Journalism and Strategic Media:
Training tomorrow's media innovators
Our undergraduate programs prepare students for careers in advertising, broadcasting, journalism, public relations, social media, sports media and visual media. The Department of Journalism and Strategic Media offers hands-on training by faculty members with professional experience in the media industry. Our undergraduate media programs are accredited by national accrediting bodies—the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications and Public Relations Society of America, for the public relations program.
Our graduate programs We also offer an on-campus and online graduate program with emphases in integrated strategic media, news and storytelling, visual media and mass media research.
Real-World Education
We provide hands-on training to future media professionals not only to succeed in the current industry but also to innovate the field into the future. Our students gain real-world experience through in-class instruction and internship and practicum programs, making our graduates highly competitive in the ever-changing media job market.
Innovative Curriculum
We know the media world is an ever-changing industry innovation, in the field and in our curriculum, is the key to future success. That's why our curriculum is designed to offer students the most up-to-date and inventive educational experience possible.
Our Undergraduate Majors
Journalism
Students develop storytelling skills using writing, audio, video, social media and graphics. Journalism students learn tools for 21st-century reporting while focusing on writing and digital media, and Broadcast Journalism learn those skills for reporting on air. Sports Media students learn about sports writing and reporting about sports, as well as sports broadcasting, sports public relations and sports social media. Creative Mass Media students focus on media production skills in print and web design, photojournalism, audio and video.
Strategic Media
In Strategic Media, students learn to speak for brands and organizations through advertising and public relations. In Advertising, students learn to write and design ads, conduct market research, buy media and create campaigns working with real-life professional clients. In Public Relations, students learn to be the link between organizations and public through writing, publishing and strategic planning skills. And in Integrated Social Media, students learn to use social media for advertising and public relations purposes, including working as a brand influencer.
Our Graduate Program
M.A. — Journalism and Strategic Media
We offer four emphases in our master of art in journalism and strategic media program. Students can select the emphasis that most meets their professional and academic goals. Students may choose one of our professional emphases—news and storytelling, integrated strategic media, or visual media, to gain hands-on experience in one of those areas to further their current media career or to gain entrance into the field. Students may also choose the mass media research emphasis, designed to help the student to eventually pursue a doctorate degree in a related field.
M.A. — Open-Source Investigative Reporting
Open-source research uses publicly available information to uncover data and get to the truth. Through the graduate program in Open-Source Investigative Reporting, journalists with all levels of experience will learn how to discover, uncover and report on information found on the Internet, social media, public databases, books and periodicals – from the U.S. and other countries.
Ph.D. — Communication, Journalism and Strategic Media Concentration
With a focus on qualitative and quantitative research as well as coursework designed to teach pedagogical practices and to prepare you for university employment, the new Ph.D. program in communication with a concentration in journalism and strategic media is your first step toward an academic career. Building on the Ph.D. in communication, our new program in journalism and strategic media allows students to complete their degrees fully online, fully on campus or a hybrid of both.