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University Catalog

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)

JOUR 20

Style for Media Writers

(3)

JOUR 30

News Writing (Corequisite: JOUR 20)

(3)

JOUR 50

Mass Media and Critical Thinking OR

 

JOUR/COMS 55

Media Communication and Society

B. Required Upper Division Courses (18 units)

(3)

JOUR 128

News Editing (JOUR 20, JOUR 30)

(3)

JOUR 130A

News Reporting I (JOUR 20, JOUR 30; Corequisite: JOUR 130B)

(3)

JOUR 130B

News Reporting II (JOUR 20, JOUR 30; Corequisite JOUR 130A)

(3)

JOUR 135

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)

JOUR/COMS 153

Mass Media Law and Regulation

(3) Select one of the following:

 

JOUR 195

Internship in Journalism (JOUR 130A, JOUR 130B and Minimum 2.3 overall GPA)

JOUR 197A

Journalism Laboratory (JOUR 30)

JOUR 197B

Journalism Laboratory (JOUR 20, JOUR 30, JOUR 128)

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.

Majors must complete each required lower and upper division Journalism course with a grade of "C-" or better.

A. Required Lower Division Courses (9 units)

(3)

GOVT 1*

Essentials of Government

(3)

JOUR 30

News Writing (Corequisite: JOUR 20)

(3)

JOUR/COMS 55

Media Communication and Society OR

JOUR 50

Mass Media and Critical Thinking

* If a student has not taken GOVT 1 or its equivalent, then GOVT 150 may be used in place of GOVT 1or as its equivalent as a prerequisite.

B. Required Upper Division Courses (33 units)
Government

(3)

GOVT 170*

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)

(3)

GOVT 180

California State and Local Government

(3) Select one of the following:

GOVT 153*

The American Presidency

GOVT 154*

Political Parties In America

GOVT 155*

The Legislative Process

GOVT 156*

Interest Groups

GOVT 157

Politics, Opinion and Participation

GOVT 159A

Campaigns and Elections

GOVT 184*

Introduction to Urban Politics

(3) Select one of the following:

GOVT 120A*

Constitutional Law

GOVT 120B*

Constitutional Rights and Liberties

(3) Select one of the following:

GOVT 130

International Politics

GOVT 131*

International Organization

GOVT 135*

American Foreign Policy

Journalism

(3)

JOUR 130A

News Reporting I (JOUR 20, JOUR 30; Corequisite: JOUR 130B)

(3)

JOUR 130B

News Reporting II (JOUR 20, JOUR 30; Corequisite: JOUR 130A)

(3)

JOUR/GOVT 134

War, Peace and the Mass Media

(3)

JOUR 135

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)

JOUR/COMS 153

Mass Media Law and Regulation

Internship

(3)

GOVT 195 series

Government Internship OR

 

JOUR 195

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.

The University's association with the Washington Center makes it possible for California State University, Sacramento students to undertake an internship in Washington, D.C. There are many opportunities for Government-Journalism majors to do an internship to meet their unique interests through this program.

Requirements - Minor

Units required for Minor: 21

JOUR 30 , JOUR/COMS 55, and JOUR 100, 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.


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



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