Undergraduate

Courses & Curriculum

Courses & Curriculum

Undergraduate

Courses & Curriculum

We offer two kinds of courses to provide students a combination of hands-on skills training and academic theory. Learn about these courses below and click on the links to view course profiles which provide more in-depth information about content, expectations, and workload to give you a realistic understanding about what you will experience in the course.

Professional skills courses

Journalism and Strategic Communication majors take these courses which: 

  • Provide hands-on training
  • Develop practical skills
  • Reserved for Journalism and Strategic Communication majors only
Journalism Major Skills Courses

The journalism major prepares students for careers such as news reporting, writing, editing, producing, and photojournalism in new and emerging media.  The major offers a variety of professional courses at the beginning, and intermediate and advanced levels that fit these interests. Students should familiarize themselves with the range of skills courses offered and, in consultation with their adviser, plan their programs so that they can move smoothly from beginning courses through the more advanced ones.

All course profiles will open to GoogleDocs.

Preparatory Course

Jour 1001/Jour 1001H: Media in a Changing World

Core Courses

Jour 3004/Jour 3004H: Information for Mass Communication
Jour 3101W: News Reporting and Writing 
Jour 4999: Capstone 

Professional (Skills) Courses

Jour 3102: Multimedia Production and Storytelling
Jour 3103: Interactive and Data Journalism
Jour 3121: Intermediate News Reporting
Jour 3155: Editing for Print and Digital Audiences
Jour 3173W: Magazine & Feature Writing
Jour 3321: Media Design
Jour 3451: TV, Radio, and Digital News Reporting
Jour 3/4/5990: Special Topics in Mass Communication (Professional)
Jour 4171: Covering the Arts
Jour 4172: Sports Reporting
Jour 4173: Podcast Production and Storytelling 
Jour 4175: Brovald-Sim Community Journalism Practicum:  Covering Communities
Jour 4302: Photojournalism
Jour 4303: Advanced Visual Storytelling
Jour 4451: Long-form Video Reporting
Jour 4452: Electronic Newscast Producing
Jour 5131: In-Depth Reporting
Jour 5174: Magazine Editing & Production
Jour 5196: Field Based Practicum

Professional (Skills) Courses By Interest Area

All professional journalism track students must take JOUR 3101, a beginning news writing and reporting course. 

  • Students interested in reporting/writing/editing would then take JOUR 3121 (Intermediate News Reporting). You may also want to take an editing course (JOUR 3155), Interactive and Data Journalism (JOUR 3103), or Multimedia Production and Storytelling (JOUR 3102). You might follow with JOUR 5131 (In-depth Reporting), JOUR 5196 (Field Based Practicum) and/or JOUR 4175 (Covering Communities).
  • Students interested in feature writing/editing follow JOUR 3101 with JOUR 3173 (Magazine and Feature Writing), although they could still benefit from taking JOUR 3121 and a specialized reporting course such as JOUR 4171 (Arts Reporting), JOUR 4172 (Sports Reporting), JOUR 4173 (Podcast Production and Storytelling), or JOUR 4175 (Covering Communities). You could supplement those courses with JOUR 5174 (Magazine Editing and Production).
  • Students interested in reporting/producing for video or audio news follow 3101 with JOUR 3102 (Multimedia Production and Storytelling) and then move from JOUR 3121 (Intermediate News Reporting) and JOUR 3451 (TV, Radio, and Digital News Reporting) to JOUR 4451, Long-form Video Reporting. Students typically also take JOUR 4452, Newscast Producing.  Students interested in audio news should consider JOUR 4173 (Podcast Production and Storytelling).
  • Students interested in photojournalism/visual communication may choose among several professional/skills courses after JOUR 3101, depending on interests. Those courses could include JOUR 3102 (Multimedia Production and Storytelling), JOUR 3103 (Interactive and Data Journalism), JOUR 3155 (Editing for Print and Digital Audiences), JOUR 3321 (Media Design), and, on a more advanced level, JOUR 4302 ( Photojournalism), JOUR 4303 (Advanced Visual Storytelling), or JOUR 5174 (Magazine Editing and Production).

Note: These are merely examples of typical course flows. Media convergence is creating a market for journalists with broader skill sets. As such, you might want to create a more varied program. 

Strategic Communication Major Skills Courses

The strategic communication major prepares students for careers in the fields of advertising and public relations. The major offers a number of courses at the beginning, and intermediate, and advanced levels. The strategic communication curriculum is designed to provide students with a broad understanding of their fields of interest.

Students typically choose either an advertising or public relations focus in their major, but all strategic communication programs involve significant exposure to theories, practices and issues in both advertising and public relations to prepare for today’s increasingly integrated professional world.

Preparatory Course

Jour 1001/Jour1001H: Media in a Changing World

Core Courses

Jour 3004/ Jour 3004H: Information for Mass Communication 
Jour 3201: Principles of Strategic Communication
Jour 4263: Strategic Communication Campaigns
or
Jour 4264: NSAC/Campaigns
Jour 4999: Capstone 

Professional (Skills) Courses

Required
Jour 3241W: Advertising Strategy and Creative Development 
or
Jour 3279W: Professional Writing for Strategic Communication

Electives
Jour 3102: Multimedia Production and Storytelling
Jour 3321: Media Design
Jour 3251: Strategic Communication Research & Analytics
Jour 3253: Account Planning
Jour 3261: Media Planning
Jour 3275: Digital Strategy in Strategic Communication 
Jour 4242: Advertising Portfolio Development
Jour 4243: Digital Content for Brand Communications
Jour 4244: Crisis Communication
Jour 4258: Corporate Social Responsibility Communication
Jour 4259: Strategic Communication Case Analysis
Jour 4262: Management for Strategic Communication
Jour 5174: Magazine Editing and Production
Jour 5543: Campaigns for Social Good: Design & Evaluation

Professional (Skills) Courses By Interest Area

Below are merely examples of what course flows could look like based on students interest areas. 

Students interested in advertising such as copywriting or art direction, often choose from the following: JOUR 3241 (Advertising Strategy and Creative Development), JOUR 3275 (Digital Strategy in Strategic Communication), JOUR 3321 (Media Design), JOUR 4242 (Advertising Portfolio Development), JOUR 4243 (Digital Content for Brand Communications), JOUR 4259 (Strategic Communication Case Analysis) / JOUR 4262 (Management for Strategic Communication), and JOUR 4262 (Management for Strategic Communication)  

Students interested in account-related positions, such as account planning, account executive or media planning, may choose from the following: JOUR 3241 (Advertising Strategy and Creative Development) or JOUR 3279 (Professional Writing for Strategic Communication), JOUR 3321 (Media Design) /JOUR 4243 (Digital Content for Brand Communications), JOUR 3251 (Strategic Communication Research & Analytics), JOUR 3253 (Account Planning), JOUR 3261 (Media Planning), JOUR 3275 (Digital Strategy in Strategic Communication), JOUR 4259 (Strategic Communication Case Analysis) / JOUR 4262 (Management for Strategic Communication)  

Students interested in public relations agencies, government, nonprofit, advocacy or corporate communications often choose from the following: JOUR 3279 (Professional Writing for Strategic Communication), JOUR 3321 (Media Design), JOUR 4243 (Digital Content for Brand Communications), JOUR 3275 (Digital Strategy in Strategic Communication), JOUR 3251 (Strategic Communication Research & Analytics), JOUR 4244 (Crisis Communication), JOUR 4258 (Corporate Social Responsibility Communication), JOUR 4259 (Strategic Communication Case Analysis) / JOUR 4262 (Management for Strategic Communication), JOUR 5543 (Campaigns for Social Good: Design & Evaluation). Students with this interest also may choose one or more of the journalism major courses (Jour 3279 is a prerequisite for each of these): JOUR 3102 (Multimedia Production and Storytelling), JOUR 3103: (Interactive and Data Journalism), JOUR 3173W (Magazine Writing), JOUR 5174 (Magazine Editing and Production)

Students interested in health communication positions in private and governmental organizations, advertising, public relations and marketing agencies often choose from the following: JOUR 3279 (Professional Writing for Strategic Communication) / JOUR 3241 (Advertising Strategy and Creative Development), JOUR 3321 (Media Design), JOUR 4243 (Digital Content for Brand Communications), JOUR 3275 (Digital Strategy in Strategic Communication), JOUR 3251 (Strategic Communication Research & Analytics), JOUR 4242 (Advertising Portfolio Development), JOUR 4258 (Corporate Social Responsibility Communication), JOUR 4262 (Management for Strategic Communication), JOUR 4259 (Strategic Communication Case Analysis), JOUR 5543 (Campaigns for Social Good: Design & Evaluation)

 

Context courses

All Hubbard School majors take context courses which are:

  • Lecture based
  • Focused on theory and ideas 
  • Most courses open to all students
Context Courses

* All context courses are 3 credits.

All course profiles will open to GoogleDocs.

JOUR 1001/JOUR 1001H: Media in a Changing World

JOUR 1501 Digital Games and Society
Meets arts/humanities core and technology & society theme requirements.

JOUR 3005 Media Effects
Meets social sciences core requirement. 

JOUR 3006 Visual Communication

JOUR 3007 The Media in American History and Law: Case Studies
Meets historical perspectives core requirement.

JOUR 3201 Principles of Strategic Communication 
Prereq Jour major, Strat Comm major, Media & Information major or Media & Information minor or approved BIS/IDIM/ICP program

JOUR 3551 The Business of Digital Media: Innovation, Disruption, and Adaptation 
Meets technology and society theme requirement. 

JOUR 3552 Technology, Communication and Global Society
Meets global perspectives theme requirement. 

JOUR 3553 Mobile Communication
Meets technology and society theme requirement. 

JOUR 3614 History of Media Communication
Meets historical perspectives core and technology and society theme requirements. 

JOUR 3741 Diversity and Media
Meets race, power and justice in the United States theme requirement. 

JOUR 3745 Mass Media and Popular Culture
Meets arts/humanities core and race, power and justice in the United States theme requirements. 

JOUR 3751 Digital Media and Culture
Meets arts/humanities core and technology & society theme requirements. 

JOUR 3757 Principles of Health Communication Strategy

JOUR 3761 Social Media Management

JOUR 3771 Media Ethics
Meets civic life and ethics theme requirement. 

JOUR 3775 Strategic Communication Law
Meets civic life and ethics theme requirement. 

JOUR 3776 Media Law

JOUR 3786 Media and Politics

JOUR 4251 Psychology of Advertising

JOUR 4272 Digital Advertising

JOUR 4274W Advertising in Society

JOUR 4721 Mass Media and U.S. Society
Meet social sciences core requirement and diversity & social justice in the United States theme. 

JOUR 4801 Global Communication

JOUR 5501 Communication, Public Opinion, and Social Media

JOUR 5541 Mass Communication and Public Health

JOUR 5542 Theory-Based Health Message Design

JOUR 5552 Law of Internet Communication

JOUR 5601W History of Journalism

JOUR 5606W Literary Aspects of Journalism

JOUR 5725 Management of Media Organizations

JOUR 5777 Contemporary Problems in Freedom of Speech and Press
Prereq Jour major, Strat Comm major, Media & Information major or Media & Information minor or approved BIS/IDIM/ICP program

 

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