Journalism majors build on the foundation every SOJC undergraduate shares, then move into the sequence courses that make up the major. For the platform and core context courses all majors take first, see SOJC Undergraduate Courses.
Every journalism major takes two required courses, then chooses a track — Reporting and Writing; Broadcast and Digital; or Photojournalism — that shapes which of the courses below they take. See the Journalism Degree Requirements page for how the tracks work and which courses each one includes.
For specifics on course requirements, talk to an advisor or consult the UO Course Catalog. To see which courses are offered in upcoming terms, check the UO Class Schedule.
Journalism Sequence — Required Courses
JCOM 330 Journalism and Democracy 4 credits
Build a strong foundation in working in the public interest. This is a journalism course where you produce no journalism; instead, you focus on what it means to do work that's fair, accurate, and community-centered.
JCOM 331 Fundamentals of Reporting and Interviewing 8 credits
Gain mastery of journalism's four essential skills: research, interviewing, analysis, and writing. This course is the foundation the rest of your reporting coursework builds on.
Journalism Sequence — Track Courses
The courses below make up the three tracks. Which ones you take depends on the track you choose — see the Degree Requirements page for each track's structure.
JCOM 241 Principles of Multimedia Techniques 4 credits
Ground yourself in shooting, recording, and editing photo, video, and audio. You'll operate professional cameras and audio recorders, edit with industry software, and learn the aesthetics behind compelling work for publication.
JCOM 332 Public Affairs Journalism 4 credits
Meet the professional demands of reporting publication-ready news that's timely, consequential, and ethical. You'll broaden your reporting experience, strengthen your news gathering, and sharpen your writing and revision.
JCOM 333 Audiences 4 credits
Learn to make news work for real audiences. You'll use digital metrics and listening to understand current and potential audiences, and craft multi-platform news with professionalism, ethics, and public engagement in mind.
JCOM 341 Audio Journalism I 4 credits
Develop your skills in engaging audio narrative, audio production, and the professional habits of real journalistic settings, with applications to podcasting and radio journalism.
JCOM 342 Video Journalism I 4 credits
Learn professional on-camera video storytelling built to work across platforms, including social and mobile. You'll craft and deliver audio/video news stories.
JCOM 343 Video Reporting II Live Broadcast 4 credits
Learn the basics of television newscast reporting, performance, and production. Working as a team, you'll take on the roles behind a live weekly newscast, from anchor and reporter to producer and videographer.
JCOM 345 Photojournalism 4 credits
Develop visual reporting skills with an emphasis on the practice, law, and ethics of photojournalism. This lab- and portfolio-intensive course builds the foundation of photographic communication.
JCOM 347 Social Media Journalism 4 credits
Build your understanding of social media as a source for news consumption, gathering, and distribution. By creating your own content and critiquing others’, you'll develop the digital skills central to a journalism career.
JCOM 348 Media Entrepreneurship 4 credits
Learn the foundations of media entrepreneurship: understanding audience needs, spotting market gaps, and crafting a media startup proposal. You'll study successful media startups and how they sustain themselves.
JCOM 349 Project Management 4 credits
Combine project management principles with journalistic integrity to lead editorial projects. You'll learn to execute projects and lead teams, bridging the classroom and the newsroom.
JCOM 430 In-Depth Reporting 4 credits
Go deeper on timely themes that matter to journalists through sustained, in-depth reporting. (Topics vary.)
JCOM 431 Data Journalism 4 credits
Learn to identify, locate, obtain, and analyze data — a skill central to journalism's public service role and its ability to reach a wider audience.
JCOM 432 Solutions Journalism 4 credits
Practice journalism that examines the role of the journalist in a democratic society and offers well-researched, evidence-based solutions to social problems.
JCOM 433 Catalyst Journalism 4 credits
Learn an approach pioneered at the SOJC that combines investigative reporting with solutions journalism, an evidence-based strategy that highlights social progress and innovation.
JCOM 434 Investigative Journalism 4 credits
Take on rigorous investigative work using in-depth interviews, public records, and command of story structure. You'll publish your vetted reporting by the end of the term.
JCOM 435 Profiles and Narrative 4 credits
Build the skills, methods, and mindset to produce compelling narratives and in-depth profiles that engage readers with stories about the human experience.
JCOM 436 Magazine Production 4 credits
Use your interviewing, reporting, and photography skills to produce high-quality feature stories for print and digital publication, telling the stories of people and issues relevant to local and regional audiences. (Topics vary.)
JCOM 438 Science Story 4 credits
Work through a rigorous pitching, reporting, and editing process to publish professional science reporting, presenting environmental, scientific, and policy information in ways that are accurate, clear, and accessible.
JCOM 439 Sports Story 4 credits
Learn the fundamentals of sports reporting: interviewing athletes and executives, covering events, and developing sources for enterprise sports features. You'll cover live events and work on longer-form pieces.
JCOM 441 Audio Journalism II: Narrative and Podcasting Capstone 4 credits
Advance your scriptwriting, narrative structure, and sound design while managing complex audio projects. You'll develop a multi-episode podcast or documentary and a plan to bring it to an audience.
JCOM 442 Video Journalism III: Broadcast Capstone 4 credits
Work as a team to produce a live broadcast each week and build a professional portfolio. Show formats vary, from traditional newscasts and sportscasts to morning shows and long-form news magazines.
JCOM 445 Photojournalism II: Photo Story 4 credits
Develop the skills to tell complex stories with the still image, grounded in best journalistic practice, with an emphasis on finding compelling stories in the community.
JCOM 446 Photojournalism III: Multimedia Storytelling 4 credits
Expand your photojournalism toolkit in this hands-on course in audio and video storytelling.
JCOM 448 Visual Production 4 credits
Build advanced, portfolio-driven skills through rotating themes in photojournalism, photography, and visual production. (Topics vary.)
Academic Support and Career Advising
Our academic advisors are available year-round to help you plan your flight path through the UO. The SOJC’s Undergraduate Student Success Center is your home base for academic advice and career-building support. All undergraduate SOJC students are welcome, even if you haven't enrolled yet. Drop by Room 134 on the ground floor of Allen Hall or make an in-person or virtual appointment to connect with an advisor.