This is an archived copy of the 2016-2018 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.utexas.edu/.

Bachelor of Journalism

To be awarded the degree of Bachelor of Journalism, the candidate must complete 120 semester hours of coursework and must fulfill the University's General Requirements for graduation and the Core Curriculum  requirements, the college graduation requirements given in Special Requirements of the College , and the requirements given in Special Requirements of the Major, Prescribed Work, and Major Requirements below.

Journalism courses are divided into five levels of coursework and more narrowly within the levels according to their skill set and writing content. Not all courses are offered every semester and additional courses are likely to be offered in the future to reflect trends in journalism.

Level I, Foundations: Journalism 301F and 302F
Level II, Applications: Journalism 310F and 311F
Level III, Specialized Issues and Skills: 

Level IV, Professional Principles: Journalism 350F, 351F, 352F, 353F
Level V, Professional Practices: Journalism 332J, 333J, 360F, 160G, 361F, 362F

Courses in Levels II – V have prerequisites appropriate to their skill level. Prerequisites may include testing, an interview, or other procedures. Information about these additional requirements is available from the School of Journalism adviser.

Core Curriculum

All students must complete the University’s Core Curriculum  as well as the prescribed work for the Bachelor of Journalism listed below. In some cases, a course required for the Bachelor of Journalism may also be counted toward the core curriculum; these courses are identified below. Flag descriptions can also be found in Core Curriculum .

Prescribed Work

  1. Three semester hours in English or rhetoric and writing in addition to the courses required by the core curriculum.
  2. Three courses with a writing flag; one course with a quantitative reasoning flag; one course with a global cultures flag; one course with a cultural diversity in the United States flag; one course with an ethics and leadership flag; and one course with an independent inquiry flag. The same course cannot be used to satisfy the global cultures and cultural diversity flags even if the course carries both flags. Courses that fulfill flag requirements are identified in the Course Schedule . They may also be used to fulfill other degree requirements.
  3. Three semester hours of coursework in the Moody College of Communication dealing with the study of communication issues concerning at least one minority or non-dominant group within the United States. Courses that fulfill this requirement may also be used to fulfill other degree and flag requirements. A partial list of these communication and culture courses is given in the Communication and Culture Requirement  section under the Moody College of Communication's Degrees and Programs section; a complete list is available in the college’s Student Advising Office before registration for each semester and summer session. The courses are also identified in the Course Schedule.
  4. Students must demonstrate intermediate proficiency in a single foreign language. Courses taken to meet this requirement may not be taken on a pass/fail basis. Credit may be earned by examination for any part of a foreign language sequence. An extensive foreign language testing program is available at the University. Students with knowledge of a language are encouraged to take appropriate tests both to earn as much credit as possible and to be placed at the proper level for further study. Students should consult with an academic adviser for information on testing.
  5. At least 36 semester hours of upper-division coursework.
  6. No more than 12 semester hours of transfer credit in journalism may be counted toward the degree.
  7. Enough additional coursework to make a total of 120 semester hours. No more than 36 semester hours in one field of study may be counted toward the degree, except as indicated under Major Requirements below.

Special Requirements of the Major

All students in the journalism program are strongly encouraged to have a laptop computer meeting certain specifications as they enter Level II courses. Computer parameters will be designated by the School of Journalism on the department website at http://journalism.utexas.edu .

Students will be required to take Journalism 302F, 310F, and 311F in residence. In addition, Journalism 310F and 311F require a grade of at least B-.

Students who are interested in completing advanced photojournalism courses are required to take Communication 316, Photographic Communication, as part of their required six hours of coursework in communication.

To enroll in upper-division journalism courses, a student must have a University grade point average of at least 2.25, a grade point average in courses in the Moody College of Communication of at least 2.00, and credit for Journalism 310F and 311F with a grade of at least B-. Students who do not fulfill this requirement will be unable to register for upper-division journalism courses. The 2.25 grade point average requirement is waived for the transfer student during the first semester of coursework, while he or she is establishing a University grade point average.

In order to graduate, Journalism majors must complete six hours chosen from Journalism 360F, 362F or 361F. In place of Journalism 361F, a student may substitute either 332J or 333J. Internships can be taken for course credit as soon as a student completes the two Level II courses with a grade of at least B in each.

The student must complete at least 84 semester hours outside journalism. At least 65 hours must be in liberal arts and natural sciences.

A student majoring in journalism may not register for more than nine semester hours in journalism in one semester or summer session. The director or associate director may make exceptions to this rule for students who need additional journalism courses in order to graduate on time.

A student with a major in journalism must have a grade of at least C in each course taken in the Moody College that is counted toward the degree; if the course is offered on the pass/fail basis only, the student must have the symbol CR.

Additional information about the preceding requirements is available from the School of Journalism at http://journalism.utexas.edu/ or (512) 471-1845.

Major Requirements

  1. Journalism students must complete 36 semester hours in journalism and no more than 36 journalism hours may be counted toward the degree.
  2. The following courses are required: Journalism 301F, 302F, 310F, 311F, 350F, and six hours to be chosen from 360F, 361F, or 362F; Journalism 332J and 333J may substitute for 361F. Journalism 302F, 310F, and 311F must be taken in residence and a grade of at least B- is required for 310F and 311F.
  3. At least nine semester hours but not more than 15 semester hours from Level III, Specialized Issues and Skills, as follows:
    1. at least three semester hours to be chosen from Journalism 327D, 320F, 321F, 322F, 323F, 324F, 325F, 326F
    2. at least three semester hours to be chosen from Journalism 330C, 332D, 340D, 331F, 334F,  335F, 336F,  337F, 338F, 339F, 330G, 331G, 332G, 333G, 334G, 335G, 336G, 337G, 335J, 336J, 339T (Topics 1, 2, 3, and 4), 349T (Topic 23)
    3. at least three semester hours to be chosen from Journalism 340F, 341F, 342F, 343F, 344F, 345F, 346F, 347F, 348F, 349F, 340G, 341G, 343G, 344G, 345G, 346G, 347G, 348G, 340J, 341J, 342J
  4. At least six semester hours of coursework must be taken in the Moody College of Communication but outside the School of Journalism. 
  5. No Moody College of Communication course to be counted toward the degree may be taken on the pass/fail basis, unless the course is offered only on that basis.

Order and Choice of Work

First Year

  1. The student must take three courses from the following group each semester:
    1. Rhetoric and Writing 306
    2. Courses to be counted toward the American history, American and Texas government, social and behavioral sciences, mathematics, and science and technology requirements of the core curriculum. Students who plan to concentrate in photojournalism are encouraged to take courses in chemistry, physics, and mathematics to fulfill the science and technology areas.
    3. Courses in a foreign language.
  2. Journalism 301F and 302F.
  3. Students who plan to take advanced photojournalism courses are encouraged to take Communication 316 in their second semester as part of their required six hours of coursework in communication but outside of journalism.
  4. Two courses that meet flag requirements.
  5. Enough additional coursework to raise the student’s course load to 15 or 16 hours each semester. Courses should be chosen with the guidance of a college academic adviser.

First-year students may not take two beginning foreign language courses in the same semester. First-year students may not take more than eight semester hours in one department.

Second Year

  1. The student should take three courses from the following group each semester; four are recommended:
    1. English 316L, 316M, 316N, or 316P and any three-semester-hour course in English or rhetoric and writing.
    2. Courses to be counted toward the American history, American and Texas government, social and behavioral sciences, mathematics, and science and technology requirements of the core curriculum.
    3. Courses in the foreign language, unless the language requirement has been fulfilled.
  2. Journalism 310F and 311F and additional coursework to fulfill the major requirements.
  3. Two courses that meet flag requirements.
  4. Enough additional coursework, if needed, to raise the student’s course load to 15 or 16 hours each semester. Courses should be chosen with the guidance of a college academic adviser.

Third Year

  1. Two courses that meet flag requirements.
  2. Any remaining courses in the core curriculum and the prescribed work.
  3. Journalism Level III and IV coursework to fulfill the major requirements. Courses should be chosen with the guidance of a college academic adviser.
  4. Journalism 360F,  361F (or an approved substitute for this course), or 362F if the prerequisites have been met.
  5. Upper-division electives chosen to support the major.

Fourth Year

  1. Upper-division electives chosen to support the major.
  2. Any remaining major requirements from Levels III, IV, and V. Courses should be chosen with the guidance of a college academic adviser.
  3. Any remaining flag requirements.
  4. Any remaining courses in the core curriculum and the prescribed work.