Undergraduate Concentrations/Tracks

Unlike many journalism programs, the School of Journalism & Mass Communication offers two undergraduate concentrations of study for students to pursue. The School has opted to focus its education on skills rather than medium, giving students a greater range of abilities that will, in turn, make them more responsive to the changing face of communications today and more competitive in the job market.

Journalism/Reporting: This concentration focuses on the skills needed to become a reporter. It does not focus on a specific subject (i.e. hard news, sports, business, etc) nor a specific medium. Rather, it allows a student to gain the critical skills needed to be successful in any reporting environment, whether it is a newspaper, magazine, radio or television station or some form of internet/new media. Opportunities exist through the Journalism/Reporting concentration to take courses that focus on technical skills (such as broadcast production) as well as specific topics (such as science and environmental journalism) but these courses are supplements to the program, not the core.

Strategic Communication: This concentration focuses on the skills needed to pursue opportunities in advertising, public relations or other kinds of persuasive communication. Courses are very professionally focused and allow students to practice their skills in simulated situations. Instead of centering coursework on the specific field (advertising vs. public relations), classes explore skills that are essential across the board such as creative concepting, design, working with media or strategic planning.