Journalism
Reporting, verifying, and telling stories that inform the public.
Journalism trains you to research, verify, and report news and stories accurately and ethically, across print, broadcast, and digital formats. Coursework covers reporting technique, media law and ethics, and increasingly multimedia and digital publishing skills.
Most programs are built around actual reporting practice, writing and pitching real stories, often for a student newspaper or outlet, and internships are common and often expected before graduation.
Typical courses you might take
- ✓Introduction to Journalism
- ✓News Writing & Reporting
- ✓Media Law & Ethics
- ✓Multimedia & Digital Journalism
- ✓Feature Writing
- ✓Investigative Reporting
- ✓Editing
- ✓Internship / Practicum
Sample four-year plan
Illustrative, not a registration planOne possible way these courses could be sequenced alongside general education and elective credit. Real programs vary in order, pacing, and prerequisites by school, use this to get a rough sense of the arc, not to plan actual registration.
- ✓Introduction to Journalism
- +General education requirement
- ✓News Writing & Reporting
- +General education requirement
- ✓Media Law & Ethics
- +General education requirement
- ✓Multimedia & Digital Journalism
- +Free elective
- ✓Feature Writing
- +Free elective
- ✓Investigative Reporting
- +Elective in the major (or minor coursework)
- ✓Editing
- +Elective in the major (or minor coursework)
- ✓Internship / Practicum
- +Capstone, thesis, or culminating project (common in many programs)
Skills you'll build
This major might be a good fit if you...
- ★Curious, skeptical, and driven to find things out
- ★Enjoys writing quickly and clearly under deadline
- ★Comfortable approaching strangers and asking direct questions
- ★Committed to accuracy and fairness in reporting
Common minors & double-major pairings
Political Science · English Literature · Foreign Language
Roles this major could lead to
Factual, day-to-day descriptions from our Career Role Encyclopedia, not a guarantee this major leads to any specific job.
UX Writer / Content Designer
Writes the words inside a product, buttons, error messages, onboarding, that guide users.
Photographer
Captures images for editorial, commercial, portrait, or documentary purposes.
Video Editor
Assembles raw footage into a finished, coherent video.
Content Strategist
Plans what content an organization creates and why, across channels.
Public Relations Specialist
Manages how an organization communicates with media and the public.
Journalist / Reporter
Researches, verifies, and reports news and stories to the public.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Journalism major?
Reporting, verifying, and telling stories that inform the public.
What courses do Journalism majors take?
Typical coursework includes classes like Introduction to Journalism, News Writing & Reporting, Media Law & Ethics, among others, see the full course list above for this major's typical lineup.
What skills do you build in a Journalism program?
Journalism coursework typically builds skills like Fact-finding and verification, Interviewing technique, Clear, concise news writing under deadline, Understanding media law and ethics.
Is Journalism a good major for me?
It tends to be a good fit if signals like "Curious, skeptical, and driven to find things out" or "Enjoys writing quickly and clearly under deadline" describe you. See the full "good fit if you..." list above for more.
What can you do with a Journalism degree?
Majors in this field often go on to roles like UX Writer / Content Designer, Photographer, Video Editor. See our Career Role Encyclopedia for more, a major shapes what you study, not a guarantee of any specific job.
What other majors pair well with Journalism?
Common minor or double-major pairings include Political Science, English Literature, Foreign Language.
How is Journalism different from Communication Studies?
They're related but distinct. Journalism: Reporting, verifying, and telling stories that inform the public. Communication Studies: How people create meaning and persuade through communication. Use the compare tool to see courses and skills side by side.
How long does it take to earn a Journalism degree?
Most bachelor's degrees, including this one, are designed to be completed in about four years of full-time study. Exact timing depends on your school, course load, transfer credit, and any changes of major along the way.
From our guides
Printed from majoratlas.com/majors/journalism