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Updated February 20, 2015

Journalism

 

College of Liberal & Creative Arts

Dean: Andrew Harris

 

Department of Journalism

HUM 305
Phone: 415-338-1689
E-mail: jour@sfsu.edu
Web Site: http://journalism.sfsu.edu
Chair: Cristina L. Azocar, Ph.D.

 

Center for Integration and Improvement of Journalism

HUM 307
Phone: 415-338-2083
E-mail: CIIJ@sfsu.edu

 

Faculty

Professors: Funabiki, Kobré
Associate Professors: Azocar, Kanigel, Wagner, Wilson
Assistant Professors: Cunningham, Garnier

 

MISSION STATEMENT

To educate students and provide leadership in an evolving media landscape by promoting integrity, creativity, innovation and social responsibility in accurately telling the stories of a multicultural world.

 

Programs

B.A. in Journalism

Minor in Journalism

 

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Program Scope

The Bachelor of Arts in Journalism prepares students for careers in journalism. This is accomplished by providing instruction that requires students to demonstrate a working knowledge of the skills, laws, ethics, power, and responsibilities of the news media. A strong liberal arts education also is required.

 

The main goals of the program's skills courses are to help students become accurate and thorough researchers; incisive thinkers who can gauge the quality of information; precise, clear and graceful writers; technically, aesthetically fine photojournalists; and competent digital technologists. Many students choose the major because these skills provide excellent preparation for numerous occupations, not only for journalism.

 

Writing students are required to take introductory courses in research, reporting, writing, digital skills, and editing. Photojournalism students are required to take introductory courses in writing, digital skills, and reporting as well as courses in basic photography and news photography. All students are required to take courses in multimedia journalism. Advanced courses reflect different areas of expertise–feature writing, public journalism, opinions writing, investigative reporting, magazine writing, design courses and visual journalism for writers and editors. In order to understand the role of journalism in society, students also are required to take courses in mass media, journalism ethics and law, and cultural diversity. Students are strongly urged to develop speaking, writing, and listening competency in a second language.

 

Minor in Non-Journalism Discipline: Because the practice of journalism requires an understanding of larger social, political and cultural issues in society, the program requires students complete a minor in a liberal arts or science discipline. The list of approved minors can be found on the Journalism department website at http://journalism.sfsu.edu/approved-minors. Students should consult with an academic advisor in journalism to determine the best minor for their interests and professional goals.

 

Capstone: To give students pre-professional experience, the program requires students to work on a laboratory publication with a worldwide online and broad print circulation. These publications are produced by classes and are taken for credit. Consistent with the department's commitment to protect students' First Amendment rights, students have editorial control of the publications. Students must complete one semester of publication. In their second semester they can choose between working on the student publication, completing an approved internship, completing a senior seminar project or working in the department’s News Bureau for professional publications. Students should consult with an advisor to choose the option that works best for them.

 

Internships: Students may earn up to three units for approved journalism internships, and if the internship is rigorous, they may receive credit toward publication laboratory requirements. Students should consult the department office about how to arrange credit for internships. Participating in internships is strongly encouraged. Students who succeed in finding journalism jobs upon graduation are generally those who have two or more internship experiences before they graduate. (http://journalism.sfsu.edu/pages/internship-information)

 

Advising: To help students stay on top of the challenges they face, the department strongly encourages all majors and minors to receive academic advising with a journalism faculty advisor every year. Students can choose their advisors or have one assigned by the department office. Students are asked to provide advisors with ongoing records of their complete academic record for the department advising folders. Upper division students will have mandatory advising every semester. If these students don’t get advising by the designated deadline, they will have a hold placed on their registration. The department will send an email notifying upper division students about mandatory advising.

 

CIIJ: Services are available to all journalism students at the department's Center for Integration and Improvement of Journalism. The privately funded center was established in 1990 to create programs that increase retention rates and job/internship placement of journalism students and to increase ethnic minority enrollment and graduation rates. It conducts special programs for high school and community college students, high school journalism advisors, and for Bay Area journalists in both mainstream and ethnic news media. Through the center, department faculty and students and center staff engage in research that has had a national and international impact on journalism, with an emphasis on research about the coverage on ethnic minority people and issues.

 

The Department and Faculty: The journalism department is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC). It is a member of the California Newspaper Publishers Association and sponsors a student chapter of the National Press Photographers Association.

 

The faculty includes nine full-time members and a fluctuating number of part-time instructors, most of them active journalists. Faculty encourage and assist students in finding jobs and internships.

 

Career Outlook

The writing, editing, photography, and online news skills taught in the department prepare students for entry-level jobs in a wide variety of news organizations, magazines, and new media. The critical thinking and clear expression that are taught in department courses prepare students well for jobs in broadcast journalism and in many fields outside journalism. The department’s national reputation for excellence and diversity has drawn the attention of news organizations around the country, making the department a key place for job and internship recruitment.

 

To earn the Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, students must complete 43 journalism units. Only ten journalism units may be lower division for print/online majors —JOUR 205 and JOUR 221, JOUR 222 and JOUR 226. Only thirteen units may be lower division for photojournalism majors --JOUR 205 and JOUR 221, JOUR 222, JOUR 226 and JOUR 235, or their equivalents taken elsewhere. Courses numbered 300 and above are not open to freshmen. The department requires students have their own personal computers, modems and digital audio recorders. Upon enrolling in journalism classes, students will be required to use their SF State e-mail accounts. These email addresses will be used as the primary source of communication between students and the department.

 

In order to ensure that every journalism student's education is as rich and varied as possible, the department has established these requirements:

• A journalism major must complete a minor in one of the areas of study approved by faculty advisors. A list of approved disciplines for this requirement is posted at http://journalism.sfsu.edu/approved-minors. Students should consult with an academic advisor in journalism to determine the minor that best meets their interests and professional goals.
• A journalism major must have a minimum of 72 non-journalism units in the 120 minimum overall units required for graduation. Included in these 72 units must be the minor in a single subject area chosen in consultation with the advisor. The 72-unit requirement is consistent with the department's philosophy that a well-rounded education is crucial preparation for journalism and is consistent with the standards of the national accrediting agency (ACEJMC) that evaluates journalism education programs. These standards exclude classes in broadcasting (BECA), public relations (MKTG), and advertising (MKTG) from qualifying as non-journalism units.

 

Complementary Studies

Twelve units of complementary studies are required of all candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. Students completing the Bachelor of Arts in Journalism must complete a minor that has been approved by the department. The minor fulfills the Complementary Studies Requirement.

 

How GWAR is satisfied for the Journalism major: JOUR 300 GW, required for all majors.

 

Journalism (B.A.): Concentration Print and Online Journalism — 43 units

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.

Non-journalism units (includes required minor): 72 units
These 72 units must include a single subject minor chosen in consultation with an advisor. Classes in broadcasting (BECA), public relations (MKTG), and advertising (MKTG) do not qualify as non-journalism units.

Total units for Degree: 120

Journalism (B.A.): Concentration in Photojournalism — 43 units

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.

Non-journalism units (includes required minor): 72 units
These 72 units must include a single subject minor chosen in consultation with an advisor. Classes in broadcasting (BECA), public relations (MKTG), and advertising (MKTG) do not qualify as non-journalism units.

Total units for Degree: 120

Note: A minimum of 43 upper division units must be completed for the degree (including upper division units required for the major, general education, electives, etc.). A student can complete this major yet not attain the necessary number of upper division units required for graduation. In this case additional upper division courses will be needed to reach the required total.

 

Skills Courses

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.

Journalism majors and minors must earn a minimum grade of C in all skills, advanced and capstone courses, and must attain at least an overall C average in the major and the minor.

 

Journalism majors and minors must take all journalism courses for letter grade only with the exception of JOUR 617, Journalism Internship; which may be taken C/NC.

 

Minor in Journalism

This program is not a requirement for any credential or degree but is intended to give students an opportunity to pursue their interests in journalism in an organized way. A total of 21 units is required, approved by an advisor.

 

Journalism, Minor — 21 units

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.