Convergence Journalism Degree and Emphasis Area Requirements

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Convergence Journalism Degree and Emphasis Area Requirements

Journalism Degree Requirements

Total Credit
All students who have been admitted to the School will need to complete 39 credits in Journalism as specified by their emphasis area requirements if they enrolled before FS05. Effective FS05 and later, incoming students will need 40 credits in Journalism.

Residency Requirement
All Journalism courses must be taken on the MU campus.

Electives and Course Load
Students may enroll in electives in emphasis areas other than their own as long as they have completed the necessary requirements. A maximum of 10 credits in Journalism are allowed per semester.

Journalism Degree Requirements

  • 19 credits of core courses required of all Journalism students
  • JOURN 1010 Career Explorations in Journalism (1 Credit)
  • JOURN 1100 Principles of American Journalism (3 Credits)
  • JOURN 2000 Cross Cultural Journalism (3 Credits)
  • JOURN 2100 News (3 Credits)
  • JOURN 3000 History of American Journalism (3 Credits) or JOURN 4950 Solving Practical Problems (3 Credits)
  • JOURN 4000 Communications Law (3 Credits)
  • The emphasis area capstone course (3 Credits)

Emphasis Area Requirements

Starting Emphasis Area Course Work
Students generally start their emphasis area course work in the second semester of their sophomore year. Students must take:

  • JOURN 2150 Fundamentals of Multimedia Journalism (3 Credits), or
  • JOURN 4802 Fundamentals of TV, Radio & Photojournalism (3 Credits)

Core/Required Convergence Journalism Courses

  • JOURN 2150 Fundamentals of Multimedia Journalism (3 Credits), or
  • JOURN 4802 Fundamentals of TV, Radio & Photojournalism
  • JOURN 4804 Convergence Reporting (3 Credits)
  • JOURN 4806 Convergence Editing and Producing (3 Credits)
  • Capstone Course: JOURN 4992 Reporting, Editing and Marketing of Converged Media (3 Credits)

Semester One
This is generally the first semester of the junior year.

  • JOURN 4804 Convergence Reporting (3 Credits)
  • JOURN 4950 Solving Practical Problems (3 Credits) or JOURN 3000 History of American Journalism (3 Credits)

Semester Two

  • JOURN 4000 Communications Law (3 Credits)
  • JOURN 4806 Convergence Editing & Producing (3 Credits)
  • First course in concentration (3 Credits)

Semester Three

  • Second course in concentration (3 Credits)
  • Journalism elective (3 Credits)

Semester Four

  • Capstone Course: JOURN 4992 Reporting, Editing & Marketing of Converged Media. (3 Credits)
  • Journalism elective (3 Credits)

Convergence Journalism Concentrations (6 Credits)
A Convergence Journalism concentration is up to 6 credit hours in an existing area that allows students to specialize in a particular area along with convergence reporting, editing and producing. The prerequisite for each concentration is JOURN 4804 Convergence Reporting or instructor’s consent.

Radio-Television Journalism Concentration
Prerequisite JOURN 4050 (1 Credit), pass/fail, Broadcast News 1 Lab

  • JOURN 4306 Broadcast News II (3 Credits)
  • JOURN 4308 Broadcast News III (3 Credits)

Information Graphics Concentration

  • JOURN 4430 Computer-assisted Reporting (3 Credits)
  • JOURN 4508 Information Graphics (3 Credits)

International Journalism Concentration

  • JOURN 4650 International Issues Reporting (3 Credits) and one of the following:
    • JOURN 4656 International News Media Systems (3 Credits)
    • JOURN 4658 International Journalism (3 Credits)
    • JOURN 4660 Media Forces Shaping the European Union (3 Credits)
    • JOURN 4050 Communications Practice (3 Credits)
    • (with an advisor-approved international focus)

Investigative Reporting

  • JOURN 4430 Computer Assisted Reporting (3 Credits)
  • JOURN 4436 Investigative Reporting (3 Credits)

Online Journalism

  • JOURN 4700 Participatory Journalism (Formerly Online Journalism) (3 Credits)
    or
  • JOURN 4974 Advanced Internet Applications for Radio-Television News (3 Credits)
    and one of the following:
    • The other course in the list above.
      or
    • JOURN 4566 Electronic Photojournalism (3 Credits)
    • JOURN 4508 Information Graphics (3 Credits)

Photojournalism Concentration

  • JOURN 4550 Basic Press Photography and Picture Editing (3 Credits)
  • JOURN 4566 Electronic Photojournalism (3 Credits)

Suggested Photojournalism Electives

  • JOURN 4510 Visual Communication (3 Credits) This course is recommended for all Convergence Journalism students.
  • JOURN 4568 History of Photojournalism (3 Credits)

Print Design Concentration

  • JOURN 4500 News Design or customized concentration with faculty adviser’s signature.
  • JOURN 4506 Magazine Design (3 Credits)

Print Editing Concentration

  • JOURN 4400 Introduction to News Editing (2 Credits
  • JOURN 4406 News Editing (3 Credits)

Print Reporting Concentration

  • JOURN 4410 Intermediate Writing (3 Credits)
  • Specialty writing course choices. Select one.
  • JOURN 4106 Media and Art Criticism (3 Credits)
  • JOURN 4416 Science and Environmental Writing (3 Credits)
  • JOURN 4418 Critical Reviewing (3 Credits)
  • JOURN 4420 Editorial Writing (3 Credits)
  • JOURN 4426 Religion Reporting and Writing (3 Credits)
  • JOURN 4430 Computer-assisted Reporting (3 Credits)
  • JOURN 4436 Investigative Reporting (3 Credits)
  • JOURN 4438 Business Reporting (3 Credits)
  • JOURN 4460 Advanced News Reporting (3 Credits)
  • JOURN 4650 International Issues Reporting (3 Credits)

Television News Producing
Prerequisite JOURN 4050 (1 Credit), pass/fail, Broadcast News 1 Lab

  • JOURN 4306 Broadcast News II (3 Credits)
  • JOURN 4310 News Producing (3 Credits)

Other Suggested Convergence Journalism Electives (6 Credits)

  • JOURN 4510 Visual Communication (3 Credits) This course is recommended for all Convergence Journalism students.
  • Visit with your faculty adviser for more complete list of recommended electives.

Other Options for Electives

  • You can take courses from other emphasis areas if you have satisfied prerequisites for that course.
  • You can set up an individual study course with one of your professors for 1-3 credits.
    • JOURN 4050 Communications Practice, generally project-related, requires a contract available from Journalism Advising, 76 Gannett.
    • JOURN 4350 Problems in Journalism, generally research and paper writing, requires a contract available from Journalism Advising, 76 Gannett.
  • New York Program
  • Study Abroad (Journalism-approved programs only)
  • Washington Program