Undergraduate Degree in Journalism in the USA

There are many schools offering journalism degrees located in the United States of America. Students seeking a journalism degree must have broad knowledge and the ability to communicate effectively. Students who are able to communicate using their skills are considered eligible to earn a journalism degree. Schools have a different way of preparing many big journalism companies for the working world. Some things international students should expect to change.

Here you can explore how to pursue for Undergraduate Degree in Journalism in the USA and what are the available options for Undergraduate Degree in Journalism. A complete guide for international students who are planning to enroll for Undergraduate Degree program in Journalism in the USA.

The Basics

Earning a bachelor's degree in journalism takes four years, but it is four years depending on the minor or double-major and the number of semester credits taken

International students should be aware that their contribution should be accepted not only by the journalism school but also by the journalism major. Many times it happens that students are taken by university but not accepted by journalism so those students need to reapply for major and can enroll for school taking journalism classes.

The Classes

Some journalism schools require students to take outside classes in journalism major. International students can take extra-major classes more than 70% of their time. A bachelor's degree in journalism covers unrelated classes.

International students who earn a bachelor's degree in journalism need to have a knowledge and understanding of the science and psychology and technology behind innovations. At the same time, people and journalists moving forward in this field should be aware of literary contexts, current events and historical events. Journalists should study psychology, politics, science and history and gain awareness of the issues affecting people and the world. Journalists should have an understanding about many topics related to it like recognizing the importance of the topic, reporting it to the public.

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The Major

Students taking lower level journalism classes have the opportunity to learn about editing, writing and reporting on the media. Higher level journalism classes help students hone skills and have the opportunity to take classes based on areas such as media, law, ethics, and journalism history.

The Four-Year Plan

It takes 4 years to complete a bachelor's degree, the first 2 years are the freshman and second year of the student and the last 3-4 years are junior and senior. Students who are interested in Bachelor's degree in Journalism have to take four to five classes per semester.

Freshman Year

Students studying journalism at the university will start their year with general electives. Common electives taken by students include science, writing, mathematics, history and foreign language studies. Graduating students will have to attend this core group of classes. If a student has received college credit in high school classes, he or she is not required to take general electives. International students whose primary language is not English are required to obtain test scores. International students can take introductory journalism classes in the first year.

Sophomore Year

Students studying journalism in the second year have to decide which field of interest they want to pursue in journalism and they have to choose that field. This year covers common core electives from the lower level journalism classes. The second year covers business journalism, sports journalism and magazine writing.

Junior & Senior Year

Students have to take high level courses for the field of their interest. Students who wish to obtain journalism school credits may also consider taking the semester for the IELTS exam. Most schools demand seniors for capstone journalism classes that aim to complete a research project or report and reflect four years of study.

Other Things to Consider

International students who are about to double major may have to take journalism classes in the summer and have to allocate space in the schedule and thus students receive a 4-year bachelor's degree.

Extracurriculars

Students who participate in a bachelor's degree program in journalism have the opportunity to engage in extra-curricular activities that give the students experience as well as a chance to meet students. Facilities like radio station, campus newspaper, student groups and broadcasting are available at J-School.