Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Journalism

The W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Marshall offers an accredited Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree program in Journalism from expert faculty. There are three required well-rounded areas of emphasis to choose from, including the following:

Broadcast Emphasis – Reporters, anchors, directors, editors and videographers gain real-world practice in Marshall’s state-of-the-art true high-definition, fully digital television studio and experience what it is really like behind or in front of the camera.

Multimedia Emphasis – Driving the convergence of print, broadcast and online news, multimedia journalism is an emerging field with room for growth and a demand for new talent. Multimedia journalists (MMJs) package text, photos, videos and sound to capture the story. Students rethink how information reaches audiences as they craft and post their products.

Sports Journalism Emphasis – Calling plays and providing color commentary are part of being a sports journalist, but being in the sports reporting game also demands writing skills, analytical thinking, team promotion abilities and interview acumen. Gain hands-on experience with a variety of sporting events broadcast and published in student media.

Admission Requirements

Prospective students who wish to apply for admission to the Bachelor of Arts program in Journalism must meet the general admission requirements for Marshall University.

Graduation Requirements

Students must earn at least 120 credit hours.

Candidates for graduation must have a Grade Point Average of 2.0 or higher in all work attempted at Marshall University.

Thirty-nine (39) credit hours must be earned in courses numbered 300-499.

Students are required to complete an internship and a capstone.

Course Requirements

  - General Education Course

  - Milestone course: a key success marker for your major. See your advisor to discuss the importance of this course in your plan of study.

The Core Curriculum is designed to foster critical thinking skills and introduce students to basic domains of thinking that transcend disciplines. The Core applies to all majors. Information on specific classes in the Core can be found at https://www.marshall.edu/gened/.

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Core Curriculum
Core I: Critical Thinking
FYS 100	First Yr Sem Critical Thinking	3
Critical Thinking		3
Critical Thinking		3
Core II
ENG 101	Beginning Composition	3
ENG 201	Advanced Composition	3
CMM 103	Fund Speech-Communication	3
Core II Mathematics		3
Core II Natural/Physical Science		4
Core II Humanities		3
Core II Social Science		3
Core II Fine Arts		3
Additional University Requirements
Writing Intensive		3
Writing Intensive		3
Multicultural/International 1		3
Capstone: JMC 465		3
Major Requirements
Journalism Core		25
JMC 101	Media Literacy	3
JMC 102	Media Toolbox	3
JMC 241	Media Design	3
JMC 260	Digital Imaging for JMC	3
JMC 345	Mass Comm Law and Ethics	3
JMC 361	Digital Presence	3
JMC 455	Race Gender & Mass Media	3
JMC 490	Jrn & Mass Comm Internship I	3
JMC 499	Professional Portfolio	1
Journalism Cognizance Area		21
Modern Language		3
Modern Language		3
Select one of the following Cultural courses:		3
ANT 201	Cultural Anthropology (CT)
GEO 100	Intro to Human Geography (CT)
SOC 200	Understanding Society (CT)
Multicultural/International 2		3
History Elective		3
Literature Elective		3
Literature Elective		3
Journalism Major		9
JMC 300	Reporting and News Writing	3
JMC 458	Emerging Media for Journalists	3
JMC 465	Multimedia Reporting	3
Emphasis Area Requirements		30

¹

Students may not count JMC 436 International Mass Comm as an International-designated course.

²

If the student takes an International-designated course to satisfy their university requirements, they should take a multicultural-designated course to satisfy their journalism cognizance area and vice versa. 

Areas of Emphasis