This interdisciplinary combined major offers students an opportunity to integrate the study and practice of journalism with an opportunity to obtain the communication skills and the understanding of the communication process required to thrive in a complex and changing society. The curriculum is designed to allow students to enhance the understanding of human communication as well as the tools needed to be able to tell powerful stories.
- Concentrations and course offerings may vary by campus and/or by program modality. Please consult with your advisor or admissions coach for the course availability each term at your campus or within your program modality.
- Certain options within the program may be required at certain campuses or for certain program modalities. Please consult with your advisor or admissions coach for requirements at your campus or for your program modality.
Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.
Universitywide Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the Universitywide Requirements.
BA Language Requirements
All BA students are required to complete the BA degree language requirements, for a total of 12 semester hours of language study or demonstrated equivalent proficiency, as described in Additional Requirements for BA students. Successful demonstration of proficiency does not reduce total minimum semester hours of study required to earn the BA degree.
NUpath Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.
Journalism Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Courses | ||
| C or better in JRNL 1101, JRNL 1102, and JRNL 2201 is required: | ||
| JRNL 1101 and JRNL 1102 | Journalism 1: Fundamentals of Reporting and Writing and Journalist’s Toolbox | 5 |
| JRNL 1150 | Understanding Today’s News | 4 |
| JRNL 2201 | Journalism 2: Intermediate Reporting | 4 |
| Visual Storytelling Requirement | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Visual Storytelling in Journalism | ||
| Podcast and Radio Journalism | ||
| Data Storytelling | ||
| News Documentary Production | ||
| Photojournalism | ||
| Design for Storytelling | ||
| Video News Reporting and Producing | ||
| The Newsroom | ||
| Law and Ethics | ||
| JRNL 3550 | The First Amendment and the Media | 4 |
| or JRNL 4650 | Ethics and Diversity in the News Media | |
| Journalism Electives | ||
| Complete four JRNL electives. Two must be 3000 level or above. | 16 | |
Communication Studies Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Common Requirements | ||
| COMM 1101 | Introduction to Communication Studies | 4 |
| Complete one of the following: | ||
| COMM 1112 | Public Speaking | 4 |
| or COMM 2301 | Communication Research Methods | |
| Distributed Requirements | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Persuasion and Rhetoric | ||
| Communication Theory | ||
| Principles of Organizational Communication | ||
| Communication in a Digital Age | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Sex, Relationships, and Communication | ||
| Global and Intercultural Communication | ||
| Communication and Gender | ||
| Communication Law | ||
| Free Speech in Cyberspace | ||
| Complete two of the following: | 8 | |
| Mobile Communication | ||
| Health Communication | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Communication and Inclusion | ||
| Political Communication | ||
| Argumentation Theory | ||
| Communication Criticism | ||
| Environmental Issues, Communication, and the Media | ||
| Free Speech: Law and Practice | ||
| Communication and Sexualities | ||
| Theories of Conflict and Negotiation | ||
| Nonverbal Social Interaction | ||
| Youth and Communication Technology | ||
| Crisis Communication and Image Management | ||
| Communication Electives | ||
| Complete three COMM courses. | 12 | |
Introductory
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| JRNL 1000 | Journalism at Northeastern | 1 |
| or COMM 1000 | Communication Studies at Northeastern | |
Co-op
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EEAM 2000 | Professional Development for Co-op | 1 |
Writing Requirement (First-Year Writing and Advanced Writing in the Disciplines)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENGW 1111 | First-Year Writing | 4 |
| ENGW 3314 | Advanced Writing in the Arts, Media, and Design | 4 |
| or ENGW 3315 | Interdisciplinary Advanced Writing in the Disciplines | |
| or JRNL 2301 | Visual Storytelling in Journalism | |
| or COMM 3409 | Advocacy Writing | |
Integrative Requirement
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one COMM course and one JRNL course: | 8 | |
| Television Field Production | ||
| Production Capstone | ||
| Video News Reporting and Producing | ||
| The Newsroom | ||
Communication Studies Grade Requirement
No more than two grades below a C in communication studies courses may be used to satisfy degree requirements.
Program Requirements
81 semester hours in the major
129 overall semester hours required
Sample Four-Years, Two-Co-ops Plan of Study
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| COMM 1101 | 4 | COMM 1112 or 2301 | 4 | COMM elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| ENGW 1111 | 4 | JRNL 1101 and JRNL 1102 | 5 | Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| JRNL 1000 or COMM 1000 | 1 | Language | 4 | ||||
| JRNL 1150 | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| Language | 4 | ||||||
| 17 | 17 | 8 | 8 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| EEAM 2000 | 1 | Co-op | 0 | Co-op | 0 | Elective | 4 |
| JRNL 2201 | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| COMM foundation course | 4 | ||||||
| JRNL elective | 4 | ||||||
| Language | 4 | ||||||
| 17 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| COMM cluster | 4 | Co-op | 0 | Co-op | 0 | COMM elective | 4 |
| COMM writing-intensive | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| JRNL visual storytelling | 4 | ||||||
| JRNL elective | 4 | ||||||
| 16 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
| JRNL 3550 or 4650 | 4 | COMM elective | 4 | ||||
| COMM writing-intensive | 4 | Integrative course | 4 | ||||
| Integrative course | 4 | JRNL elective | 4 | ||||
| JRNL elective | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| 16 | 16 | ||||||
| Total Hours: 131 | |||||||