Specializations

IntroductionSIUC SoJ occupies a national leadership role in mass communication education at a time of revolutionary change. The technology of communication is changing faster than any time since the invention of movable type.
Students working on computer projects

The School of Journalism is keeping pace with these historic changes by expanding coursework in areas including web, video, audio and multi-media skills, while continuing to reinforce knowledge vital to journalists of all eras - clear writing, clear thinking, law, ethics and history.

The program combines a detailed understanding of the practice of journalism in modern society with a broad knowledge of the liberal arts. Students acquire the specific skills necessary to become professionals in advertising, new media production, news, photojournalism, or other communication fields.

Students are encouraged to develop in-depth knowledge by completing the requirements of a structured minor in a subject area outside the College of Mass Communication and related fields.

The curriculum prepares students for positions of responsibility in a broad array of fields in which the ability to communicate is essential. One new specialization - New Media Producer - prepares students to run institutional websites. The School of Journalism also prepares students for graduate studies in mass communication, the social sciences, and the law.

While most students are best served by one of the following specializations, other programs of study in the major may be designed to meet special needs.

Learn more about the five areas of emphasis by following the links on the specializations menu.