Undergraduate Programs
The school enrolls 600 students in five sequences. Students begin with a broad education in the liberal arts and finish with superior professional preparation and media studies instruction. Most students take advantage of the school’s extensive internship listings to obtain significant media experiences.
In addition to the required courses, the school offers all students a wide range of classes in many aspects of media practice including photojournalism, electronic and digital journalism, advertising creative development, consumer behavior, publication design, magazine article writing, public relations principles and projects, and communication law.
Media criticism and analysis are also broadly represented in the curriculum through courses such as media institutions and economics, media ethics, mass communication history, international mass communication, and special-topics offerings.
Students who intend to apply to the school complete their freshman year of undergraduate work (a minimum of 30 semester hours) typically in the College of Arts and Sciences as prejournalism and mass communication majors.
Upon completion of their studies in the school, students receive a bachelor of science degree in journalism from one of five sequences.
• AdvertisingThe International Media Certificate is designed for high-achieving majors in international affairs (IAFS) and journalism and mass communication (JOUR) at CU-Boulder. This certificate will open doors to international and world-area specializations for students in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and will introduce international affairs students to careers in communication media. For more information, visit www.colorado.edu/Journalism/globalmedia/imc/index.htm.
• Broadcast News
• Broadcast Production
• Media Studies
• News-Editorial
Student Activities +
Many successful alumni proudly trace their careers back to student-run media and professional organizations here. CU Sports Magazine is a weekly televised program that follows collegiate athletics. KVCU, the university’s 24-hour radio station, broadcasts to the Denver area. Cultural Currents is a newsletter that focuses on issues of diversity in media coverage and personnel. NewsTeam Boulder is a twice-weekly cable news show produced by students in the advanced broadcast classes.The CU Independent is a student-run online news source for the campus, at CUIndependent.com.
All news-editorial students complete internships at local daily newspapers and magazines as reporters, copy editors, online editors, or photographers. Students participate in chapters of the Advertising Club, Society of Professional Journalists, the Multi-ethnic Media Organization (MEMO), Association for Women in Communication, and Journalism Board, the student government organization.
Internships +
An ambitious year-round program helps students locate quality internships suited to their specific career goals. Many students complete two or more internships by graduation. Students perform internships at magazines, weekly and daily newspapers, advertising and public relations firms, businesses, and at government and nonprofit agencies. Others do broadcast and cable television internships in Denver. Opportunities for multimedia internships abound.
Students regularly obtain nationally competitive internships through the Politics & Journalism Semester in Washington, D.C., the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund, American Society of Magazine Editors, the Advertising Club of New York, and the Chips Quinn Scholars.
In recent years students have served as interns at The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, Skiing, Backpacker, Sports Illustrated, The Today Show, High Noon Entertainment, MTV, Fox Sports, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, The Children’s Hospital, and IBM and top ad agencies throughout the United States. These include Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, DDB, BBDO, TBWA\Chiat\Day, Young & Rubicam, Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett, Publicis, and Arnold Worldwide.
Internships are also available in communities throughout the state, including Colorado’s mountain resort areas.
Careers +
Graduates of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication hold key positions throughout the United States in advertising, news, entertainment, government, education, business, and law. Many participate in the rapidly expanding alumni Career Network to help new graduates get started in their field by providing advice and contacts. The Student Resource Center fields local and national job opportunities through its contacts with employers and hosts on-campus interviews with a wide variety of employers. The center also assists students and graduates by offering individual counseling and a regular series of workshops on résumé preparation, interviewing, and career planning specifically for media careers. The center maintains a library of media directories and career planning resources and offers students extensive lists of websites related to media jobs.
Centers +
Through the Center for Environmental Journalism the school seeks to enrich and elevate the quality, range, and significance of media coverage of environmental issues. The CEJ is home to the prestigious Ted Scripps Fellowships in Environmental Journalism, which provide working journalists with a one-year opportunity to deepen their understanding of environmental science, policy, law and journalism.
The Resource Center for Media, Religion, and Culture is a clearinghouse of information for those interested in exploring the intersection of religious and media-related practices in the everyday lives of contemporary adults and their families.
Study Abroad Programs +
The School of Journalism and Mass Communication, in conjunction with the Office of International Education, encourages students to participate in the university’s study abroad programs. Study abroad usually is undertaken during the junior year. Since an additional semester may be necessary to meet graduation requirements, prospective majors are urged to plan early and seek advising from the journalism and mass communication assistant dean or coordinator of student services. Programs are offered in more than 70 countries worldwide. Information and application forms are available at the Office of International Education, University of Colorado at Boulder, 123 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0123, or studyabroad.colorado.edu.
