School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Core Curriculum and General Electives +
JOUR 1001 (3). Contemporary Mass Media.
Examines mass media's interaction with society and looks at journalism and mass media in historical, intellectual, economic, political, and social contexts.
JOUR 1871 (1-3). Special Topics.
JOUR 2011 (3). Media and Public Culture.
Introduces the rise and development of mediated communication and its impact on and role within the formation of modern culture and public life. Restricted to JOUR majors.
JOUR 2601 (3). Principles of Journalism.
Provides an overview of the professional traditions, roles, practices and responsibilities of news media in a democracy. Covers best journalistic practices, how news is defined, truth telling, ethics, reporting and writing in a diverse society, emerging trends and new sources of news, and how business concerns impact the practice of journalism. Promotes the highest professional values and encourages students to be future leaders who recognize the possibilities of journalism in a democratic society. Restricted to majors.
JOUR 3001 (3). Public Affairs Reporting.
Grounds students in basic reporting and writing skills necessary to become competent journalists. Prereq., JOUR 2601. Restricted to juniors/seniors. May be limited to majors.
JOUR 3771 (3). Mass Communication History.
Discusses major trends in the development of contemporary American journalism, its role in United States history, famous journalists, and foundations and evolution of freedom of the press. Prereq., junior or senior standing. May be limited to majors.
JOUR 4201 (3). International Mass Communication.
Covers mass media in the international system, including comparative examinations of national and international press organizations, methods, and content. Also looks at the role of mass media in developed and developing countries and the international flow of news and opinion.
JOUR 4301 (3). Media Ethics and Professional Practice.
Provides a theoretical framework within which to spot and analyze ethical issues in the mass media. Awakens students to ethical issues; allows them to question the profession's conventional wisdom; and teaches them how to change those conventions. Same as JOUR 5301.
JOUR 4311 (3). Mass Communication Criticism.
Introduces students to the critical perspectives most often employed in qualitative media analysis: semiology, structuralism, Marxism, psychoanalytical criticism, sociological criticism, etc. Texts from contemporary print and broadcast media.
JOUR 4321 (3). Media Institutions and Economics.
Introduces the institutions and practices of the media industries. Surveys the histories, structures, and activities of these organizations and the contemporary issues surrounding them. Restricted to JOUR majors with a minimum of 75 hours. Same as ETHN 4324 and JOUR 5321.
JOUR 4331 (3). Women and Popular Culture.
Studies how women are portrayed in mass media, particularly advertising, television, film, and contemporary popular literature. Uses critical methods with a focus on producing responsible viewers and readers. Same as JOUR 5331, WMST 4331.
JOUR 4341 (3). Global Media Empires.
Examines the ownership of major media, the nature of advertising, the business process outsourcing the Internet enables, news and the entertainment content media provide. Presents an understanding of global/national/local tussles, embedded in history, economics, politics and culture.
JOUR 4651 (3). Mass Communication Law.
Studies state and federal laws and court decisions that affect mass communication in order to develop knowledge of mass media rights and responsibilities and an understanding of the legal system.
JOUR 4661 (3). Newspaper Management.
Covers management and organization of newspapers, including an understanding of daily management considerations and what is involved in being an employee in today's newspaper environment. Same as JOUR 5661.
JOUR 4711 (3). Mass Media and Culture.
Examines culture in the form of discourse, symbols, and texts transmitted through mass media. Explores the relationship between such mediated culture and social myth and ideology. Same as JOUR 5711.
JOUR 4791 (3). Mass Communication and Public Opinion.
Topics include opinion-shaping role of the mass media, theories of public opinion and propaganda, polling, communication effects, and communication theories. Same as JOUR 5791.
JOUR 4831 (3). Publication Design and Production.
Explores fundamentals of design, typography, composition, color, and print media, with an emphasis on both the design process and presentation comps. The focus is on the design of niche and consumer audience publications, such as newsletters, magazines, and collateral print. May be limited to majors. Same as JOUR 5831.
JOUR 4841 (1-3). Undergraduate Independent Study.
JOUR 4871 (1-3). Special Topics.
JOUR 4931 (1-6). Internship.
JOUR 5001 (1-4). Research in Journalism.
Offers students the opportunity to participate in research projects with faculty members or pursue their own primary research interests.
JOUR 5511 (3). Newsgathering 1.
Covers problems and practice in reporting news of government, politics, the courts, and industry, business, science, and other areas involving public issues. For graduate students only.
JOUR 5521 (3). Precision Journalism.
Instructs students in computer-assisted reporting, including a knowledge of commercial databases, global information networks, and the use of spreadsheets to analyze census data and other complex information.
JOUR 5651 (3). Mass Communication Law.
Studies state and federal laws and court decisions that affect mass communication in order to develop knowledge of mass media rights and responsibilities and an understanding of the legal system.
JOUR 5841 (1-3). Graduate Independent Study.
JOUR 5851 (1-6). Graduate Professional Project.
JOUR 5861 (3). Visual Communication.
Visual communication involves understanding both perception of messages and construction of them. Students analyze their visual thinking abilities and develop habits of visual analysis and criticism, as well as visual communication skills.
JOUR 5871 (1-3). Special Topics.
JOUR 5931 (1-3). Internship.
JOUR 6051 (3). Theories of Mass Communication.
Studies theories and perspectives of mass communication and explores the role of mass media in society.
JOUR 6061 (3). Mass Communication Research.
Continuation of JOUR 6051, emphasizing experimental and survey research methods.
JOUR 6071 (3). Critical Theories of Media and Culture.
Introduction to critical theories and analysis of media and popular culture. Examines major theoretical traditions and/or theorists that significantly inform media studies (e.g., culturalism, structuralism, Marxism, critical theory, feminism, psychoanalysis, post-structuralism) and applies these to media analysis and criticism.
JOUR 6201 (3). Readings in International Mass Communication.
Covers mass communication within the international system, including similarities and differences in functions, facilities, and content; social theories of the press; and the international flow of mass communication.
JOUR 6211 (3). Communication and International Development.
Studies and analyzes communications technologies and techniques used in addressing social problems in developing countries.
JOUR 6301 (3). Communication, Media, and Concepts of the Public.
Introduces students to historical and contemporary uses of fundamental concepts in research and theory about media institutions, particularly public, community, mass, publicity, public space, public opinion, public interest, and the public sphere.
JOUR 6311 (3). Seminar: Freedom of Expression.
Studies free-speech issues in the context of current and historical philosophical foundations for freedom of expression.
JOUR 6321 (3). Literary Journalism.
Analyzes the work of journalists who became some of the greatest fiction writers of the 19th and 20th centuries, and examines the increasingly indistinct lines between journalism and narrative fiction.
JOUR 6551 (3). Telecommunication Policy.
Surveys historical and contemporary developments in telecommunications policy, emphasizing social and cultural dimensions, and focusing primarily on the context of the United States.
JOUR 6651 (3). Press and the Constitution.
Graduate seminar in communications law. Studies changing law and applied legal research techniques.
JOUR 6661 (3). Media Ethics and Responsibility.
Develops a theoretical framework with which to recognize and analyze ethical issues as they arise in the mass media.
JOUR 6671 (3). Media, Myth, and Ritual.
Anthropological and interpretative exploration of cultural practices of media audiences. Addresses theoretical and methodological implications of studying audiences from a culturalist perspective, with particular focus on media audience practices. Students engage in field research projects related to course content.
JOUR 6711 (3). Mass Communication, Culture.
Inquiry into relationship of the arts and the mass media, including study of critics, their function, and their works.
JOUR 6721 (3). Message Effectiveness.
Investigates how mass media messages work in terms of such effects as perception, learning and comprehension, and persuasion. Effectiveness is analyzed in terms of how well mass communication messages meet their objectives.
JOUR 6771 (3). History of Mass Communication.
Examines specialized areas in the history of mass communication.
JOUR 6781 (3). Economic and Political Aspects of Mass Communication.
Discusses economic problems and political issues relevant to newspapers, magazines, broadcasting, and CATV. Examines problems of telecommunications and the impact of future technology on mass communication.
JOUR 6951 (1-6). Master's Thesis.
JOUR 7011 (3). Proseminar in Communication Theory 1.
Introduces the principal concepts, literature, and theoretical and paradigmatic perspectives of media studies and mass communication and their ties and contributions to parallel domains in the social sciences and humanities.
JOUR 7051 (3). Qualitative Research Methods in Mass Communication.
Examines various methods of qualitative data gathering and analysis in the mass media context.
JOUR 7061 (3). Quantitative Research Methods in Mass Communication.
Examines various methods of quantitative data gathering methods and analysis in the mass media context.
JOUR 7871 (3). Special Topics.
JOUR 8991 (1-10). Doctoral Thesis.
News-Editorial +
JOUR 3102 (3). Press Photography.
Covers the camera as a reporting tool, training in the use of cameras, composition, and darkroom procedures. Prereq., JOUR 2601 or JOUR 2403. May be limited to majors.
JOUR 3552 (3). News Editing.
Discusses principles and practice in copy editing and writing headlines for local and wire stories. Practice in page makeup, picture editing, and electronic editing. Prereq., JOUR 3001. Restricted to majors.
JOUR 3902 (1-3). Newspaper Practicum.
Gives students the opportunity to participate in news work on Campus Press. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours.
JOUR 4002 (3). Reporting 2.
Assumes mastery of basic reporting and writing skills. Students produce more sophisticated stories on a variety of topics. Prereq., JOUR 3001.
JOUR 4102 (3). Advanced Photography.
Explores advanced camera and darkroom techniques, the picture story, picture editing, trends in pictorial journalism, and individual projects. Prereq., JOUR 3102. Same as JOUR 5102.
JOUR 4272 (3). Public Relations.
Surveys public relations in America. Includes case studies and individual projects. Same as JOUR 5272.
JOUR 4282 (3). Public Relations Programs.
Develops and applies public relations programs, from identification of the problem through execution of public relations techniques. Prereq., JOUR 4272. Same as JOUR 5282.
JOUR 4502 (3). Reporting 3.
Involves writing news and features about actual events for publication under deadline pressure. Lab to be arranged. Prereqs., JOUR 3552 and 4002, and senior standing. Restricted to majors. Same as JOUR 5502.
JOUR 4552 (1-3). Advanced Editing.
Highlights copy editing, headline writing, page designing, and news evaluating. Emphasizes day-to-day newsroom operations in a newsroom environment. Students edit the Campus Press.
JOUR 4562 (3). Electronic Journalism.
Involves studying and writing about existing electronic publications and online publishing policies. Teaches methods of electronic journalism from simple text to the more sophisticated graphics, photos, movies, and sound and text presentations. Same as JOUR 5562.
JOUR 4602 (3). Editorial and Opinion Writing.
Concentrates on several of the subjective areas of journalism. Emphasizes editorial writing, editorial pages, critics, and criticism of the performing arts. Same as JOUR 5602.
JOUR 4702 (3). Critical Writing for the Journalist.
Analyzes the entertainment area, especially as it pertains to the print media. Emphasizes the composition of criticism and attitudes and writing techniques of individual critics. Prereq., JOUR 3001. Same as JOUR 5702.
JOUR 4802 (3). Magazine and Feature Writing.
Provides practice in writing freelance articles. Considers types, sources, methods, titles, illustrations, and marketing. Prereq., JOUR 3001. Same as JOUR 5802.
JOUR 4822 (3). Reporting on the Environment.
Involves reporting and writing about the environment by taking into account the scientific, technological, political, economic, and cultural dimensions of environmental subjects. Same as JOUR 5822.
JOUR 5282 (3). Public Relations Programs.
Prereq., JOUR 5272 or instructor consent. Same as JOUR 4282.
JOUR 5502 (3). Newsgathering 2.
Prereqs., JOUR 5511 and 5552. Restricted to majors. Same as JOUR 4502.
JOUR 5512 (3). In-Depth Reporting.
Shows how to dig beneath the surface of issues and events. Focuses on research, interviewing, and writing. Prereq., JOUR 5511.
JOUR 5552 (3). News Editing.
Discusses principles and practice in copy editing and writing headlines for local and wire stories. Practice in page makeup, picture editing, and electronic editing. Prereq., JOUR 3001. Restricted to majors.
JOUR 5812 (3). Science Writing.
Helps students acquire the basic skills and knowledge required of science journalists. Also examines the scientific method, the nature of scientific knowledge, and how the media covers science.
Advertising +
JOUR 2403 (3). Principles of Advertising.
Covers basic principles of publication, radio, and television advertising. Analyzes consumers, markets, and media. Organizes advertising departments and agencies.
JOUR 3403 (3). Branding and Positioning.
Provides students with the opportunity to work through the strategic communication planning process from situation analysis through communication objectives. Prereq., JOUR 2403. Restricted to ADVT, MKTG majors.
JOUR 3453 (3). Introduction to Creative Concepts.
Provides experience in creating advertising copy and layout and analyzing consumer and product appeals. Students prepare copy for various media: newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. Prereq., JOUR 2403. Restricted to ADVT and MKTG majors.
JOUR 3463 (3). Advertising Media.
Studies media, markets, and audiences, and their relationships to advertising messages. Prereqs., JOUR 3403 and 3453. Restricted to ADVT/MKTG majors.
JOUR 3473 (3). Advertising Research.
Introduces students to applied research methods and provides practice in using research in marketing and advertising decision making. Prereqs., JOUR 3403 and 3453. Restricted to junior/senior JOUR, MKTG and ADVT majors.
JOUR 3503 (3). Intermediate Creative Concepts.
Provides experience in how to develop concepts large enough to be the basis of a multi-ad campaign. Learn how to give individual ads in each campaign a consistent look and tone. Prereq., JOUR 3403, 3453, and instructor consent.
JOUR 3913 (1-3). Advertising Practicum.
Provides the opportunity to do advertising work for the Campus Press and the virtual mall. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours.
JOUR 4403 (4). Advertising Campaigns.
Discusses advanced copy and layout. Emphasizes planning integrated advertising campaigns for national and regional audiences. Prereq., JOUR 3463 or 3503. Restricted to ADVT and MKTG majors with a minimum of 85 hours.
JOUR 4453 (3). Advertising and Society.
Examines criticisms and contributions of advertising in society and the economy. Same as JOUR 5453.
JOUR 4503 (3). Advanced Creative Concepts.
Shows how to apply skills learned in JOUR 3503 to specific product areas. Learn how to extend a campaign idea across various media. Portfolios are developed with a range of products for a variety of print media venues. Prereqs., JOUR 3503 and 4513.
JOUR 4513 (3). Introduction to Art Direction.
Helps students strengthen their understanding of design and type. Emphasis is also placed on the visual imagination and helping students learn to use images to express their ideas. Prereqs., JOUR 3403, 3453 or instructor consent. Coreq., JOUR 3503.
JOUR 4523 (3). Portfolio.
Develop new campaigns; select, edit, and fine tune ideas with the most portfolio potential; and execute work on computer until each campaign has the finished quality of professional work. Students complete portfolios. Prereq., JOUR 4503 or instructor consent.
JOUR 4533 (3). Consumer Insights.
Uses qualitative research to understand how the world looks from the consumer's point of view. Prereqs., JOUR 3403, 3453. Restricted to ADVT, MKTG majors.
JOUR 4543 (3). Strategic Brand Management.
Examines the theory of branding: what brands are, how brands are created and measured, as well as strategies for managing brands and brand communication. Prereq., JOUR 3463. Restricted to ADVT, MKTG majors.
JOUR 5873 (3). Special Topics---Advertising.
Broadcast +
JOUR 3604 (3). Radio and Television News.
Covers principles and techniques involved in the preparation of news for broadcasting. Prereq., JOUR 2601. Restricted to junior/senior majors.
JOUR 3614 (3). Radio Programming and Production.
Introduces audio console, microphones, turntables, tape recorders, tape editing, timing, and combo operation. Emphasizes applying the basic principles to professional production of radio programs.
JOUR 3644 (3). Principles of Broadcast Production.
Introduces the use of television equipment. Emphasizes applying the basic principles to professional program production. Prereq., JOUR 2601. Restricted to junior/senior BCPM/BCNS majors.
JOUR 3674 (3). Television Production 2.
Covers studio productions for "NewsTeam Boulder." Students also do field projects to sharpen their writing, video production, and editing skills. Prereq., JOUR 3644.
JOUR 4344 (3). TV Documentary.
Designed to give advanced broadcast students the opportunity to create through research, writing, videotaping, and editing a long-form, nonfiction television program. Prereq., JOUR 3644. Same as JOUR 5344.
JOUR 4354 (3). TV Reporting.
Students learn basic broadcast reporting skills---where to find news and how to cover it, how to analyze and organize news stories. Skills are linked with advanced concepts of shooting and editing videotape in order to produce news stories on deadline. Prereqs., JOUR 3604 and 3644.
JOUR 4614 (1-3). Advanced Radio Practices.
Applies the theory of radio programming and production. Assignments include producing radio programming for radio stations in Colorado and weekly discussion-critique sessions. Prereq., JOUR 3614. Same as JOUR 5344.
JOUR 4624 (3). NewsTeam.
Students participate in "NewsTeam Boulder" a program broadcast live over the Boulder cable television system. Prereq., JOUR 4354. Restricted to senior BCNS majors. Same as JOUR 5624.
JOUR 4634 (1-3). Broadcast Projects.
Covers interpretation, preparation, and/or reporting in programs for broadcast media. Prepares radio or television documentaries and informational/entertainment programs. Prereqs., JOUR 3604 and 3644, or instructor consent.
JOUR 4644 (3). Electronic Media Management.
Analyzes station operations, public relations, personnel, financing, labor relations, and laws and regulations as well as the manager's ethical and social responsibilities. Same as JOUR 5644.
JOUR 4674 (1-3). Television Production 3.
Provides in-depth experience in directing and producing television programs. Prereq., JOUR 3674.
JOUR 5514 (3). Newsgathering for Television.
Covers principles and techniques involved in the preparation of news for broadcasting. Introduces the use of television equipment.
JOUR 5524 (3). Television Investigative Reporting.
Covers how to produce quality, substantive, in-depth stories for television. Covers the basics of investigative reporting, research, and working with sources.
JOUR 5874 (1-3). Special Topics---Electronic Media.
JOUR 6940 (3). Master's Degree Candidate.
