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Fall 2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Journalism, BA

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Department of Journalism, School of Communication and Journalism
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Arts in Journalism
 
Dean: Dr. Laura Lindenfeld
Associate Dean and Director of Undergraduate Studies: Irene Virag

Office: Melville Library N-4004
Phone: (631) 632-7403
Advising: Visit SoCJ Undergraduate Advising for program resources and ways to connect with an advisor.

 

The state-of-the-art accredited journalism program at Stony Brook University is designed to prepare students for careers in today’s fast-paced, highly competitive media landscape. The streamlined curriculum requires 45 credits and offers an easy-to-navigate pathway to graduation.

The program focuses on digital journalism but holds fast to traditional journalistic values and skills that imbue an understanding of the role of the press in a democratic society and a passion for the public interest. The curriculum also provides the intellectual underpinnings students need to progress to graduate or professional degree programs.

It is designed to ensure that students build competencies in a sequential fashion. They will hone skills in journalistic storytelling and production, starting with two required digital journalism courses and a writing course. In turn, these prepare students for one of three upper-level digital journalism courses - specializing in text, audio or video, depending on their interests and ambitions. These courses offer advanced opportunities to mix sound, images and words into compelling multimedia packages. Students will also practice using social media as a reportorial tool and a presentation platform. Majors complete their production training in the senior capstone course, JRN 490 , which satisfies the university’s experiential learning requirement.

The remaining required coursework provides a rich variety of challenging courses that explore news literacy, media law and ethics, mass communication history, the economics of media, global issues in journalism and data-driven storytelling. Students must also take two upper division three-credit journalism electives.

In addition, an 18-credit interdisciplinary concentration will provide students with an in-depth look at a specific academic area of their choosing. Students have the option of pursuing a minor or double major.

Through these experiences, journalism majors should develop into ethical, well-educated, well-spoken, resourceful, independent critical thinkers who understand the technical, cultural and intellectual challenges facing modern media.

Degree Requirements

Transfer students

Transfer courses will be evaluated individually for journalism equivalency by the Undergraduate Director.

Requirements for the Major

The major in journalism leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree. Students must earn a letter grade of C or higher in all required courses, including courses in the concentration, and Satisfactory or S in JRN internships, independent studies and workshops for these to count toward the major. Students may enroll in multiple internships up to 6 credits each. The total number of credits from all internships combined may not exceed 12. Variable-credit courses such as internships and independent studies must be taken for three credits or multiple courses must add up to three credits to count as a journalism elective. Otherwise, students must take another three-credit elective. Students may apply up to 6 credits from JRN internships and/or independent studies to the major and a total of 12 credits to general graduation requirements.

Students who earn final grades of C- or lower twice in the same journalism course, or in three different journalism classes, will be dropped from the major. A finding of academic dishonesty in any journalism or mass communication course will result in a failing grade for that course. It can also result in dismissal from the journalism program or expulsion from the university. 

Journalism (JRN) majors are not permitted to declare a second major or minor in Mass Communication (CMM) . They may double major in Communication (COM) , but cannot get credit for the same electives. They may minor in Communication and Innovation (CBI) .

Students may select one of four pre-designed concentrations created to explore broad topics - Public Affairs/Public Policy, Diversity and American Society, Global Issues and Perspectives, and Science and The Environment. Consult the undergraduate director to discuss a multidisciplinary concentration. At least nine credits, or three classes, of the 18 credits required of all concentrations must be at the upper-division level. Check prerequisites. Many of these courses also count toward SBC requirements. For a course to count toward the concentration, it must be passed with a grade of C or higher.

All journalism students should see a departmental advisor to plan their course programs. The following courses are required of all journalism majors; an asterisk denotes an online course:

Required Courses (36 credits):

Required JRN Electives (9 credits):

Students must complete three three-credit upper-division electives. Junior or Senior standing is required. Not all electives will be offered every semester. If students opt to take a variable credit course to complete their elective requirement, a minimum of 3 credits must be selected Students should consult their major advisor before enrollment for the semester begins.

Students can choose three courses from the following electives:

Upper-Division Writing Requirement

Successful completion of JRN 490 , the Senior Capstone Project, will satisfy the SBC WRTD requirement as well as the Journalism major upper-division writing requirement.

Students should consult with the department advisor to ensure that their plan for completing the Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent with university graduation requirements for General Education. Students completing the Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) must complete a course that satisfies the “Write Effectively within One’s Discipline” (WRTD) learning objective to graduate. The Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent in most cases with the SBC learning outcomes for WRTD.

Concentration in Outside Area

Students must declare a second major, a minor, or an interdisciplinary concentration.

Students may design an 18-credit interdisciplinary concentration in an academic subject of their choosing. Consult the undergraduate director to discuss an interdisciplinary concentration. Nine credits, or three classes, of the 18 credits required of all concentrations must be at the upper-division level. Students may also select one of four pre-designed concentrations created to explore broad topics - Public Affairs/Public Policy, Diversity and American Society, Global Issues and Perspectives, and Science and The Environment. The pre-designed interdisciplinary concentrations are as follows (complete 6 courses in any one area).

Science and the Environment

Students study trends, acquire foundation knowledge, and get multiple perspectives on science and environmental issues that will help them report insightfully in the future. See Bulletin course descriptions for details and prerequisites.

Diversity and American Society

Students study trends and acquire knowledge, insights, historical context, and multiple perspectives on important societal issues that will help them report insightfully in the future. See Bulletin course descriptions for details and prerequisites.

Public Affairs/Public Policy

Students study trends, acquire knowledge and historical context, and gain multiple perspectives on public policy issues that will help them report insightfully in the future.

Global Issues and Perspectives

Students study trends, acquire knowledge and historical context, and gain multiple perspectives on global issues that will help them report insightfully in the future.

SBC Courses

This table illustrates major courses that can also be used to fulfill SBC requirements. (See Note 1 & Note 2)

 

SBC Category Required Major Courses Optional Major Courses (see Note 3)
ARTS    
GLO JRN 303 AAS 102, AAS 201, AAS 216, AAS 280, AAS 338, AFS 221, AFS 240, AFS 365, AMR 101, ANT 203, ANT 250, EUR 101, HIS 102, HIS 214, HIS 221, HIS 227, HIS 353, HUF 219, HUR 249, HUS 254, HUS 255, POL 101, POL 214, POL 338, RLS 101, RLS 102, RLS 280, SOC 248, SOC 344, SOC 348, SOC 365, WST 399
HUM   AAS 102, AAS 201, AAS 216, AAS 280, AAS 338, AFS 221, AFS 240, AFS 365, AMR 101, ANT 203, ANT 250, EUR 101, HIS 102, HIS 214, HIS 221, HIS 227, HIS 353, HUF 219, HUR 249, HUS 254, HUS 255, POL 101, POL 102, POL 214, POL 338, RLS 101, RLS 102, RLS 280, SOC 248, SOC 344, SOC 348, SOC 365, WST 399
LANG (see Note 4)    
QPS    
SBS JRN 101, COM 106, POL 102 AAS 250, AFS 221, AMR 101, AMR 102, ECO 108, HIS 102, HIS 104, HIS 214, HIS 221, HIS 227, HIS 287, HUI 336, LIN 101, LIN 200, LIN 250, POL 101, POL 102, POL 103, POL 214, SOC 105, SOC 200, SOC 204, SOC 243, SOC 247, WST 102, WST 247
SNW   ATM 102, BIO 103, BIO 113, BIO 115, BIO 201, CHE 115, ENS 101, ENV 115, EST 102, GEO 101, GEO 102, GEO 103, GEO 105, GEO 107, LIN 101, MAR 101, MAR 104, PHY 113
TECH    
USA COM 106, COM 208, POL 102 AAS 250, AFS 277, AFS 339, AMR 102, CLT 235, HIS 104, HIS 277, HIS 287, HIS 339, HUI 236, HUI 336, LIN 200, LIN 250, POL 102
WRT    
STAS COM 415 ATM 237, BIO 358, BIO 386, ECO 373, ENS 301, ENS 311, ENS 312, EST 201, EST 330, EST 391, GEO 304, GEO 311, GEO 313, HIS 281, HIS 365, MAR 340, PHY 237, SOC 315, SOC 340, WST 340
EXP+ JRN 490 GEO 305, JRN 335, JRN 488, JRN 489
HFA+   AFH 339, AFH 382, AFH 390, ARH 329, COM 307, EGL 382, PHI 366, WST 382
SBS+   AFS 325, AAS 334, AAS 338, AFS 339, AAS 372, AFS 310, AFS 319, AFS 325, AFS 337, AFS 346, AFS 350, AFS 363, AFS 365, AFS 375, AFS 394, AMR 301, ANT 372, COM 316, ECO 303, ECO 305, HIS 399, SOC 344, HIS 325, HIS 339, HIS 353, HIS 362, HIS 368, HIS 393, HIS 396, POL 309, POL 310, POL 313, POL 317, POL 318, POL 320, POL 322, POL 323, POL 324, POL 325, POL 327, POL 330, POL 332, POL 336, POL 337, POL 338, POL 346, POL 350, POL 359, POL 367, POL 374, SOC 248, SOC 302, SOC 303, SOC 304, SOC 310, SOC 330, SOC 336, SOC 337, SOC 338, SOC 348, SOC 364, SOC 365, SOC 374, SOC 380, SOC 390, WST 301, WST 310, WST 330, WST 347, WST 350, WST 399
STEM+   BIO 353
CER JRN 101 PHI 105, PHI 366, WST 102, WST 103
DIV (see Note 5) JRN 303 AFH 382, ANT 203, EGL 382, HIS 104, HUS 254, LIN 200, POL 310, POL 330, SOC 247, SOC 302, SOC 310, WST 102, WST 103, WST 247, WST 301, WST 330, WST 347, WST 382, WST 399
ESI COM 305 AAS 216, AMR 301, BIO 358, GEO 313, HIS 365
SPK   COM 120, COM 365, JRN 310
WRTD JRN 490 AMR 301

Note 1: Some course information may be subject to change. Please contact your major advisor for additional consultation.

Note 2: For majors that require study in a related area or completion of a minor, visit the respective program’s “Major SBC Courses” page to view expanded SBC options. 

Note 3: Denotes any course in which students can choose from more than one option. These may include, but are not limited to, major electives, concentration/track/specialization courses, or calculus/physics/chemistry sequences.

Note 4: CEAS majors, the Athletic Training major, the Respiratory Care major, and the Clinical Laboratory Sciences major are exempt from the LANG learning objective. Students enrolled in the major in Social Work are exempt from the LANG learning objective, but are required to enroll in and pass with a letter grade of C or higher the first semester of an elementary foreign language course numbered 111, or satisfy through alternate methods.

Note 5: Students are responsible for completing the general education requirements published in the Bulletin that was current as of the first semester of matriculation (or rematriculation). The following student groups must satisfy the DIV learning objective as part of their degree requirements:

  • Freshmen who matriculate in the Fall of 2019 or later
  • Transfer students who matriculate in the Spring of 2020 or later
  • Students who rematriculate in the Fall of 2019 or later

Sample Course Sequence

  

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