Journalism Option - Communication Bachelor of Science Degree
Journalism Option
Communication BS
In RIT’s journalism option, you’ll master the skills to successfully interview, investigate, write, edit, report, and publish news and featured stories across a range of digital media.
Overview for Journalism Option - Communication BS
Why Pursue the Journalism Option at RIT?
- Gain Real-World Experience: A required block of cooperative education means hands-on, full-time paid work experience in the industry.
- Dynamic Courses: Gain a deep understanding of news writing, news editing, multi-platform journalism, communication theory, mass communications, law and press ethics, and computer-assisted reporting.
- Exciting Capstone Learning Experience: Put your knowledge to work by producing a long-form piece of journalism, a website, and a digital portfolio of selected works.
The journalism option primes you to collect, critically assess, and merge both verbal and visual data to effectively communicate news stories across diverse media channels. Beyond writing and reporting, you'll craft audio and visual content for dissemination across various platforms, positioning you as a skilled and valuable asset for future employers specializing in news reporting and factual narration. This option is part of the communication BS degree
RIT's journalism option benefits from the university's renowned focus on cutting-edge technology while centering on the foundational reporting and writing proficiencies essential for professional journalists. The option prepares you for the dynamic landscape of digital media, where you'll acquire both conceptual understanding and practical expertise essential for success in digital newsrooms. Through a blend of journalism, communication, and relevant professional course work, you'll develop the skills necessary to thrive in the digital media landscape
In RIT's journalism option of the communication degree, you are required to complete one block of cooperative education experience.
Journalism Course Work
You will develop skills through a core of required journalism courses, which cover news writing, news editing, multi-platform journalism, communication theory, mass communications, law and press ethics, and computer-assisted reporting. A professional core of four courses, chosen from RIT’s colleges of Art and Design, Business, or Computing and Information Sciences, introduces you to photojournalism, multimedia, web development, digital entrepreneurship, and building a web business. Journalism electives, free electives, and liberal arts courses complete the curriculum.
Senior Capstone Project
Put your learning to work in a senior capstone project that serves as a culmination of your journalism education. You will produce a project relevant to the journalism industry, such as a long-form piece of journalism, a website, and a digital portfolio of selected works that you created throughout your courses, co-ops, and activities at RIT.
Careers and Cooperative Education
Cooperative Education
What’s different about an RIT education? It’s the career experience you gain by completing cooperative education and internships with top companies in every single industry. You’ll earn more than a degree. You’ll gain real-world career experience that sets you apart. It’s exposure–early and often–to a variety of professional work environments, career paths, and industries.
Co-ops take your knowledge and turn it into know-how. A liberal arts co-op provides hands-on experience that enables you to apply your knowledge in professional settings while you make valuable connections between course work and real-world applications.
You’ll complete one required co-op in the journalism field as part of your degree. Journalism students have completed co-ops at a range of news organizations, companies and not-for-profits where their skills in journalism help tell important stories to wide audiences.
Curriculum Update in Process for 2024-2025 for Journalism Option - Communication BS
Current Students: See Curriculum Requirements
Communication, BS degree, Journalism option, typical course sequence
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| COMM-101 | Human Communication (General Education) | 3 |
| COMM-105 | Foundations of Communication | 3 |
| COMM-201 | Public Speaking (General Education) | 3 |
| COMM-202 | Mass Communications | 3 |
| COMM-271 | Introduction to Journalism (General Education – Social Perspective) | 3 |
| COMM-272 | Reporting and Writing for News Media (General Education) | 3 |
| MATH-101 | College Algebra (General Education – Mathematical Perspective A) | 3 |
| YOPS-10 | RIT 365: RIT Connections | 0 |
| General Education – Artistic Perspective | 3 | |
| General Education – Ethical Perspective | 3 | |
| General Education – First-Year Writing (WI) | 3 | |
| Second Year | ||
| COMM-341 | Visual Communication | 3 |
| COMM-342 | Communication Law and Ethics | 3 |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| COMM-302 | Interpersonal Communication | |
| COMM-303 | Small Group Communication | |
| COMM-304 | Intercultural Communication | |
| COMM-343 | Technology-Mediated Communication | 3 |
| STAT-145 | Introduction to Statistics I (General Education – Mathematical Perspective B) | 3 |
| General Education – Immersion 1 | 3 | |
| General Education – Scientific Principles Perspective | 3 | |
| General Education – Global Perspective | 3 | |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| Professional Core† | 3 | |
| Third Year | ||
| COMM-301 | Theories of Communication | 3 |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| COMM-310 | Media Production Lab: Project Development, Pitch and Funding | |
| COMM-450 | Multiplatform Production & Publishing | |
| COMM-401 | Quantitative Research Methods | 3 |
| COMM-499 | Communication Co-op (summer) | 0 |
| General Education – Natural Science Inquiry Perspective‡ | 3 | |
| General Education – Immersion 2, 3 | 6 | |
| Open Electives | 6 | |
| Professional Core† | 6 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| COMM-402 | Qualitative Research Methods | 3 |
| COMM-497 | Communication Portfolio | 0 |
| COMM-501 | Senior Thesis in Communication (WI-PR) | 3 |
| Communication Elective | 3 | |
| Professional Core† | 3 | |
| General Education – Electives | 9 | |
| Journalism Option Courses | 6 | |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 120 | |
Please see General Education Curriculum (GE) for more information.
(WI-PR) Refers to a writing intensive course within the major.
* Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information. Students completing bachelor's degrees are required to complete two different Wellness courses.
† Professional core may be fulfilled by selecting a 300-level (or higher) course from a discipline outside the liberal arts.
‡ Students will satisfy this requirement by taking either a 3- or 4-credit hour lab science course. If a science course consists of separate lecture and laboratory sections, the student must take both the lecture and lab portions to satisfy the requirement.
Journalism Option Courses
| COMM-223 | Digital Design in Communication |
| COMM-240 | Media, Creativity and Innovation |
| COMM-263 | Data Journalism |
| COMM-280 | Community Journalism |
| COMM-291 | Communication for Social Change |
| COMM-356 | Critical Practice in Social Media |
| COMM-370 | Ethnic Press in the United States |
| COMM-374 | Opinion Media |
| COMM/VISL-390 | Visual Activism |