The Bachelor of Arts in Journalism

Total Course Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree: 124 units

See "Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree" in the University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 40 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.

A suggested Major Academic Plan (MAP) has been prepared to help students meet all graduation requirements within four years. Please request a plan from your major advisor or view it and other current advising information on the CSU, Chico Web.

Please see General Education, Cultural Diversity, American Institutions, and Literacy Requirements under the BA in Communication Studies.

Course Requirements for the Major: 34-35 units

The following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, are required of all candidates for this degree. Additional required courses, depending upon the selected option or advising pattern, are outlined following the degree core program requirements.

National accreditation standards require a journalism major to take a 34/35-unit journalism/communication curriculum. Of the 124-unit degree program, 80 units must be taken outside the journalism/communication curriculum. Overall, 65 of the units must be in liberal arts and sciences. The following courses, if taken as General Education or upper-division theme, will apply to the 80 outside units: CMST 131, CMST 132, CMST 255, CMST 334. Community college transfer students may apply 6 units (e.g., JOUR 260 and JOUR 101) to the 34/35-unit major. Other transfer units in journalism (to a maximum of 9-10) may apply to the 89-90 units beyond the major.

Major Core Program: 9 units

2 courses required:

JOUR 101 Introduction to Communication 3.0 FS

This course is also offered as CDES 101.

JOUR 260 Writing for Mass Media 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: ENGL 130.

1 course selected from:

JOUR 460 Ethical Problems in Mass Media 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 101, JOUR 260. For Option in News-Editorial: JOUR 321. For Option in Public Relations: JOUR 341.
JOUR 460H Eth Probs in Mass Media-Hnrs 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: Admission to the Honors in the Major program; JOUR 101, JOUR 260. For Option in News-Editorial: JOUR 321. For Option in Public Relations: JOUR 341.

Formal Minor Requirement

Journalism majors with options in News-Editorial and Public Relations are required to complete a formal minor in a department outside the School of Communication.

Major Option Course Requirements: 25-26 units

The following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, are required dependent upon the option chosen. Students must select one of the following options for completion of the major course requirements.

The Option in News-Editorial: 25-26 units

4 courses required:

JOUR 320 Mass Communication Law 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 101, JOUR 260.
JOUR 321 Public Affairs Reporting 3.0 FS WP
Prerequisites: ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a grade of C- or higher, HIST 130, JOUR 260, POLS 155.
JOUR 327 News Editing and Copyreading 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.
JOUR 329 Laboratory Newspaper 2.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 260; JOUR 327 or JOUR 341; or faculty permission.

14-15 units selected from:

Group A

2 courses selected from:

JOUR 244 Intro to Public Relations 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing; concurrent enrollment in or prior completion of JOUR 260.

This course is also offered as POLS 144.

JOUR 310 Entertain/Media/Amer Culture 3.0 FS *
Prerequisites: ENGL 130.
JOUR 311 Women/Men/Media 3.0 SP *

This course is also offered as WMST 311.

JOUR 313 International Communication 3.0 FS
JOUR 322 History of American Journalism 3.0 FA
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.
JOUR 411 Race and Diversity in Media 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.
JOUR 424 Public Opinion and Propaganda 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: CMST 131, CMST 330, CMST 331, and CMST 350, and CMST 370 with a grade of C- or higher for CMST majors only.

This course is also offered as CMST 424, and POLS 424.

JOUR 428 Politics and the Media 3.0 FA
Prerequisites: CMST 131, CMST 330, CMST 331, and CMST 350, and CMST 370 with a grade of C- or higher for CMST majors only; faculty permission.

This course is also offered as CMST 428, and POLS 428.

Group B

5-6 units selected from:

JOUR 325 Magazine Writing 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.
JOUR 329 Laboratory Newspaper 2.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 260; JOUR 327 or JOUR 341; or faculty permission.
JOUR 331 Lab Newspaper Management 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 329 and faculty permission.
JOUR 351 Public Relations Publications 3.0 FA
Prerequisites: JOUR 260; JOUR 244 and JOUR 341 for public relations option; JOUR 321 for news-editorial option.
JOUR 355 Internet Newspapers/Magazines 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.
JOUR 429 Advanced Feature Writing 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 260; JOUR 321 or 325 for news-editorial option; JOUR 335 or 341 for public relations option.
JOUR 489 Journalism Internship 1.0 -3.0 FS
Prerequisites: Faculty permission.

JOUR 329 is repeatable, with instructor and advisor permission, up to 4 units to count toward the major: 2 units for the option core; 2 units toward Group B; and up to 4 units as electives.

JOUR 489 is repeatable, with instructor and advisor permission, up to 3 units, with 1 unit counting toward Group B and up to 2 units as electives.

Group C - Visual Literacy

1 course selected from:

JOUR 351 Public Relations Publications 3.0 FA
Prerequisites: JOUR 260; JOUR 244 and JOUR 341 for public relations option; JOUR 321 for news-editorial option.
JOUR 353 Photojournalism 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.
JOUR 355 Internet Newspapers/Magazines 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.

Note: JOUR 355 may be used to fulfill requirements in either Group B or Group C in the News-Editorial Option. JOUR 351 and JOUR 355 may be used to fulfill requirements in either Group B or Group C in the Public Relations Option.

The Option in Public Relations: 25-26 units

4 courses required:

JOUR 244 Intro to Public Relations 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing; concurrent enrollment in or prior completion of JOUR 260.

This course is also offered as POLS 144.

JOUR 341 Writing for Public Relations 3.0 FS WP
Prerequisites: ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a grade of C- or higher, JOUR 244, JOUR 260.
JOUR 344 Public Relations Strategy 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 244, JOUR 260, JOUR 341.
JOUR 445 Public Relations Laboratory 2.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 244, JOUR 260, JOUR 341, JOUR 344.

14 units selected from:

Group A

2 courses selected from:

JOUR 310 Entertain/Media/Amer Culture 3.0 FS *
Prerequisites: ENGL 130.
JOUR 311 Women/Men/Media 3.0 SP *

This course is also offered as WMST 311.

JOUR 313 International Communication 3.0 FS
JOUR 320 Mass Communication Law 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 101, JOUR 260.
JOUR 322 History of American Journalism 3.0 FA
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.
JOUR 411 Race and Diversity in Media 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.
JOUR 424 Public Opinion and Propaganda 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: CMST 131, CMST 330, CMST 331, and CMST 350, and CMST 370 with a grade of C- or higher for CMST majors only.

This course is also offered as CMST 424, and POLS 424.

JOUR 447 Public Relations Management 3.0 SP
Prerequisites: JOUR 244, JOUR 260, JOUR 341.

Group B

5-6 units selected from:

CDES 313 Basic Advertising Copywriting 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: CDES 103 or JOUR 260.
JOUR 321 Public Affairs Reporting 3.0 FS WP
Prerequisites: ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a grade of C- or higher, HIST 130, JOUR 260, POLS 155.
JOUR 325 Magazine Writing 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.
JOUR 327 News Editing and Copyreading 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.
JOUR 329 Laboratory Newspaper 2.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 260; JOUR 327 or JOUR 341; or faculty permission.
JOUR 351 Public Relations Publications 3.0 FA
Prerequisites: JOUR 260; JOUR 244 and JOUR 341 for public relations option; JOUR 321 for news-editorial option.
JOUR 355 Internet Newspapers/Magazines 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.
JOUR 429 Advanced Feature Writing 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 260; JOUR 321 or 325 for news-editorial option; JOUR 335 or 341 for public relations option.
JOUR 444 Public Relations Laboratory 1.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 244, JOUR 260, JOUR 341, JOUR 344, JOUR 445.
JOUR 445 Public Relations Laboratory 2.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 244, JOUR 260, JOUR 341, JOUR 344.
JOUR 489 Journalism Internship 1.0 -3.0 FS
Prerequisites: Faculty permission.

JOUR 329 and JOUR 445 are repeatable, with instructor and advisor permission, for a total of 8 units: 2 units for the option core, 2 units toward Group B, and up to 4 units as electives.

JOUR 489 is repeatable, with instructor and advisor permission, up to 3 units, with 1 unit counting toward Group B and 2 units as electives.

Group C - Visual Literacy

1 course selected from:

CDES 206 Intro Photo Com & Dig Imaging 3.0 FS
JOUR 351 Public Relations Publications 3.0 FA
Prerequisites: JOUR 260; JOUR 244 and JOUR 341 for public relations option; JOUR 321 for news-editorial option.
JOUR 353 Photojournalism 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.
JOUR 355 Internet Newspapers/Magazines 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 260.

Please see the Electives, Grading, and Advising Requirements under the BA in Communication Studies.

Please see Honors in the Major under the BA in Communication Studies.

Note: Students majoring in journalism who elect to complete the minor in Management of Human Resources or Marketing should see their advisor.