Admission to the Major

To become a Journalism and Media Studies major, you must be first be admitted to the School of Communication, Information and Library Studies (SCILS). In order to apply to the major you must:

1. Have completed Expository Writing or an equivalent course or placement with a grade of C or better,
2. Have completed at least 15 credits at Rutgers, or at least 15 transfer credits to Rutgers, with at least a 2.0 Grade Point Average, and
3. Have completed with a grade of C or better, or be currently enrolled in, 04:189:102 - Introduction to Media Systems and Processes.  

If you apply and are admitted to the JMS major while enrolled in 102, you must earn a grade of C or better in the course to remain in the major after the end of the semester.  If you do not earn a grade of C or better, you are allowed to re-take the course one time.  Students who earn a D or F in 102 and who were admitted to the major and pre-registered for the following term, will be de-registered from any courses that list 102 as a prerequisite.

SCILS accepts applications to majors in the fall, spring, and summer terms. 

Details about deadlines and application forms are available on this website; use the link to the right or go directly to http://scils.rutgers.edu/apply.

Degree Requirements

Journalism and Media Studies majors are required to take 30 credits within the department.  In addition, SCILS has an interdiscipinary requirement of 3 credits for all of the school's majors.

A second major is viewed as highly advantageous for students preparing for a career in the mass media. We strongly encourage you to pursue a double major, or at least a minor. Students are not allowed to double major in either Communication or Information Technology and Informatics, the two other SCILS undergraduate majors.

The 30-credit major demands that students carefully formulate their program of coursework. Students should consult an adviser for guidance at least once a year.

ATTENTION TRANSFER STUDENTS: No more than six (6) transfer credits (2 courses) will be accepted toward the major; maximum one course each from the skills and conceptual areas.

SCILS Interdisciplinary Requirement 

JMS majors must complete either 04:189:101 Introduction to Communication and Information
or 04:189:103 Information Technology and Informatics to fulfill the 3 credit interdisciplinary requirement of the school.  The course must be taken before the senior year.  These credits are not part of the major, but are a requirement of the school for all majors.

Core Requirements of the Major

All student majors are required to complete the courses listed below with a grade of “C” or better in each course. The core curriculum consists of the following 9 credits:

1. 04:567:324 News Writing and Reporting
2. 04:567:310 Broadcast News Writing
   or
   04:567:325 Writing & Reporting for the Print Media
3. Complete the core requirements with 04:567:480 Media Ethics and Law

Conceptual Requirements

Students must take at least two conceptual courses, for a total of six credits.  See the list of courses below to review which courses meet this requirement.

Elective Requirements 

The other 15 credits for the JMS major may include any journalism (567) courses you wish to take.

Overview of Courses for the Major 

To view descriptions of each course, go to http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/component/option,com_courses/task,listing/sch,04/cur,567/Itemid,54/

Conceptual Courses

04:567:274      Consumer Media Culture                                   
04:567:278      Mass Media and Government                             
04: 567:330     Exploring New Media                                          
04: 567:334     Gender, Race, and Class in the Media              
04: 567:335     Mass Communication and the American Image
04: 567:350     Development of Mass Media                              
04: 567:370     Images of Journalism in American Film           
04: 567:379     Media and Politics
04: 567:410     Media Criticism
04:567:420      Global News
04: 567:423     Communication Law                                         
04: 567:458     Media, Government and Politics                        
04: 567:459     Media, Democracy, and the Public
04:567:460      News, Film, and Politics
04: 567:464     Mass Media Management                                 
04: 567:470     Critical Analyses of the News                        
04: 567:473     Seminar in Journalism and Media Studies        
04: 567:475     International Media
04: 567:480     Media Ethics and Law *
04: 567:490     Honors Seminar in Journalism/Media Studies

Practical, Skills Courses

04: 567:310     Broadcast News Writing
04: 567:314     Photojournalism
04: 567:320     Editing and Design
04: 567:324     News Reporting and Writing  
04: 567:325     Writing for the Print Media 
04: 567:326     Advanced Reporting                
04: 567:327     Public Information and Public Relations
04: 567:340     Science and Health Journalism      
04: 567:345     Media Publishing and Design   
04: 567:347     Information Design for Web Journalists  
04: 567:375     Television Reporting
04: 567:376     Advanced Television Reporting         
04: 567:410     Magazine Writing
04: 567:465     TV Programming Strategies    
04: 567:473     Special Topics: Environmental Journalism**                            *
04: 567:495     Investigative and In-Depth Reporting 

* Required course, but doesn't count towards 2 course prerequisite needed to graduate.
** Temporarily being taught under this course number.