Mar 28, 2024  
2022-2023 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2022-2023 Undergraduate Catalog ARCHIVED CATALOG: CONTENT MAY NOT BE CURRENT. USE THE DROP DOWN ABOVE TO ACCESS THE CURRENT CATALOG.

Journalism and Media Studies Major (BA)


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Journalism and Media Studies Major - Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Please see the UNLV Greenspun Department of Journalism and Media Studies web page at journalism.unlv.edu/index.htm for information about department programs, faculty and facilities.  Degree worksheets and 4/5 year plan for the major are available at https://www.unlv.edu/degree/ba-journalism-media-studies.

Please see advising information at the UNLV Greenspun College of Urban Affairs Student Advising Center urbanaffairs.unlv.edu/advising

 Accreditation

Institution - Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities www.nwccu.org

Learning Outcomes 

  1. Analyze and apply the principles and laws of freedom of speech and press, including the right to dissent, to monitor and criticize power, and to assemble and petition for redress of grievances;
  2. Analyze the history and role of professionals and institutions in shaping journalism, media and communications organizations;
  3. Analyze the diversity of groups in a global society in relationship to journalism, media and communications organizations;
  4. Analyze concepts and apply theories in the use and presentation of images and information;
  5. Demonstrate an understanding of professional ethical principles in journalism, media, and communications organizations to work ethically in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness and diversity;
  6. Think critically, creatively and independently;
  7. Conduct research and evaluate information by methods appropriate to professional journalism, media and communications organizations;
  8. Craft and deliver effective messages in oral, written, and/or visual forms, as appropriate to the journalism, media and communications profession in which they plan to work;
  9. Critically evaluate their own work and that of others for accuracy and fairness, clarity, appropriate style and grammatical correctness;
  10. Apply basic numerical and statistical concepts;
  11. Apply tools and technologies appropriate for the journalism, media and communications professions in which they plan work;
  12. Prepare collaborative projects for the appropriate journalism, media and communications professions in which they plan to work.

University Graduation Requirements

Recommended Courses That Meet General Education Core Requirements


The Greenspun College of Urban Affairs strongly recommends that students address their General Education Core curriculum requirements through our college. The following classes offered in our college meet graduation requirements:

Journalism and Media Studies Degree - Total: 120 Credits


The Greenspun College of Urban Affairs strongly recommends that students address their General Education Core curriculum requirements through our college. The following classes offered in our college meet graduation requirements:

General Education Requirements - Subtotal: 36-47 Credits


First-Year Seminar - Credits: 2-3


English Composition - Credits: 6


Constitutions - Credits: 3-6


Mathematics - Credits: 3


Distribution Requirement - Credits: 19-20


 Please see Distribution Requirements for more information.

  • Humanities and Fine Arts:
    • Automatically satisfied by Major requirement
  • Social Sciences: 9 credits
    • One course each from three different fields
  • Life and Physical Sciences and Analytical Thinking: 10-11 credits 
    • One course from the Analytical Category and two courses for Life and Physical Sciences category; at least one must have a lab.

Multicultural and International - Credits: 0-6


These courses may overlap with general education and major requirements. A single course may not meet the multicultural and international requirements simultaneously. For the list of approved multicultural and international courses, go to: https://www.unlv.edu/provost/multicultural-requirements.

Areas of Concentration - Credits: 15


  • Audio/Podcasting
  • Creative Media Production
  • Digital & Social Media
  • Journalism
  • Media Studies
  • Public Relations/Advertising
  • Sports Media
  • Visual Production

JMS Electives - Credits: 12


Total of 6 credits of lower division electives plus 6 credits of upper division electives.

Total credits within the major (including pre-major courses): 48 (see note)

General Electives - Credits: 25-36


Total Credits: 120


Note


Total credits within the major, consist of 6 credits of Pre-major courses, 15 credits of Journalism and Media Studies Core, 15 credits in a concentration, and 12 credits of JMS electives (6 lower division and 6 upper division) for a total of 48 credits.

Journalism and Media Studies B.A. concentrations:


There are eight areas of concentration: Audio/Podcasting; Creative Media Production; Digital& Social Media; Journalism; Media Studies; Public Relations/Advertising; Sports Media; Visual Production. Students can have more than one concentration if desired.  All concentrations are 15 credit hours.  All classes listed are 3 credits, unless otherwise noted. Listings with “or” indicate a student may take one of the two classes to meet a requirement. Capstone courses for each concentration are listed with corresponding prerequisites.

Audio and Podcasting


The JMS Audio/Podcasting concentration prepares students for career opportunities in professional audio, mobile recording, sound design, audio for video and film, radio broadcasting, news and documentary production, podcasting, and voiceover work. Students learn the fundamentals of effective audio storytelling while gaining hands-on experience with digital signal flow, audio editing, microphone etiquette and technique, and multitrack recording. Students have the opportunity to have their work featured on KUNV 91. 5 FM, UNLV’s award-winning, non-commercial radio station.

Creative Media Production


Students in the Creative Media Production concentration have the opportunity to develop their skills for professional application in digital photography, photojournalism, interactive design, and new technology while exploring the components of interactive media design at both the introductory and advanced levels. To develop a holistic understanding of the ways in which aspiring professionals may develop their craft, topics explored include visual literacy and the ways creative media production has a role in media, innovation, and society. 

Digital & Social Media


The Digital & Social Media concentration allows students the opportunity to learn about the latest in emerging media technologies and social media. The courses teach a mixture of theoretical and skills-based, hands-on approaches to understanding the shifting media terrain, and technologies. Students learn about changes in journalism, mobile media, and public relations related to media platforms. The concentration gives students a broad range of experience related to digital and social media, including creation of assets, and analysis and development of digital and social media campaigns.

Journalism


 Students in the Journalism concentration exercise their writing and reporting skills while learning to apply a story to traditional and emerging media platforms. The concentration exposes students to ways they can write professionally in the forms and styles appropriate for media and targeting audiences on a variety of platforms (deadline/short-form and non-deadline/long-form/newsletter/social). Students evaluate their own work and that of others for accuracy and fairness, clarity, appropriate style and tone, grammatical correctness, and economic viability. The courses facilitate professional-level work.

Media Studies


The required courses in the Media Studies concentration feature in-depth analyses of the content, history, and effects of media, drawing on approaches from the core discipline of mass communication, as well as the social sciences and the humanities. The courses in this concentration also offer practical applications for various media careers, including opportunities to explore the social effects of electronic and print media, the impact of media on public policy, and the impact of public policy on media. Students learn about the institutional growth of media — as well as its roles in producing and reflecting culture — in the United States and abroad. The concentration provides a holistic approach for students seeking a career in media by focusing on elements of professionalism in a rapidly changing and diverse workplace.

Public Relations/Advertising


Public relations and advertising combine in the Public Relations/Advertising concentration. Students can focus on public relations and advertising and learn how to create content, develop strategies, and plan campaigns. Coursework focuses on advertising copywriting, crisis communication, and social media strategies. Students in this concentration find jobs in public relations agencies, advertising agencies, corporate communication, digital and social media, nonprofits, fundraising, lobbying, crisis managements, and health care communication. Recent statistics show that the number of public relations and advertising jobs are expected to increase for many years to come.

 

Sports Media


The Sports Media concentration offers students the opportunity to develop techniques and gain practical experience in print, broadcast, and digital/social media to prepare for an exciting career in sports journalism or digital content creation. Students have opportunities to attend collegiate and professional sporting events throughout southern Nevada and while acting as reporters and broadcasters. The capstone of the Sports Media concentration, “Rebel Report, ” a broadcast production produced entirely by students, airs on local broadcast television stations and various social media platforms.

Visual Production


Students working their way through the Visual Production concentration have the opportunity to work with professional-grade equipment and facilities as they mature in their craft for developing visual design and analysis. With a goal of obtaining that all-important first job in the industry, students learn professional work-flows and how to become proficient technically. Students tune their understanding of aesthetics and design to become better storytellers who can operate in the world of broadcast journalism both in front of and behind the cameras while working with layout and design. As global society embraces the change to social networks, students in this concentration will have the visual production skills to compete

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