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Jun 26, 2024
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2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog
Journalism and Media Studies Major (BA)
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The Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies offers a dynamic program designed to produce graduates who are intellectually curious and professionally prepared for careers in the fields of journalism, media, advertising, and public relations. Through a comprehensive and engaging curriculum, students learn from some of the nation’s top media scholars and practitioners while participating in both research and hands-on courses designed to cultivate a diverse skill set and build a portfolio of professional work. Students can specialize in various concentrations, including: Audio & Podcasting; Creative Media; Journalism; Media Studies; Public Relations & Advertising; Social & Digital Media; Sports Media; and Video Production & Journalism. The school is in Greenspun Hall and equipped with state-of-the-art classrooms, labs, and media production facilities. It is also home to KUNV Radio, UNLV-TV, Rebel Media Group, and the Nevada Newspaper Hall of Fame.
Please see the UNLV Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies web page at www.unlv.edu/jms for information about department programs, faculty and facilities. Degree worksheets and 4/5 year plan for the major are available at www.unlv.edu/degree/ba-journalism-media-studies.
Learning Outcomes
Upon graduation, students will:
- Understand the history, purpose, and responsibilities of media and journalism in a free society.
- Appreciate and value the First Amendment and apply the First Amendment in the current information environment and in historical context (UULO 5).
- Conduct research that displays the ability to gather, evaluate, and verify qualitative and quantitative data. (UULO 2)
- Create, write, organize, and distribute content in a variety of media formats. (UULO 3)
- Identify and analyze emerging trends in media, technology, and communication (UULO 1).
- Apply professional ethical principles in journalism, media, and communications organizations
- Develop content that respects and reconciles multiple viewpoints, including diverse communities, global perspectives, civil liberties, and social justice
Career Possibilities
The Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies prepares students to become effective professionals in broadcast journalism, integrated marketing communication, (advertising and public relations) and print journalism. Faculty engage students in a supportive environment of scholarship and service, stressing theoretical and practical knowledge, critical thinking and social responsibility.
Greenspun Hall is one of the most innovative journalism buildings in the country, emphasizing a converged media curricula for the dissemination of messages via a multitude of platforms. The new facility enables journalism and media studies faculty and students to explore the limits of new technologies and to develop innovative partnerships between traditional and emerging media. The alldigital, high-definition broadcast facility includes television studios, non-linear editing bays, radio production and performance studios, writing labs, advanced editing labs, a converged media lab and a 200-seat auditorium built to accommodate video and audio production. Greenspun Hall also houses UNLV TV, our campus cable station and KUNV, our campus FM radio station.
The following job titles are related to the field of journalism and media studies. Some may require study beyond the undergraduate level. This is not a complete list of possible careers for journalism and media studies graduates but simply provides some suggestions of potential career options.
Career Options for Journalism and Media Studies Majors
- Advertising Coordinator
- Announcers
- Broadcasting
- Correspondents
- Editors
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- Media Operators
- News Analysts
- Public Relations Specialist
- Reporters
- Writers
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Accreditation
For information regarding accreditation at UNLV, please visit the following webpage:
- Institution - Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities www.nwccu.org.
Journalism and Media Studies (BA) Degree - Total Credits: 120
General Education Requirements - Credits: 36-47
The Greenspun College of Urban Affairs strongly recommends that students satisfy their General Education Core curriculum requirements by taking courses offerred by Greenspun College of Urban Affairs. Students are encouraged to select from the courses listed under each of the General Education Core requirements. Please check with your advisor for course availability.
First-Year Seminar - Credits: 2-3
Second-Year Seminar - Credits: 3
English Composition - Credits: 6
Constitutions - Credits: 3-6
Humanities and Fine Arts - Credits: 0
This requirement is automatically satisfied by Major requirement. However, the following courses are recommended for students pursuing the Journalism and Media Studies (BA).
Social Sciences - Credits: 9
One course each from three different fields.
Life and Physical Sciences and Analytical Thinking - Credits: 10-11
One course from the Analytical Category and two courses for Life and Physical Sciences category; at least one must have a lab.
Life and Physical Sciences
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: www.unlv.edu/provost/multicultural-requirements.
Major Requirements - BA in Journalism and Media Studies - Credits: 48
Total credits within the major, consist of:
- 21 credits of Journalism and Media Studies Core
- 12 credits of JMS electives (at least 6 of these are upper division)
- 15 credits in a concentration for a total of 48 credits.
All JOUR courses must be earned with a C or better (C- is not acceptable).
Journalism and Media Studies Core - Credits: 21
Complete all of the following courses:
JMS Electives - Credits: 12
12 credits, 6 of which must be upper-division (300 or 400 level).
Total credits within the major (including pre-major courses): 48.
Areas of Concentration - Credits: 15
There are eight areas of concentration:
- Audio & Podcasting
- Creative Media
- Digital & Social Media
- Journalism
- Media Studies
- Public Relations & Advertising
- Sports Media
- Video Production & Journalism
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.
Audio & Podcasting - Credits: 15
Students can explore the dynamic world of audio production, podcasting, radio broadcasting, and voiceover work through the Audio & Podcasting concentration. Designed to prepare students for a variety of career paths in professional audio, sound design, and multimedia storytelling, this program offers hands-on experience in digital signal flow, audio editing, microphone technique, and multitrack recording. Students learn the fundamentals of effective audio storytelling while honing their skills in mobile recording, radio broadcasting, and podcast production. Students can build a professional portfolio that features their work on KUNV 91.5 FM, UNLV’s award-winning non-commercial radio station, setting the stage for success in this competitive industry.
Creative Media - Credits: 15
Students in the Creative Media concentration develop their skills in interactive digital media and information design and presentation. Our goal is twofold: One, to develop experimental, innovative media work that leverages media literacy and emerging technologies, while exploring the place of new media in society; and two, to teach students to design and develop professional-level multimedia.
Digital & Social Media - Credits: 15
The Digital & Social Media concentration allows students the opportunity to learn about the latest in emerging media technologies and social media. The courses feature a mixture of skills-based, theoretical, and 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 - Credits: 15
Students in the Journalism concentration develop and refine their writing and reporting skills while learning to adapt stories to traditional and emerging media platforms. The concentration acclimates students to professional ethics and standards and equips them to meet the industry’s varying structural and stylistic expectations. They also learn to target specific audiences in journalism’s major formats, including the requirements of deadline/short-form and non-deadline/long-form, digital, and social contexts. Students evaluate their own work and that of their peers for accuracy, fairness, and appropriate style, tone, and grammar. Graduates can convey complex information clearly, navigate rapidly changing circumstances, and thrive in the workplace or in graduate or advanced professional programs.
Media Studies - Credits: 15
The Media Studies concentration instills in students the critical thinking and problem-solving skills necessary for leadership and management in professional communication. Courses in ethics, visual literacy, history, media criticism, global media, and media and society prepare students for media careers, law school, and advanced degrees in journalism, media studies, business, the social sciences, and the humanities. The concentration provides a comprehensive approach to elements of professionalism in a rapidly changing and diverse workplace. Students will also be well-prepared for graduate degrees in academic disciplines such as mass communication, public policy, sociology, and entertainment law.
Public Relations & Advertising - Credits: 15
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 management, 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 - Credits: 15
Students in the Sports Media concentration are prepared for careers in the rapidly expanding sports media and communications sector in Southern Nevada and beyond. Designed to equip students with the essential skills for success in sports journalism and digital content creation, this program offers a blend of courses in sports reporting, critical sport analysis, and strategic sports communication. With opportunities to cover collegiate and professional sporting events in southern Nevada, students hone their reporting, producing, and broadcasting skills while building a professional network and solidifying their readiness to thrive in the competitive sports media landscape.
Video Production & Journalism - Credits: 15
Students in the Video Production & Journalism concentration will develop the skills to craft news stories that captivate audiences with clarity and conciseness. From researching and reporting to editing and production to anchoring newscasts, students will engage in hands-on experiences that prepare them for a fast-paced digital news landscape. Students will harness the power of mobile technology and social media to navigate today’s rapidly evolving media landscape. Delving into critical journalism issues and ethical dilemmas, students will become well-rounded journalists ready to thrive in today’s multimedia, multi-platform news environment.
General Electives - Credits: 25-36
Notes
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JOUR 401 is the Milestone Experience course for Journalism and Media Studies B.A.
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The following are the Culminating Experience courses for Journalism and Media Studies B.A. based on the concentration area that is completed:
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