Journalism

This program teaches students the methods and techniques for gathering, processing and delivering news, and prepares students to be professional print and multimedia journalists. Included is instruction in news writing and editing, reporting and multimedia story production, professional standards and ethics, and journalism history and research. Careers in this field include book editor, copywriter, film critic, foreign correspondent, freelance writing, online editor, multimedia story producer, journalist, magazine editor, news anchor, newspaper editor, publicist, sportswriter, and technical writer.

For additional career possibilities, visit the Career Services Center on the main campus to utilize computerized career information systems and other valuable career resources.

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Programs Offered

Degrees and Certificates

Associate Degree for Transfer

Journalism Associate
Students may satisfy the requirements of this degree with approved courses (which may be fewer units) taken at other California Community Colleges. The courses listed below are SMC courses. If completed entirely at SMC, the Area of Emphasis requires 19 units.

Associate Degree

Journalism – Multimedia Storytelling

Related Program

Associate Degree Requirements

An Associate degree is granted upon successful completion of a program of study with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 (C) in degree applicable coursework and a minimum of 60 degree applicable semester units, including:

Completion of the area of emphasis with a grade of C or higher in each course, or with a P if the course was taken on a Pass/No Pass basis, and the P is equal to a C or higher;
Completion of one of the following general education patterns: SMC GE, CSU GE, or IGETC;
Completion of the SMC Global Citizenship graduation requirement.

Catalog Rights

Transfer Preparation

Many colleges/universities offer baccalaureate degrees in this field. Students planning to transfer to a four-year college or university should complete the lower-division major requirements and the general education pattern for the specific transfer institution. SMC has articulation agreements with the many UC and CSU campuses, as well as several private and out-of-state institutions.

Exact major requirements for UC and CSU campuses can be found online at assist.org.

A listing of private, nonprofit California colleges and universities can be found online at aiccu.edu. For articulation agreements between SMC and some of these institutions see smc.edu/articulation.

Journalism, Associate Degree for Transfer

The Associate in Arts in Journalism for Transfer (AA-T) involves the methods and techniques for gathering, processing, and delivering news, and prepares students to be professional print and multimedia journalists. Included is instruction in news writing and editing, reporting and multimedia story production, professional standards and ethics, and journalism history and research. Careers in this field include book editor, copywriter, film critic, foreign correspondent, freelance writer, online editor, multimedia story producer, journalist, magazine editor, news anchor, newspaper editor, publicist, sportswriter, and technical writer.

Students will have a strong academic foundation in the field and be prepared for upper-division baccalaureate study. Completion of the degree indicates that the student will have satisfied the lower division requirements for transfer into journalism or similar majors for many campuses in the California State University system.

Program Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of the program, students will be able to produce essential nonfiction storytelling techniques in print and multimedia formats, demonstrate the ability to work as a team member to collaborate on media production across several formats, and demonstrate an understanding of the ethical and legal issues affecting journalists.

Area of Emphasis: (18 units)

Required Courses (9 units minimum):

JOURN 1,The News(3)

JOURN 16,Producing the Campus Newspaper(3)

MEDIA 1,Survey of Mass Media Communications(3)

LIST A: Select 1 course from the following: (3 units required)

JOURN 2,Intermediate Newswriting and Reporting(3)

JOURN 15,Introduction to Multimedia Storytelling(3)

JOURN 17,Editing the Campus Newspaper 2Editing the Campus Newspaper 2(3)

JOURN 21,News Photography (same as PHOTO 13) (3)

JOURN 43,Public Relations and Publicity (same as BUS 29)(3)

LIST B: Select 2 courses; each course must come from a different group: (6 units minimum)

GROUP 1:

ANY COURSE FROM LIST A NOT USED ABOVE

GROUP 2

BUS 32,Business Communications(3)

COM ST 11,Elements of Public Speaking(3)

COM ST 12,Persuasion(3)

COM ST 16,Fundamentals of Small Group Discussion(3)

COM ST 21,Argumentation(3)

ENGL 1,Reading and Composition 1(3)

ENGL 2,Critical Analysis and Intermediate Composition(3)

ENGL 31,Advanced Composition(3)

HIST 47,The Practice of History(3)

PHILOS 7,Logic and Critical Thinking (3)

GROUP 3

MATH 2,Precalculus(3)

MATH 21,Finite Mathematics(3)

MATH 26,Functions and Modeling for Business and Social Sciencev(3)

MATH 54,Elementary Statistics(3)

ANY MATH COURSE FOR WHICH THE ABOVE IS A PREREQUISITE

GROUP 4

PHOTO 1,Introduction to Photography (3)

Journalism – Multimedia Storytelling, Associate Degree

Area of Emphasis: (19 units)

Required Courses (10 units minimum):

JOURN 1,The News(3)

JOURN 15,Introduction to Multimedia Storytelling(3)

JOURN 16,Producing the Campus Newspaper(4)

Elective Courses: Select at least 1 course from each group: (9 units minimum)

GROUP A:

BUS 29,Public Relations and Publicity (same as JOURN 43)(3)

CIS 50,Internet, HTML and Web Design(3)

CIS 56,Web Media Production(3)

CIS 59A,Dreamweaver I(3)

CIS 60A,Photoshop I(3)

DESIGN 11,Design Foundations (formerly GR DES 31)(3)

DESIGN 24,Web Design 1 (formerly GS DES 65)(3)

DMPOST 3,Digital Video Fundamentals (formerly ET 31A)(3)

GR DES 34,Publication and Page Design I(3)

GR DES 64,Digital Imaging for Design (formerly ET 37)(3)

JOURN 4A,Newscasting and Newswriting (same as MEDIA 14)(3)

JOURN 7,Engaging Audiences for Journalism and Social Media (same as MEDIA 25)(4)

JOURN 8,Writing to Sell(3)

JOURN 17,Editing the Campus Newspaper(3)

JOURN 21,News Photography (same as PHOTO 13)(3)

JOURN 22,Photography for Publication (same as PHOTO 14)(3)

JOURN 43,Public Relations and Publicity (same as BUS 29)(3)

JOURN 90B,Journalism Internship(2)

MEDIA 14,Newscasting and Newswriting (same as JOURN 4A)(3)

PHOTO 13,News Photography (same as JOURN 21)(3)

PHOTO 14,Photography for Publication (same as JOURN 22)(3)

PHOTO 29,Video Production for Still Photographers(3)

GROUP B:

MEDIA 1,Survey of Mass Media(3)

MEDIA 10,Media, Gender and Race(3)

MEDIA 11,Introduction to Broadcasting (formerly BRDCST 1)(3)