2020-2021 Catalog

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Journalism, BA, BS

Degree Requirements

Students can earn a Bachelor of Arts degree or a Bachelor of Science degree with this major

Major Requirements: 13 courses, 52 credits

Core Requirements (10 courses, 40 credits)

CJN-101Introduction to Communication

4
CJN-105Principles of Oral Communication

4
CJN-112Journalism I

4
CJN-152Visual Aesthetics

4
CJN-212Journalism II

4
CJN-239Media Law

4
CJN-253Broadcast Journalism

4
CJN-2355Production I

4
CJN-363Online Journalism

4
CJN-403Issues in Journalism

4

Note: All students should take CJN-101 and CJN-152 during their first year.

Concentration Requirement (3 courses, 12 credits)

Choose one of the following areas of concentration:
  1. Broadcast Journalism
  2. Print/Web Journalism

Residency Requirement Policy

In the College of Arts and Sciences, a two-course (8 credit) residency requirement must be satisfied for completion of a minor and a four-course (16 credit) residency requirement must be satisfied for the completion of a major.

Concentrations

Broadcast Journalism Concentration: 3 courses, 12 credits

CJN-353Broadcast Journalism II

4

Choose two of the following:

CJN-356TV Studio Production

4
CJN-483Suffolk TV News

4
CJN-505Communication and Journalism Practicum

1

Print/Web Journalism Concentration: 3 courses, 12 credits

CJN-443Advanced Reporting and Feature Writing

4

Choose two of the following:

CJN-L218Photojournalism

4
CJN-220Review and Opinion Writing

4
CJN-301Documentary Film and the Image of Conflict in the Middle East

4
CJN-317Copy Editing

4
CJN-505Communication and Journalism Practicum

1

Production Concentration (Optional): 4 courses, 16 credits

Choose four of the following:

CJN-280

CJN-2080
Drones for Filmmakers
CJN-L2080

CJN-303

CJN-357Advanced Editing Skills

4
CJN-361Television NewsProducing

4
CJN-480Investigative Journalism & Documentary

4
CJN-481Making the Short Film

4
CJN-490News Magazine

4

Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's in Communication

Degree Requirements

  1. Students admitted to this dual degree program must meet all the requirements of an undergraduate major offered by the department of Advertising, Public Relations, & Social Media or the department of Communication, Journalism, & Media.
  2. Students must also meet all requirements for the Master’s degree in Communication.
  3. Students will take two Communication graduate courses during their senior year; one during the fall semester and one during the spring semester. The two graduate courses taken during the senior year will count toward BOTH the undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. Credit hours will be awarded based on the graduate course description.
  4. The graduate courses taken during the senior year will be determined by the Communication graduate program director.
  5. Students are subject to the usual standards for academic standing, i.e., undergraduate standards for undergraduate courses and graduate standards for graduate courses.

Upon successful completion of all of the degree requirements, a student will receive a dual Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. The exact degree will be awarded based on the specific undergraduate program the student completes. A student may permanently exit the dual degree program and opt to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree if all the requirements for a Bachelor’s degree have been met. In this case, the graduate courses taken in the senior year will be counted as 4-credit courses applied toward the undergraduate degree requirements.

Honors

To complete requirements for honors in the major, a candidate must:

  1. Graduate with a major GPA of 3.4 or higher
  2. Graduate with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher
  3. Complete CJN-H506 or CJN-H555 with a grade of B+ or higher
  4. Present their work in front of CJN faculty and students during finals week
  5. CAS Honors Program students only: Present work from the senior honors experience at the Honors Symposium or Pecha Kucha event

To become a candidate for honors in the major, a student must:

  1. Have a major GPA of 3.4 or higher
  2. Have an overall GPA of a 3.0 or higher
  3. Have completed a minimum of 20 credits of CJN coursework

CAS Honors Program students only: CAS Honors Program students who fulfill the GPA requirement and minimum credits of CJN coursework are assumed to be candidates for departmental honors and should consult with a major advisor during junior year about registering for major honors requirements as described above

All other students: Declare intent to their advisor at an advising appointment

Journalism Major Learning Goals and Objectives

Learning goals and objectives reflect the educational outcomes achieved by students through the completion of this program. These transferable skills prepare Suffolk students for success in the workplace, in graduate school, and in their local and global communities.

Learning Goals Learning Objectives
Students will... Students will be able to...
Understand the nature of current news events and the forces that shape news judgment - Identify news elements in news stories
- Demonstrate awareness of current events both locally and globally
- Demonstrate an awareness for the perspectives of diverse communities in news judgment
Understand the importance of ethical consideration in news reporting, the law of governing mass communication in the United States, and the central role of journalism in democratic societies - Master reporting skills using ethical principles in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness, and diversity
- Demonstrate critical, creative and independent thought processes to report a story
- Cite and apply specific aspects of the law
Know and understand the nature of news gathering, news writing, and aspects of producing an electronic news package in different settings - Conduct research using a variety of reporting tools, such as stored sources, field reporting and interviews
- Critically evaluate information
- Write correctly and clearly in a variety of formats, such as print and broadcast
- Write news stories using the correct broadcast style and appropriate focus on writing for visuals
- Write news stories in different broadcast formats such as radio and TV news packages
Understand and know the skills for working in a diverse and changing media environment - Write news stories using the correct print and online styles for features, hard news and beat reporting
- Write news stories using the correct broadcast style and appropriate focus on writing for visuals
- Write news stories in different broadcast formats such as radio and TV news packages
Understand the lifestyle required in the pursuit of a journalism career - Demonstrate hands-on creation in reporting, writing, electronic news gathering and editing though practicum, workshops or internships
- Create career goals through meetings with advisors and professional journalists
- Create a portfolio with samples of reporting and production work, in preparation for seeking employment in journalism