Journalism Program Requirements
Journalism majors earn a Bachelor of Science in Journalism (BSJ) degree upon successful completion of the program.
To graduate, all School of Journalism (SOJ) majors must complete a minimum of 128 credit hours.
All students in the journalism major must complete a series of shared core requirements and a shared capstone experience. They also specialize in a specific medium by selecting an area of emphasis (AOE) and fulfilling its associated course requirements. Areas of emphasis include:
• Print Journalism • Television Journalism • Visual Journalism
Journalism majors must also take a specified number of courses outside the SOJ. They also are required to complete a minor and fulfill WVU’s General Education Curriculum (GEC) requirements.
Students pursuing the print journalism or visual journalism AOE are also required to publish at least 500 column inches of bylined writing or 30 bylined photographs in the news media. Other types of news media publications (e.g., infographics, online multimedia, blogs) may be accepted as well. Some online publications that lack original reporting or an editorial process will not be accepted toward the graduation requirement. Students who have questions about whether a publication will count should consult the journalism program chair.
Finally, the SOJ’s national accreditation guidelines require that all students take a minimum of 80 hours outside of the SOJ, 65 of which must be liberal arts courses. Typically, students meet those requirements through the GEC and minor courses but should consult with their academic advisor to insure they are on track to graduate.
Students must complete:
SOJ Core Courses 12 hours
Area of Emphasis Courses 21 hours
Minor Requirements 15 hours*
Required Courses Outside the SOJ 34 hours
WVU GEC Requirements 39 hours
General Electives 7 hours*
Total 128 hours
* Credit hours may vary.
SOJ Core Courses (12 hours)
JRL 101. Introduction to Mass Communication. 3 Hr. JRL 215. Media Writing. 3 Hr.
JRL 428. Law of the News Media. 3 Hr. JRL 489. Media Issues and Ethics. 3 Hr.
Area of Emphasis Courses (21 hours)
Visual Journalism AOE (21 hours)
VISJ 210. Visual Journalism/New Media. 3 Hr. JRL 318. Reporting for Media. 3 Hr.
JRL 319. Copy Editing. 3 Hr.
VISJ 220. Introduction to Photojournalism. 3 Hr. VISJ 431. Multimedia Reporting. 3 Hr.
VISJ 320. Advanced Photojournalism. 3 Hr.
OR VISJ 440. Visual Storytelling for Media. 3 Hr. JRL 459. Multimedia Bureau Reporting.
Print Journalism AOE (21 hours)
VISJ 210. Visual Journalism/New Media. 3 Hr. JRL 318. Reporting for Media. 3 Hr.
JRL 319. Copy Editing. 3 Hr.
JRL 426. Public Affairs Reporting. 3 Hr. TWO courses from AOE list. 6 Hr.
PRNJ 418. Advanced Reporting. 3 Hr. PRNJ 420. Feature Writing. 3 Hr.
PRNJ 427. American Journalism History. 3 Hr. PRNJ 430. Editorial and Critical Writing. 3 Hr. VISJ 220. Introduction to Photojournalism. 3 Hr. VISJ 320. Advanced Photojournalism. 3 Hr. VISJ 431. Multimedia Reporting. 3 Hr. VISJ 440. Visual Storytelling for Media. 3 Hr. Or other course approved by program chair. JRL 459. Multimedia Bureau Reporting. 3 Hr.
Television Journalism AOE (21 hours)
VISJ 210. Visual Journalism/New Media. 3 Hr. JRL 426. Public Affairs Reporting. 3 Hr. TVJ 319. Broadcast News Writing. 3 Hr. TVJ 386. Beginning Television Reporting. 3 Hr. TVJ 487. Advanced TV Reporting & Producing. 3 Hr. Any 400-level TVJ, JRL or PRNJ.
Minor Requirements (15 or more hours)
All students are required to complete a minor outside the SOJ. Students may select a minor by referencing the University’s minor catalog. If there is not an established minor in a discipline, a student may choose to complete a second concentration. Students with questions about a second concentration should contact the SOJ’s Advising Center staff.
Required Courses Outside the SOJ (34 hours) Business:
BUSA 340. Survey of Finance. 3 Hr.
OR ACCT 201. Principles of Accounting. 3 Hr.
Foreign Language:
At least six hours of the same language (FRCH, SPAN, RUSS, CHIN, GER, ITAL, SPA 274/276, JAPN).
Library Skills:
ULIB 101. Introduction to Library Research. 1 Hr.
Political Science:
POLS 102. Introduction to American Government. 3 Hr. POLS 220. State and Local Government. 3 Hr.
Psychology:
PSYC 101. Introduction to Psychology. 3 Hr.
History:
HIST 153. Growth of the American Nation since 1865. 3 Hr.
Economics:
ECON 201. Principles of Microeconomics. 3 Hr. ECON 202. Principles of Macroeconomics. 3 Hr.
English:
Students should consult the list of WVU’s GEC courses on the website for qualifying courses.
Other:
WVU GEC Requirements (39 hours)
Under the University’s General Education Curriculum (GEC), all WVU students are required to complete a certain number of liberal arts courses. Students should confer with their academic advisors to ensure GEC course selections align with their professional goals. GEC coursework is divided into nine objectives.
OBJ 1: Communication
ENGL 101. Composition and Rhetoric. 3 Hr. ENGL 102. Composition and Rhetoric. 3 Hr. OR
ENGL 103. Accelerated Academic Writing. 3 Hr.*
*This course has admissions requirements. Students using ENGL 103 to satisfy OBJ 1 still need to take 128 hours to graduate.
OBJ. 2: Basic Mathematical Skills and Scientific Inquiry
LAB SCIENCE. 8 Hr.*
*Students must take eight hours of the same lab science. MATH. 3 Hr.*
*Students should consult the list of WVU’s GEC Courses. STAT 111. Understanding Statistics. 3 Hr.*
*Students must take the journalism-specific sections of STAT 111 lecture and lab.
OBJ. 3: The Past and Its Traditions
HIST 152. Growth of the American Nation to 1865. 3 Hr. Visual Journalism AOE
Liberal Arts(3 hours)
Any additional course from OBJ 4, 5, 7 or 9. *Students should consult the list of WVU’s GEC courses and confer with their academic advisor. Only one course is required to satisfy the objective. However, students still need to take 128 hours to graduate.
Print Journalism AOE
Liberal Arts (3 hours)
Any additional course from OBJ 4, 5, 7 or 9. *Students should consult the list of WVU’s GEC courses and confer with their academic advisor. Only one course is required to satisfy the objective. However, students still need to take 128 hours to graduate.
Television Journalism AOE
Public Speaking(3 hours)
COMM 103. Presentational Speaking. 3 Hr.
OR SPA 270. Effective Public Speaking. 3 Hr. OR THET 102. Acting. 3 Hr.
OR ENTR 310. Communication/ Law and Ethics. 3 Hr.
OBJ. 4: Contemporary Society
*Students should consult the list of WVU’s GEC courses and confer with their academic advisor. Only one course is required to satisfy the objective. However, students still need to take 128 hours to graduate.
OBJ. 5: Artistic Expression
*Students should consult the list of WVU’s GEC courses and confer with their academic advisor. Only one course is required to satisfy the objective. However, students still need to take 128 hours to graduate.
OBJ. 6: The Individual in Society
UNIV 101. University Orientation
OR JRL 115. Journalism Orientation. 1 Hr. PHIL 100. Problems of Philosophy. 3 Hr.
OR PHIL 130. Current Moral Problems. 3 Hr.
OBJ. 7: American Culture
*Students should consult the list of WVU’s GEC courses and confer with their academic advisor. Only one course is required to satisfy the objective. However, students still need to take 128 hours to graduate.
OBJ. 8: Western Culture
JRL 101. Introduction to Mass Communication. 3 Hr. (This course is also an SOJ core requirement).
OBJ. 9: Non-Western Culture
*Students should consult the list of WVU’s GEC courses and confer with their academic advisor. Only one course is required to satisfy the objective. However, students still need to take 128 hours to graduate.
General Electives (7 or more hours):
To earn 128 credits toward graduation, students must complete general elective classes. Working with an SOJ academic advisor, students can choose courses that complement their major program.
