&B teach these classes. Ethical and professional standards, and emphasis on First Amendment principles and media law concepts are incorporated throughout the curriculum to complete the package. Students in the journalism major graduate prepared for work at any news media outlet or for any position in professional communications. Along the way, they get one-on-one academic and career advising from the journalism faculty — and the knowledge and skills to make a difference. The major in journalism requires 45 to 46 semester hours and leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree. No course with a grade of "D" or below may be counted toward the major or fulfill prerequisite requirements.

Course Duration

NumberDuration
4year

Career outcomes

The journalism multimedia curriculum offers students the opportunity to pursue a wide range of careers including: news reporting and editing for all media; public information officers; corporate communications; nonprofit communications. Law schools recruit heavily from journalism schools, particularly the journalism major, because the core courses develop interpersonal communication skills, research and writing. These same skills are widely sought in the business sector.




Bachelor of Arts in Journalism Western Kentucky University