JOURNALISM
College of Arts and Letters
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Sacramento State Journalism program provides both a general academic experience and professional preparation. Sacramento's program emphasizes writing, editing, writing for interactive media, and other courses necessary to prepare students for success in media-related jobs; it also includes courses that critically examine media as an institution.
Journalism majors are the core of students who write for The State Hornet a weekly newspaper with a website updated daily at www.statehornet.com.
A student at Sacramento State may major either in Journalism or in Government-Journalism. A minor in Journalism is valuable to the student entering a career field in which journalism plays a role.
The Journalism graduate who wants to work for a newspaper should expect to serve an apprenticeship with a small newspaper before moving up to a metropolitan daily. Journalism graduates also work as magazine editors and writers, as publications employees in government agencies and associations, in broadcast journalism, and in public affairs.
Special Features
- The location of Sacramento State in the state's capital provides uncommon advantages for the student interested in journalism. Many students take internships with state agencies or news operations that provide both experience and opportunities unlikely to be found elsewhere.
- Sacramento State offers the only Government-Journalism degree program in the nation, tailored to take advantage of the Department's location at the hub of state politics. The Department has more than 100 internships available to upper-division journalism majors.
- Journalism majors have the opportunity to take classes from both Department faculty and community journalists. The full-time faculty are practicing professionals who contribute regularly to publications on a freelance basis. Good use is also made of professionals from the area media both as guest lecturers and as part-time instructors.
- The University's association with the Washington Center makes it
possible for CSU Sacramento students to undertake internships in Washington,
D.C. There are many opportunities for Government/Journalism majors to
do an internship to meet their unique interests through this program.
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
Requirements - Bachelor of Arts Degree
Units required for Major: 37 plus a required minor
Minimum total units required for the BA: 120
Courses in parentheses are prerequisites.
Majors must complete each required lower and upper division course with a grade of "C-" or better.
Pre-major to Journalism
Prior to acceptance as a Journalism major, students must first complete a pre-major consisting of all required lower division courses plus JOUR 130A and JOUR 130B . Students must successfully complete each pre-major course with a grade of "C-" or better. Students with a Sacramento State grade point average of 2.3 or better may request early admission to the major.
A. Required Lower Division Courses (7 units)
(1) |
Style for Media Writers |
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(3) |
News Writing (Corequisite: JOUR 20) |
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(3) |
Mass Media and Critical Thinking OR |
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Media Communication and Society |
B. Required Upper Division Courses (18 units)
(3) |
News Editing (JOUR 20, JOUR 30) | |
(3) |
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(3) |
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(3) |
Public Affairs Reporting (JOUR 130A, JOUR 130B; GWAR certification before Fall 09; or WPJ score of 80+; or 3-unit placement in ENGL 109M/W; or 4-unit placement in ENGL 109M/W and co-enrollment in ENGL 109X; or WPJ score 70/71 and co-enrollment in ENGL 109X) |
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(3) |
Mass Media Law and Regulation |
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Internship in Journalism (JOUR 130A, JOUR 130B and Minimum 2.3 overall GPA) |
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Journalism Laboratory (JOUR 30) |
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Journalism Laboratory (JOUR 30 and instructor permission) |
C. Electives (12 units)
(12) Elective units chosen in consultation with an advisor from among Journalism faculty. At least 9 of the 12 units must be upper division. No more than a total of nine units in JOUR 195/JOUR 197A/JOUR 197B/ OR JOUR 199 combined may be counted toward the Journalism or Government-Journalism major, and no more than 6 units of any one of these courses is counted toward the major.
D. Required Minor
The Journalism major requires a minor. Consult advisor for selection of an appropriate minor.
Note: Up to 6 units of coursework from photography or graphic design may be applied toward a major or minor in Journalism with approval of a Journalism advisor.
Requirements - Bachelor of Arts Degree – Government/Journalism
Units required for the Major: 51
Minimum total units required for the BA: 120
Courses in parentheses are prerequisites.
A. Required Lower Division Courses (9 units)
(3) |
Essentials of Government |
|
(3) |
News Writing (Corequisite: JOUR 20) |
|
(3) |
Media Communication and Society OR |
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Mass Media and Critical Thinking |
* If a student has not taken GOVT
1 or its equivalent, then GOVT
150 may count as the prerequisite for the major; however, students
are cautioned that if they must direct GOVT
150 to fulfilling the GE requirement in American Institutions, they
may not also then count GOVT
150 toward the major.
B. Required Upper Division Courses (33 units)
Government(3) |
Public Policy Development (GWAR certification before Fall 09, or WPJ score of 80+, or 3-unit placement in ENGL 109 M/W, or 4-unit placement in ENGL 109 M/W and co-enrollment in ENGL 109X or WPJ score 70/71 and ENGL 109X) |
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(3) |
California State and Local Government |
(3) Select one of the following:
Bureaucracy |
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The American Presidency |
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Political Parties and Campaigning |
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The Legislative Process |
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Pressure Groups and Lobbying |
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Politics, Opinion and Participation |
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Introduction to Urban Politics |
(3) Select one of the following:
Constitutional Law |
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Constitutional Rights and Liberties |
(3) Select one of the following:
International Politics |
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International Organization |
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American Foreign Policy |
(3) |
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(3) |
News Reporting II (JOUR 20, JOUR 30; Corequisite: JOUR 130A) |
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(3) |
War, Peace and the Mass Media |
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(3) |
Public Affairs Reporting (JOUR 130A, JOUR 130B; GWAR certification before Fall 09; or WPJ score of 80+; or 3-unit placement in ENGL 109M/W; or 4-unit placement in ENGL 109M/W and co-enrollment in ENGL 109X; or WPJ score 70/71 and co-enrollment in ENGL 109X) |
|
(3) |
Mass Media Law and Regulation |
(3) |
GOVT 195 series |
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Internship in Journalism (JOUR 130A, JOUR 130B and Minimum 2.3 overall GPA) |
C. Electives (9 units)
(6) |
Select 6 units of upper division courses in Government. (The Department particularly recommends at least one course in political theory.) GOVT 150 may not be used as an elective. |
(3) |
Select one upper division course in Journalism. |
*Course prerequisite: GOVT 1 or equivalent.
Note: Government/Journalism majors should have both an advisor in the Government Department and a Journalism Advisor in the Communication Studies Department.
Requirements - Minor
Units required for Minor: 21
JOUR 30, JOUR/COMS 55, and JOUR 128, are required classes with 12 additional upper division elective units required. No more than 3 units may be from JOUR 195, JOUR 197A, or JOUR 199.
Note: Up to 6 units of coursework from Photography or Graphic Design may be applied toward a major or minor in Journalism with approval of a Journalism advisor.
Career Possibilities
Reporter
· Editor · Columnist · Editorial Writer · Magazine
Writer · Speech Writer · Correspondent · Public Affairs
Manager · Legislative Assistant · Press Relations Officer ·
Public Information Specialist · Technical Writer/Editor · Broadcast
Journalist · News Director · Disc Jockey · News Producer · Online Journalist
Faculty
Molly Dugan, , Robert Humphrey, Mark Ludwig, Md Naser
Note: See Communication Studies program description for a list of Communication Studies faculty.
Contact Information
Steve Buss, Department Chair
Carly Gulde, Administrative Support Coordinator II
Mendocino Hall 5014
(916) 278-6688
www.asn.csus.edu/coms