About the Journalism Bachelor’s Program
The journalism degree program prepares students for meaningful careers in today’s leading news organizations. Journalism classes are steeped in traditional journalism values and emphasize the importance of storytelling, clarity, conciseness, accuracy, and fairness in reporting.
Augmenting journalism education based in valued traditions, the College of Media & Communication journalism faculty and staff work with news organizations to provide students with meaningful internships and other career-advancing opportunities.
Texas Tech offers a multi-platform journalism program. All journalism majors study the unique attributes of print, broadcast, and online news content and production. Students have the opportunity to produce news and information using a variety of media including social, print, broadcast, and online.
Learning Outcome 1: Core Skills & Knowledge. Each student will master and demonstrate the skills and knowledge necessary for the responsible reporting, writing, editing, fact-checking, and presentation of news stories. Each student will demonstrate an understanding of the branches of government at the federal, state, and city/county levels.
Learning Outcome 2: Professional Standards. Each student will demonstrate knowledge of ethical journalistic practices and media law.
Learning Outcome 3: News Production and Dissemination Competence. Each student will demonstrate proficiency in producing news packages for print, broadcast, online, and social media in different contexts.
Learning Outcome 4: Reporting Technologies. Each student will master and demonstrate the skills of data journalism, public record use, information gathering through social media, and news curation.
Students choosing to major in journalism are required to pass the college’s Basics of Writing (BOW) exam with a 70 or higher; pass ENGL 1301 and ENGL 1302 with at least a C; and have a TTU 2.5 GPA prior to enrolling in any JOUR course with a number higher than 2300.
In order to ensure expertise in a content area, journalism majors are required to choose either a 15-credit interdisciplinary concentration, an 18-21 credit minor, or a second major/degree. Suggested concentrations include strategic communication, media economics and management, visual communication, international/intercultural communication, education, social issues, political journalism, health/science/environmental studies, and digital/social media studies. Students may pursue additional cognates with advisor and department chair approval.
Communication Literacy Requirement. Students majoring in journalism are expected to demonstrate communication proficiency in courses across the degree curriculum. In particular, the journalism faculty wish to ensure that students are first and foremost capable writers, but also that they are able to communicate visually, digitally, aurally, within an organization, and interpersonally among various professional constituencies. The CL plan for the journalism major is comprised of 15 credits (five courses): JOUR 2310 , JOUR 3311 , JOUR 3314 , JOUR 4350 ; ADV 4313 or COMS 3332 or CMI 3358 or JOUR 3370 or PRSC 4351 .
Total Hours: 120
Students majoring in journalism are required to complete 58 hours from the following core courses: MCOM 1100 or one-hour JOUR practicum; MCOM 1300 , MCOM 1301 , MCOM 2350 , MCOM 3300 , MCOM 3320 , JCMI 2301 , JCMI 2302 , JOUR 2300 , JOUR 2310 , JOUR 3311 , JOUR 3312 , JOUR 3314 , JOUR 3350 , JOUR 3355 , JOUR 3380 , JOUR 3390 , JOUR 4350 , JOUR 4370 , PHOT 3310 .
Journalism students must also choose either a 15-hour interdisciplinary concentration, an 18-hour minor, or a second major.
