A professional major built for media today
The major combines journalism fundamentals with broad university study and practical learning. Journalism courses make half of the required for the degree, while the rest gives you wider grounding in fields that strengthen reporting, strategizing, storytelling and innovating.
Learn by Doing in Journalism
From your first day, you can work in student media through the award-winning Mustang News newspaper, website, broadcast television and KCPR radio. Across classes and co-curricular experiences, you’ll report, edit and produce stories for real audiences on real deadlines, build public relations campaigns for real clients and experiment with new approaches to media.
Concentrations
A concentration allows you to learn from industry experts, develop specialized knowledge and gain practical skills that can help you apply for specific roles and organizations.
News
You'll learn to report ethically on events and trends, interview credible sources, produce accurate and timely stories for digital, print and broadcast platforms. All while covering campus and local communities.
Public Relations
Build ethical communication between organizations and stakeholders, analyze public opinion, plan and assess campaigns. You will produce multiplatform communication and work with campus and local organizations.
Media Innovation
Learn to tell engaging stories on multiple platforms, understand audiences through metrics and analytics, foster inclusive civic participation. Put this knowledge to work by creating innovative media products and experiment with new models for media organizations.
Individualized Course of Study
If you have specialized goals, you can work with faculty to design a cohesive course of study that mixes and matches approved courses into an integrated concentration.
Featured Courses
JOUR 3302
Mass Media Law
Builds understanding of the legal principles that shape journalism practice, including press freedom, access, liability and the responsibilities of media professionals.
JOUR 3305
Journalism Ethics
Examines ethical decision-making in journalism and media work, helping students navigate questions of accuracy, fairness, accountability and public trust.
career pathways
designed for fast-changing media careers
Graduates move into reporting, editing, broadcasting, public relations, audience engagement, multimedia production, media strategy and other communication-centered roles.
The department’s emphasis on multiplatform work, ethical practice and hands-on experience helps you graduate ready to contribute quickly and adapt over time.
Roles
- Reporter or multimedia journalist: Find, verify and tell stories across print, video and audio.
- Public relations specialist: Build relationships between an organization and the press and public.
- Communications manager: Lead messaging strategy for a company, campus or nonprofit.
- Social media strategist: Grow and engage audiences on the platforms they already use.
- Audience engagement or data analyst: Turn audience data into decisions about what to publish.
- Podcast or video producer: Develop, record and edit stories for listeners and viewers.
Industries
News media, sports, entertainment, technology, healthcare, government, nonprofits and agencies.