Academics

Gain the Skills to Continue Growing

The Master of Arts in Journalism Entrepreneurship is a 30-credit curriculum that incorporates nine courses and a graduate professional project. The curriculum is designed to provide skills-based training grounded in the ethics and norms of journalistic practice.

JRNL 5001: Media Technology Boot Camp (Augmester)

All students in the program come to Boulder in early August for this residency Media Boot Camp. If you cannot attend the entire three-week course in Boulder, then just attend the first week in residence and complete the rest of the coursework online.

This course offers a foundation in the technologies of journalistic storytelling across a variety of established and emerging media platforms, such as print, television, radio, online publications, blogs, social media and new forms of communication. You will finish the course with basic competence in the technical tools you will need as a journalist.

Summer 2020 Update: All CU Boulder summer classes will now be offered remotely, including the 2020 Media Technology Boot Camp, which begins in August. This class will be taught 100% online, without an in-person component on the CU Boulder campus.

Core classes are offered in two formats: full-session (15-week) synchronous classes and accelerated (5-week) asynchronous courses. You will take synchronous classes by using distance technologies (e.g., Zoom, Skype) to call into the same class attended by campus-based students. You will complete the coursework for your accelerated, asynchronous classes independently throughout the week.

Full Session Classes (15-week, Synchronous)

JRNL 5521: Data Journalism

Instructs you in data-driven investigative reporting. Includes hands-on, in-depth instruction in gathering data from census reports, commercial databases, information networks, and other sources, and utilizing statistical analysis software and spreadsheets to analyze the information in ways that can help deepen and strengthen journalistic stories on a wide variety of subjects.

JRNL 5651: Journalism Law & Ethics

Explores the legal and ethical frameworks of journalistic practice and media production. Covers historical as well as current frameworks used in examining the legal and ethical issues that arise in newsgathering and publication. Examines the relationships between ethics and the law in various media contexts.

Accelerated Classes (5-week, Asynchronous)

JRNL 5201: Principles of American Journalism

Explores the concepts and functions of journalism in American society, including the underlying principles of journalism, relationships among journalism and other social institutions and values, and current issues and problems facing journalists. By the end of the course, you will have developed familiarity with how journalism works, as well as some perspective on how well (or not) journalism performs its function in American society.

JRNL 5011: Newsgathering and Multimedia Storytelling

Develops skills in research and reporting on public issues and news events, and in the construction of narrative in the journalistic and documentary traditions, using a variety of media platforms.

JRNL 5512: In-Depth Reporting

Shows how to dig beneath the surface of issues and events. Focuses on research, interviewing, and writing.

JRNL 5241: Coding for Journalists

The goal of the class is to prepare non-coders to work successfully with developers—for you to learn what you need to know to collaborate with technologists. You will also learn the basics of front-end web development languages (HTML, CSS, Javascript), which will help you develop your own portfolio and, essentially, become more marketable and versatile.

You have the option to choose one of two specialized tracks for your coursework: Sports Journalism or Journalism Entrepreneurship. Two of your core courses will focus on the specialized track you choose.

Sports Journalism

JRNL 5871: Special Topics - Sports, Media & Society

Examines how sports, culture and especially the media, with a specific focus on journalism, all come together to influence society. Explores how sports communication affects, and is affected by, the issues and tension that touch society at large, such as law and politics, race, gender, sexuality and disability.

JRNL 5704: Sports Reporting

Prepares you for the world of sports journalism. Combines the skills of a hard news reporter, the perspective of an entertainment reporter and the persuasive abilities of an editorial writer.

Journalism Entrepreneurship

JRNL 5211: Funding Journalism in the 21st Century

Many essential functions of new media have come under threat as emerging technologies and changing social trends disrupt traditional business models. This course explores new business models and strategies that could sustain the news industry as it makes the transition from print and broadcast distribution to primarily digital platforms. The course examines both new for-profit and non-profit models of journalism in the United States, while also investigating innovative commercial projects in the United Kingdom, Australia, Norway, South Korea, Singapore, and elsewhere.

JRNL 5221: The Practice of Entrepreneurial Journalism

More and more of today’s journalists work in non-traditional new organizations, start their own businesses or freelance. You will learn about current markets in journalism in this class. You will also study the relative marketability of content as well as the market value of your own work, how to build your own brand, and how to market yourself.

JRNL 5851: Graduate Professional Project

This capstone course offers you the chance to develop an individualized project that is a creative demonstration of the knowledge and skills you acquired during the program. The project is completed—under the guidance of a faculty advisor—could take the form of a business plan, a series of written articles to pitch to a news organization, or a longer, focused piece on an area of specialization or interest.

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Academics

Gain the Skills to Continue Growing