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Home Academics Programs and Majors Journalism

Journalism

Overview Degrees/Certificates Courses Faculty

Associate Degrees for Transfer

A.A.-T. in Journalism

The Associate in Arts in Journalism for Transfer (AA-T) can provide students with the foundational knowledge necessary for transfer to a California State University (CSU). The Associate in Arts in Journalism for Transfer (AA-T) offers students the opportunity to take courses in media theories, news writing and reporting, Associated Press style, and writing for publication. It is designed to provide a seamless transfer pathway for students interested in pursuing a journalism degree in the California State University (CSU) system.



Upon successful completion of the degree requirements, students will be guaranteed admission to the CSU system with junior status and will not have to repeat lower division coursework. Students are encouraged to meet with a counselor to develop their educational plans as degree options and general education requirements vary for each university.



The Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) student completion requirements (as stated in SB1440 law):



(1) Completion of 60 semester units or 90 quarter units that are eligible for transfer to the California State University, including both of the following:

(A) The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State University General Education-Breadth Requirements (CSU GE-Breadth).

(B) A minimum of 18 semester units or 27 quarter units in a major or area of emphasis, as determined by the community college district.



(2) Obtainment of a minimum grade point average of 2.0.



ADTs also require that students must earn a “C” or better in all courses required for the major or area of emphasis. A "P" (Pass) grade is also an acceptable grade for courses in the major if the course is taken on a Pass/No Pass basis.

Catalog Date: August 1, 2024

Degree Requirements

Course Code Course Title Units
JOUR 300 Newswriting and Reporting 3
JOUR 310 Mass Media and Society (3) 3
   or COMM 351 Mass Media and Society (3)
   or ENGWR 384 Mass Media and Society (3)
JOUR 410 College Media Production I 3
A minimum of 3 units from the following: 3
JOUR 360 Photojournalism (3)
   or PHOTO 350 Photojournalism (3)
JOUR 364 Digital Video Editing and Production (3)
   or PHOTO 380 Digital Video Editing and Production (3)
JOUR 411 College Media Production II (3)
A minimum of 6 units from the following: 6
COMM 311 Argumentation and Debate (3)
COMM 361 The Communication Experience (3)
ECON 302 Principles of Macroeconomics (3)
   or ECON 304 Principles of Microeconomics (3)
ENGWR 302 Advanced Composition and Critical Thinking (3)
   or ENGWR 482 Honors Advanced Composition and Critical Thinking (3)
JOUR 320 Race and Gender in the Media (3)
PHIL 325 Symbolic Logic (3)
PHOTO 302 Beginning Digital Photography (3)
POLS 301 Introduction to Government: United States (3)
   or POLS 481 Introduction to Government: United States - Honors (3)
POLS 302 Comparative Politics (3)
STAT 300 Introduction to Probability and Statistics (4)
   or STAT 480 Introduction to Probability and Statistics - Honors (4)
   or PSYC 330 Introductory Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences (3)
Total Units: 18

The Associate in Arts in Journalism for Transfer (AA-T) degree may be obtained by completion of 60 transferable, semester units with a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.0, including (a) a minimum grade of "C" (or "P") for each course in the major or area of emphasis described in the Required Program, and (b) either the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State University General Education-Breadth Requirements.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:

  • write clear and concise stories that adhere to journalistic conventions.
  • conduct research and evaluate information using appropriate methods.
  • demonstrate an understanding of basic news and feature writing in print, broadcast, and online media.
  • evaluate his or her own work and that of others for accuracy, fairness, appropriate style, and grammatical correctness.
  • produce news and feature articles, photographs, and multimedia packages for publication in a newspaper or online publication.
  • understand and apply the principles of the First Amendment and other laws appropriate to professional practice.
  • apply ethical principles in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness, and diversity.
  • identify and explain the processes, elements, history, theory, and effect of modern mass media in society.

Career Information

Career opportunities for students who have earned Bachelor's degrees in Journalism include but are not limited to: news reporter, news editor, broadcast news writer, broadcast news producer, on-line news editor, on-line news producer, advertising copy writer, and public relations representative. Some careers may require additional training.

Associate Degrees

A.A. in Journalism

The Journalism A.A. degree is for students who have a goal of becoming media professionals, for which a degree is now expected. Some students pursuing this degree are non-CSU transfers who plan to major or minor in journalism at a four-year university and can complete lower-division major requirements through the associate degree. Other students are re-entry students with four-year degrees and want to add an associate degree in journalism to their resume so they can obtain multimedia skills, which are a necessity in today's journalism. Other re-entry students desire a journalism A.A. that will provide them with the skills to work in journalism. A major in journalism offers students the opportunity to take courses in media theories, news writing and reporting, AP style, and writing for publication, which readies them for the following courses that offer hands-on experience in three award-winning, student-produced publications: the Express, a biweekly print newspaper; Mainline, a magazine published once a semester; and saccityexpress.com, the online news publication. The Journalism degree prepares students for university-level studies in Journalism and leads to entry-level employment and careers in print, broadcast, and online news media.

Catalog Date: August 1, 2024

Degree Requirements

Course Code Course Title Units
JOUR 300 Newswriting and Reporting 3
JOUR 310 Mass Media and Society (3) 3
   or COMM 351 Mass Media and Society (3)
   or ENGWR 384 Mass Media and Society (3)
JOUR 410 College Media Production I 3
A minimum of 9 units from the following: 9
DDSN 311 Digital Layout I (3)
JOUR 320 Race and Gender in the Media (3)
JOUR 340 Writing for Publication (3)
   or ENGWR 330 Writing for Publication (3)
JOUR 360 Photojournalism (3)
   or PHOTO 350 Photojournalism (3)
JOUR 364 Digital Video Editing and Production (3)
   or PHOTO 380 Digital Video Editing and Production (3)
JOUR 365 Multimedia Capture II (3)
   or PHOTO 381 Multimedia Capture II (3)
JOUR 403 College Magazine Production I (3)
JOUR 411 College Media Production II (3)
JOUR 412 College Media Production III (3)
JOUR 413 College Media Production IV (3)
Total Units: 18

The Journalism Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree may be obtained by completion of the required program, plus general education requirements, plus sufficient electives to meet a 60-unit total. See SCC graduation requirements.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:

  • write clear and concise stories that adhere to journalistic conventions.
  • conduct research and evaluate information using appropriate methods.
  • demonstrate an understanding of basic news, feature writing, and reporting in print and online media.
  • evaluate their own work and that of others for accuracy, fairness, appropriate style, and grammatical correctness.
  • produce news and feature articles, photographs, and multimedia packages for publication in a newspaper, magazine, or on-line publication.
  • understand and apply the principles of the First Amendment and other laws appropriate to professional practice.
  • apply ethical principles in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness, and diversity.
  • identify and explain the processes, elements, history, and theory of modern mass media in society and how it influences society.
  • demonstrate an understanding of the fundamentals of mass media theories, concepts, and practices as they relate to gender, ethnicity, and class constructs.

Career Information

This program gives students the opportunity to prepare for entry-level positions as print and online writers, reporters, copy editors, photographers, videographers, pod-casters, and designers for online media, broadcast stations, newspapers, newsletters, magazines, or businesses and organizations with websites.

Certificates of Achievement

Multimedia News Specialist Certificate

A certificate as a Multimedia News Specialist offers students the opportunity to take courses in media theories, news writing and reporting, Associated Press style, and writing for publication, which readies them for the subsequent courses that offer hands-on experience in Saccityexpress.com online edition. The certificate prepares students for employment opportunities that require knowledge of and skills in broadcast and online media.

Catalog Date: August 1, 2024

Certificate Requirements

Course Code Course Title Units
JOUR 300 Newswriting and Reporting 3
JOUR 310 Mass Media and Society (3) 3
   or ENGWR 384 Mass Media and Society (3)
   or COMM 351 Mass Media and Society (3)
JOUR 360 Photojournalism (3) 3
   or PHOTO 350 Photojournalism (3)
A minimum of 12 units from the following: 12
DDSN 311 Digital Layout I (3)
DDSN 331 Digital Imaging I (3)
   or PHOTO 400 Digital Imaging (3)
JOUR 320 Race and Gender in the Media (3)
JOUR 340 Writing for Publication (3)
   or ENGWR 330 Writing for Publication (3)
JOUR 364 Digital Video Editing and Production (3)
   or PHOTO 380 Digital Video Editing and Production (3)
JOUR 403 College Magazine Production I (3)
WEXP 498 Work Experience in (Subject) (0.5 - 4)
Total Units: 21

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:

  • analyze content of newspapers, magazines, and online media.
  • demonstrate an understanding of basic news, feature writing, and reporting in print and online media.
  • evaluate and critique their own journalistic work and the work of others.
  • apply knowledge of grammar and AP style to create mass media products that conform to journalistic conventions.
  • produce news and feature articles and news and feature photographs for publication in a newspaper, magazine, or online publication.
  • apply principles of audience and journalistic ethics to their writing and photography, especially as they relate to gender, ethnicity, and culture.
  • demonstrate understanding of the fundamentals of mass media theories, concepts, and practices as they relate to gender, ethnicities, and cultural constructs.

Career Information

The Multimedia News Specialist certificate is geared for students who need to develop media skills as a component of their existing jobs or want to acquire media skills as an opportunity to advance. The certificate is meant to train vocational students for work on print or online publications at a business, organization, or government agency. Students in this category may be, or want to become, responsible in their job duties for business newsletters, company websites, or public relations outreach within organizations. Students pursuing a certificate often are not interested in an exclusive media career but are seeking media skills to enhance their present job skills. They typically are not students who desire professional media careers. This certificate gives students the opportunity to gain skills as multimedia editors, writers, reporters, copy editors, photographers, and designers on a company's or organization's online media website, newsletter, or trade magazine.

Visual Journalism Certificate

The Visual Journalism certificate provides students the opportunity to fully prepare themselves for entry-level positions as multimedia photographers in the journalism field. Students will complete courses in both Journalism and Photography with an emphasis on building a multimedia journalistic portfolio.



Recommended High School Preparation: Courses in art, English, journalism, basic photography, and graphic arts.



Costs: In addition to the normal student expenses (for textbooks, personal equipment, and supplies) digital print materials fees may be required. These fees may vary each semester. If these fees create a financial burden, students should consult the Financial Aid Office for possible assistance.

Catalog Date: August 1, 2024

Certificate Requirements

Course Code Course Title Units
JOUR 300 Newswriting and Reporting 3
JOUR 310 Mass Media and Society (3) 3
   or COMM 351 Mass Media and Society (3)
   or ENGWR 384 Mass Media and Society (3)
JOUR 360 Photojournalism (3) 3
   or PHOTO 350 Photojournalism (3)
JOUR 364 Digital Video Editing and Production (3) 3
   or PHOTO 380 Digital Video Editing and Production (3)
PHOTO 280 Portfolio Development I 2 -4
PHOTO 302 Beginning Digital Photography 3
PHOTO 312 Intermediate Digital Photography 3
Total Units: 20 - 22

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:

  • describe technical and aesthetic qualities of successful photojournalistic photographs.
  • demonstrate a thorough knowledge of current computer software and digital imaging skills as they apply to photojournalism.
  • produce photographs using various digital camera methods.
  • create a portfolio and related materials for employment.
  • demonstrate an understanding of and proficiency in multimedia storytelling.
  • analyze content of newspapers, magazines, and online media.
  • produce news and feature photographs and multimedia content for publication in a newspaper, magazine, or online publication.
  • apply principles of audience and journalistic ethics to their own photography/multimedia content, especially as they relate to gender, ethnicity, and culture.
  • demonstrate understanding of the fundamentals of mass media theories, concepts, and practices as they relate to gender, ethnicity, and cultural constructs.
  • demonstrate understanding of journalistic writing style and reporting.

Check Out Degree Planner

If you're interested in a transfer degree (AA-T or AS-T), then check out Degree Planner, a tool that helps you complete your degree efficiently by mapping out what courses to take and when to take them.

Degree Planner

Arts and Communication

Arts and Communication meta major

This program is part of the Arts and Communication meta major.

Arts and Communication