Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the baccalaureate degree, students in journalism will be expected to:

• Exhibit strong journalistic writing, including command of grammar and technical skills, in articles about topics that include the social sciences, the humanities and the natural sciences;
  
• Gather information through interviewing sources and research using libraries, archives, documents, databases and electronic resources;
  
• Critically assess, organize and present information for a variety of audiences in at least two media formats and in both written and visual forms;
  
• Perform within professional expectations with regard to deadlines and accuracy and in keeping with media law and ethics;
  
• Critically analyze the development and social impact of the media within diverse domestic and global communities.

A candidate for the degree of bachelor of science in journalism must meet the following requirements in addition to those listed in the Academic Policies section of this catalog.

1. Complete approximately 58 semester hours of degree requirements, including completion of the BG Perspective program and three to eight hours of English composition; demonstration of proficiency in a foreign language; three hours of cultural diversity; six hours of natural science including a laboratory course; 18 hours of social science courses including history, political science and economics; 12 hours of humanities and arts courses including A&S 250 (Great Ideas), English literature and philosophy; six hours of computation and mathematics including computer science and a course in either college mathematics, statistics or accounting; and a three-hour course in speaking and listening. Courses fulfilling the degree requirements are listed in the Department of Journalism requirements sheet provided to all incoming first-year and transfer students and available from the departmental office in 302 West Hall.

1. Graduating from a high school where all instruction was conducted in a language other than English;
2. Passing a proficiency examination in the language on the 202 course level;
3. Having completed four years of one language in high school (student must have completed the fourth full year, for example, Spanish IV, and received credit for these courses);
4. Having completed one of the departmental options listed below (14 hours minimum in the same language area or fewer by advanced placement).

A student may transfer at any point from Option I to Option II but not vice versa. Course 202 is required for admission to 300-level courses. Credit toward a degree is not granted for foreign language courses which duplicate more than two units of high school study.

2. Complete 32 or 33 semester hours of journalism/mass communication courses, 14 or 15 of which are core journalism courses, with the remainder from specific sequence courses and electives. No more than 39 semester hours of journalism/mass communication courses may be counted toward a bachelor of science in journalism degree. (Note: Courses taken in departments and programs other than journalism, such as telecommunications or visual communication technology, may count as part of the 39 semester hours allowed. However, students should not enroll in mass communication courses in programs and departments outside of the Department of Journalism without permission from their adviser or the chair of the Department of Journalism);
3. Earn a grade of "C" or better in all journalism courses that count toward the 32 required hours in the journalism major and maintain a 2.5 grade point average in journalism courses (and a 2.5 in JOUR 100 and JOUR 200). All journalism courses must be taken for a grade. A student is allowed to repeat a journalism course only once if a grade of "D" or lower is received;
4. Complete a minor of at least 20 semester hours in a field other than journalism/mass communication/telecommunications or complete an interdepartmental minor of 20 hours that clusters courses in two or more fields other than journalism/mass communication. Twelve of the 20 hours required for a minor must be in 300- or 400-level courses. Minors are declared in consultation with the student's adviser. All courses in the minor must be taken for a letter grade (not "S/U");
5. Earn an overall grade point average of 2.25 in order to graduate.

Note: Resources may limit class enrollment in upper-division journalism courses, beginning with JOUR 200. Total hours earned, declared sequence and grade point average determine which journalism students are given preference. Students not majoring in journalism may find it difficult to gain admittance into some upper-division journalism courses, including JOUR 200. Although it may limit their admission to other journalism skills courses, non-majors may wish to consider enrolling in JOUR 201, Journalism Techniques for Non-majors.

Before being admitted into JOUR 200, a student MUST:

Non-journalism electives

After completing approximately 58 hours of required BG Perspective courses, 32-39 hours of required journalism/mass communication courses and a 20-hour required minor, most students will have approximately 5-15 semester hours remaining to complete the 122 semester hours required for graduation. Students must use these hours as general electives, taking courses outside the field of journalism/mass communication. Students are encouraged to select these general electives carefully in consultation with their journalism adviser. General electives should be chosen with the goal of enhancing the student's overall education.