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The School of Journalism and Mass Communication offers three tracks focused on distinct areas of study within the discipline. All majors graduate with a B.A. in Journalism. The three tracks are:
All SJMC majors are required to develop an area of expertise outside of journalism through a series of supporting courses that concentrate on a single subject area. Courses from any university department may be used to meet this requirement if the courses provide the background useful for future work in the profession. For instance, a student might want to build a core of courses focusing on business, politics, or design. This requirement can be fulfilled by:
A collection of courses scattered among departments but with no commonality does not meet this requirement. Supporting courses must be taken on an A-F grading basis. Transfer courses and courses taken prior to admission to the major will be counted only if the faculty adviser deems them consistent with these requirements.
A minimum of 80 credits in courses outside the major area of journalism and mass communication, with no fewer than 65 credits in the basic liberal arts and sciences, must be completed in a 120-credit degree program. Students enrolled in University of Minnesota–Twin Cities colleges who wish to pursue a major in journalism must complete a minimum of 65 credits in the basic liberal arts and sciences.
For journalism majors, the CLA major project is satisfied by two required courses on the Major Program Plan and Timeline. For the professional journalism track, the two required 4xxx or 5xxx professional skills courses fulfill this requirement. For the professional strategic communication track, JOUR 4259 and 4263 fulfill the CLA major project requirement. For the mass communication track, two of the context courses must be taken at the 4xxx or 5xxx level to complete the CLA major project requirement.
The School of Journalism and Mass Communication offers two minors: in Mass Communication and New Media. In addition, there are a number of minors which advisers often suggest for SJMC students, including the minors in design, leadership, and management.
This minor provides an opportunity to explore the social, political, economic, and legal aspects of mass communication.
The admission requirements are:
To declare the minor:
When you have completed Jour 1001, you must submit a copy of your unofficial transcript to 110 Murphy Hall to verify that you have a C or higher grade in Jour 1001 and a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
The mass communication minor consists of 18 credits, including:
Three context courses, one of which must be at the 4XXX or 5XXX level.
NOTE: Only students who have completed Jour 1001 and met the admission requirements will be admitted to the mass communication minor. Exceptions will not be granted.
The SJMC is the host academic unit for the University's interdisciplinary minor in new media studies, and the School administers this minor on behalf of the College of Liberal Arts. This minor is open to all undergraduates and provides students an opportunity to supplement any major field of study by exploring how information is created in new media and the role and impact of those media on human communication. Students explore how emerging digital technologies change the ways in which various types of content can be created, managed and distributed and, in so doing, potentially change the content itself.
Content of the Minor
The course content of the minor is divided into two groups. “Core” courses provide opportunities to view these changes and their consequences from four perspectives: cultural, political, legal/ethical, and economic. “Elective” courses examine the core issues from different disciplines (e.g., history, geography or art) and incorporate the study of a number of closely related issues.
Core Courses
The School of Journalism and Mass Communication offers four courses that comprise the core for this minor. Each of these courses enables students to look at new media from a different perspective of mass communication. Students are encouraged to take those core courses that best complement their major field of study. At least one of these core courses is offered each semester. The four core courses are:
Elective Courses
Elective courses may be courses from any department other than Journalism and Mass Communication that focus on new media from a particular perspective. These courses must be at the 3000 or 4000 level and can have no more than one prerequisite (for students in the minor). View the New Media Minor program plan for complete course information.
Minor Requirements
The minor requires a minimum of 15 credits. Courses required include: 2-3 core courses (minimum of 6 credits) and 2-3 elective courses (minimum of 6 credits), and at least one course at the 4xxx level or above. No more than 8 credits of elective courses may be earned from a single department.
A grade point average of 2.0 or above in the minor courses is required for successful completion of the minor.
To Declare the Minor
The new media minor is open to undergraduates in all majors. Students wishing to declare the minor should print and complete the New Media Minor program plan (PDF) and obtain a signature from the SJMC Undergraduate Studies Office in 110 Murphy Hall. You must submit the form to 49 Johnston Hall to declare the minor. Note: Students are encouraged to consult with their principal academic advisor before submitting a plan. Students may consult with Dan Sullivan.
The design minor is an interdisciplinary program open to all Twin Cities undergraduates. For students who are not majoring in a design field, the minor requires completion of at least 18 credits, including two Level 1 core courses (one 1xxx-level course; Design Minor Seminar) and two Level 2 core courses (each 3 credits). Visit the program Web site for more information.
The leadership minor is a 16-credit interdisciplinary, multidimensional, experimental, and multi-cultural program designed to help students explore and experience multiple frameworks of leadership. The program prepares students for real-life leadership experiences by combining social change theories of leadership with authentic service to the community. The leadership minor is a collaboration of the College of Education and Human Development, the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, and the Office for Campus Life. For more information about the leadership minor, visit the program Web site.
The Carlson School of Management offers a management minor, which is an interdisciplinary program open to all Twin Cities undergraduates. This minor provides an excellent opportunity for students to gain a broad exposure to the basic elements of business and management and to enhance their preparation for professional school (such as law or business school) or for entering a career upon graduation. For more information about the management minor, visit the program Web site. Questions may also be directed to the management minor adviser at 612-624-3313. Applications are available in the Carlson School Undergraduate Studies office, Room 1-105 Carlson School of Management or online.
Note: If you plan to complete any of these minor programs, check with your CLA adviser to make sure you will meet the 65 CLA credit requirement in order to comply with accreditation standards.
The University of Minnesota offers a number of individualized degree programs, which provide the opportunity for students to combine the study of mass communication with the study of related disciplines such as marketing, political science, psychology, art history or English. These special degree programs include the Bachelor of Individualized Studies (B.I.S.), the Individually Designed Interdepartmental Major, (IDIM), the Inter-College Program (ICP), and the Program for Individualized Learning (PIL).
The College of Continuing Education at the University of Minnesota offers an undergraduate certificate in Direct Marketing in partnership with the Midwest Direct Marketing Association (MDMA). By using general marketing theory and skills as its base, the Direct Marketing Certificate Program examines what integrated direct marketing is and what it can do for an organization. Students will gain an understanding of prospect and consumer marketing and the specifics of business-to-business and business-to-consumer target marketing. For more information about the certificate in Direct Marketing, visit the program Web site.
