Journalism
Speak truth to power.
At its core, journalism is about accountability on all levels, but the skills you learn — interviewing people, verifying information, synthesizing and telling stories, and working on deadline — will prepare you to work in today’s fast-paced communication fields.
Gain relevant skills for the modern media environment
There are more sources of information available than ever before across numerous channels and platforms. Through our curriculum, you’ll cultivate skills that prepare you to communicate to audiences with integrity. You’ll also have access to many opportunities for hands-on experiential learning which will prepare you to work in today’s news media and beyond.
Build a foundation in written and verbal communication
Communication is a broad field with increasingly diverse opportunities created by this digital age. We provide multiple opportunities for hands-on experiences so you can try creating your own media content. Take courses to learn how to produce your own radio show for our campus streaming station, write a column or take photos for our award-winning student newspaper, or direct and produce your own film for our university film festival.
Engage in the professional community
We encourage interaction with professionals by requiring students in our program to complete an internship or independent study. Guided by their own interests and career goals, our students have interned at hundreds of organizations, including J.D. Power & Associates, Sage Publishing, Disney, Warner Brothers, Edelman Public Relations, the Los Angeles Kings, Soul Pancake and the Ventura County Community Foundation.
At a Glance
Degree Type
Bachelor of Arts
Department
School/College
College of Arts and Sciences
Next Steps
Interested in this major? Here's what you can do next:
With challenging and relevant courses, outstanding faculty, small class sizes, and an emphasis on hands-on learning, the journalism program will position you to succeed in your chosen career.
Program Details
Find out what it takes to earn a degree in journalism and explore the courses.
Highlighted Courses
Get familiar with some of the courses you might take in this major.
COMM 407: Broadcast News Production
Create live news broadcasts every two weeks. Learn to write, shoot and edit news stories. In the class, you will be the producer, director and anchor for CLUTV news. Emphasis will be placed on advanced editing skills.
See descriptionCOMM 405: Freedom of Communication
A study of the legal and ethical principles underlying freedom of expression and the limits placed on freedom of expression in the United States. Through examining leading U.S. court decisions, students will learn the broad principles and legal reasoning underlying First Amendment jurisprudence, including the legal, ethical, philosophical and political issues entailed in the rights of free expression.
See descriptionCOMM 331: Content Creation for Digital Platforms
In this course, students will develop a critical perspective to engage with digital technologies and to articulate the rationale of incorporating digital content into media such as public relations and journalism. The class emphasizes both acquiring production skills and understanding the theories and specificities of digital media. The class will prepare students for creating and sharing different types of interactive media content by introducing digital content creation tools.
See descriptionCOMM 346: Advanced Reporting and Editing
This course introduces students to more advanced and in-depth forms of journalistic reporting such as data-driven reporting and solutions journalism approaches. It also helps students to develop both macro and micro-editing skills to edit their own or another's work and introduces basics of page design.
See descriptionCOMM 431: News Reporting Experience
Practical working experience on the University's student newspaper includes reporting, editing, photography, desktop publishing and business management. May be taken four times for credit.
See descriptionCOMM 435: Adv Photography Intro Journalism
Comm 435 is an upper division digital photography class covering news, commercial and fine art photojournalism. In this class, students learn techniques required for using the camera as a reporting and illustrating tool for print and online media. Types of events include hard news,sports, editorial, as well as using the camera for fine art documentary and narrative photography. Cross listed with Art 435. Pre-requisite: Art 236.
See descriptionRecommended Minors
Want to add even more value to your degree? Consider one of these minors to gain a unique combination of skills and perspectives.
Lecturer
Professor
Professor
Professor
Professor
Professor
Professor and Chair of the Communication Department
Professor
Senior Adjunct Faculty Member
Adjunct Faculty Member
We offer hands-on opportunities that give you the freedom to explore your passion through real-world work and prepare for a fulfilling career.
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Learning in Action
Your courses will let you take an active role in developing your communication skills through special projects and on-campus media outlets.
For example, you’ll work alongside other students for The Echo, Cal Lutheran’s award-winning student newspaper. You can also choose to join the iCLU campus radio station, help cover NCAA Division III sports, or produce news broadcasts in our campus TV studio.
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Internships
Our students complete internships in a variety of different fields that lead to offers of permanent employment.
Organizations include:
- ABC, NBC, CNN, CBS, KTLA
- LA Rams, LA Chargers, LA Kings, and LA Clippers
- Disney
- Creative Artists Agency
- J.D. Power and Associates
- iHeartMedia
- SAGE Publications
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Honors Society
You can start growing your professional network by participating in the national communication honors society, Lambda Pi Eta.
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Professional Associations
The Cal Lutheran chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) is a student-led organization devoted to helping students connect with other public relations and communications students and professionals. If you are interested in fields related to marketing, Cal Lutheran also offers a student chapter of American Marketing Association.
My professors have also brought guest speakers into my classes and connected us with amazing people in the field to help us find potential internship and job opportunities. It’s helpful having connections considering how vast the communication and public relations world is. Our professors make sure to equip us with the best resources possible.
Mara Powner '23
Communication, Sports Communication Emphasis Major
As a result of our internship programs, contacts in the professional world, robust alumni network, and support from our Career Services office, the placement rate for our students is quite strong. Recent graduates have taken rewarding jobs in a variety of fields, including broadcasting and public relations.
Potential Careers
Desktop Publishers
Format typescript and graphic elements using computer software to produce publication-ready material.
See descriptionProofreaders and Copy Markers
Read transcript or proof type setup to detect and mark for correction any grammatical, typographical, or compositional errors. Excludes workers whose primary duty is editing copy. Includes proofreaders of braille.
See descriptionBroadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys
Speak or read from scripted materials, such as news reports or commercial messages, on radio, television, or other communications media. May play and queue music, announce artist or title of performance, identify station, or interview guests.
See descriptionNews Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
Narrate or write news stories, reviews, or commentary for print, broadcast, or other communications media such as newspapers, magazines, radio, or television. May collect and analyze information through interview, investigation, or observation.
See descriptionPublic Relations Specialists
Promote or create an intended public image for individuals, groups, or organizations. May write or select material for release to various communications media. May specialize in using social media.
See descriptionEditors
Plan, coordinate, revise, or edit written material. May review proposals and drafts for possible publication.
See descriptionTechnical Writers
Write technical materials, such as equipment manuals, appendices, or operating and maintenance instructions. May assist in layout work.
See descriptionWriters and Authors
Originate and prepare written material, such as scripts, stories, advertisements, and other material.
See descriptionLooking for more career paths? Search these related areas to discover more options.
Employers
Graduates from this major have gone to work at:
- The Seattle Times
- Fox Sports
- The Los Angeles Clippers
- Ventura County Community Foundation
- UC Davis
- IMGN Media
- Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
- Alliance to Save Energy
- KXLY TV
- The Los Angeles Lakers
- NFL
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
This page includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Some occupations listed above may require a related graduate degree.
How We Prepare You for Success
We have 20,000+ employer contacts for jobs and internships, with over 200 listings posted each week.
Our excellent career counselors in the Career Services center will get in touch with you during your very first term on campus. They offer over 50 workshops each year on resume writing, interviewing, salary negotiations, applying to graduate schools, and other critical skills to help you begin your career successfully.
After you graduate from Cal Lutheran, you receive free access to Career Services for life, as a valued member of our alumni family.
of Cal Lutheran graduates find a job or enroll in graduate school within nine months
We work with students and families to make sure everyone who is admitted to Cal Lutheran can afford it.
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You and your family might have questions about how you’ll cover the costs of college. We can tell you this — it costs less than you think.
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