Department Chair
Manzanita Hall 210
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8311
Phone: (818) 677-3135
Check our social media for changes and updates.
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Programs
Mission
The Department of Journalism strives to prepare its students to become well-educated, principled citizens who are capable of initiating careers as skilled journalists, public relations practitioners and other related communication professionals.
Undergraduate Programs
The Bachelor of Arts degree is designed for students who seek careers in a wide variety of contemporary options – particularly in broadcast, public relations and ethnic media. With a focus on digital, community/participatory and global media, the program teaches a balance of practical and theoretical elements of journalism and media studies. Students take core courses in media law and ethics and history/theory in tandem with a variety of multimedia and other skills courses, emphasizing the diverse elements of today’s emerging landscape.
The major offers three choices: Journalism, Journalism Broadcast and Journalism Public Relations.
Designed around practical experience and knowledge to prepare students for news careers in English and/or Spanish-Language media outlets. Students apply the skills they gain in courses, such as reporting, editing, multimedia, social media, design and photojournalism, as well as community and participatory media. They also staff digital and mobile news operations in both English and Spanish-language editions of The Sundial and El Nuevo Sol, respectively, the Pop-Up Newsroom, Scene Magazine and other projects.
The Broadcast option provides students with training comparable to an entry-level professional position in news by teaching them to write, edit, report, produce and anchor for campus-based news operations covering the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. Operations include television newscasts, such as Matador News, On Point (multimedia public affairs program) and Valley View News, and radio news and features programming on KCSN News, airing on HD3.
Learn more about the Broadcast Option
The Public Relations option teaches theory, but it also focuses on how to apply learning to “real life” situations, involving corporations, government agencies, nonprofit organizations and the entertainment industry. Students learn about crisis communication, audience analysis and social media as they develop public relations and marketing strategies and plans for clients through projects and Agency 398, the student-run PR practicum, and other projects.
Learn more about Public Relations
Courses Outside of Journalism (72 units)
Majors are required to take at least 72 units of the 120 required for graduation outside of Journalism and Mass Communication, to meet national accreditation standards. These units include the university's General Education requirements.
Students are strongly recommended to select an Interdisciplinary Field that complements the Journalism and Media Studies major. The Interdisciplinary field must contain at least five upper-division courses, totaling a minimum of 15 units in a selected area of study. See an adviser for recommendations.
Journalism's newly redesigned major welcomes students with Associate Degree for Transfer from California Community Colleges.
Read more about our Public Accountability
Minors in Journalism
The Journalism Minor provides students with opportunities to take specialized journalism courses to develop the skills and knowledge of the field (20-24 units).
The Interdisciplinary Minor in Spanish-Language Journalism prepares students to report on Spanish-language and Latino communities. The interdisciplinary minor consists of study designed specifically for the program’s core and in the four participating departments and programs (24 units, including 6 in the Journalism core and 18 units from Journalism, Chicano/a Studies, Central American Studies and Spanish). Students in this program produce El Nuevo Sol, the bilingual online multimedia publication.
Graduate Programs
The Master of Art in Mass Communication requires analytical and research skills and culminates in a thesis or graduate project in an applied setting. MA students focus on the primary interest of their choice, investigating issues they may later face as professionals by probing the intellectual, social and technical aspects of mass communication (30 units).
Department Chair
Manzanita Hall 210
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8311
Phone: (818) 677-3135
Check our social media for changes and updates.
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